This article is a summary of the following episode: In the Beginning, Jesus...
When most people open Genesis or Exodus, they think of creation, evolution, or the flood. But those opening books are not first about scientific arguments or historical curiosities. They are about Christ. From the first words of Scripture to the final page, the story has always been about Jesus. The Redeemer who was there from the beginning.
When we read Genesis and Exodus with that lens, everything changes. We begin to see the glory of God’s grace, his covenant love, and his plan of redemption unfold long before the manger in Bethlehem.
Christ in the Beginning
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Those words introduce us to the triune God who made all things. The Father speaks, the Spirit hovers over the waters, and the Son acts as the divine Word through whom all things were made. John 1 tells us that nothing was made apart from him.
That means the voice that said “Let there be light” was the same voice that cried out, “It is finished.” The Son of God who spoke creation into being is the same Lord who entered it to redeem it.
Even in the garden, the presence of Jesus is clear. Genesis says the Lord walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. When they sinned, it was the Son who sought them. He called out, “Where are you?” and covered their shame with garments. From the very beginning, he was revealing himself as the Redeemer.
The Promise of the Seed
When the curse fell, God spoke a promise. The seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head. That promise came from the lips of the Son himself. The Redeemer was announcing what he would one day accomplish.
The entire story of Scripture unfolds from that moment. Every generation, every covenant, and every shadow points forward to the One who would fulfill it all.
Christ in the Shadows
The Old Testament is filled with glimpses of Jesus. He appears as the angel of the Lord, the messenger who is also divine. Hagar met him in the wilderness and called him “the God who sees me.” Jacob wrestled with him through the night and walked away changed. Moses spoke with him at the burning bush.
Even the ark of Noah points to Christ. In that story, judgment falls on the earth, yet those who are hidden in the ark are carried safely through. The same is true for everyone who is hidden in Christ.
The pattern continues in Exodus. The Passover lamb, whose blood covers the people from death, prefigures the blood of Christ that shields us from judgment. The crossing of the Red Sea shows the people of God passing through the waters while their enemies are destroyed. Paul says this, too, was Christ at work—leading his people and saving them.
When manna fell from heaven and water came from the rock, God was teaching Israel to depend on him alone. Jesus would later say, “I am the bread of life.” Paul writes that the rock that gave them drink was Christ.
Every symbol, every act of deliverance, and every covenant promise whispers his name.
The Presence of the Redeemer
At Mount Sinai, the same God who gave the law would later fulfill it. The one who descended in fire and smoke is the one who would descend again in humility and take on flesh. When God revealed his name to Moses—“The Lord, the Lord, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love”—that was the Son speaking.
The tabernacle, too, points us to Jesus. God’s glory filled the tent where atonement was made through the blood of sacrifice. Christ is the true tabernacle. He is the high priest who carries his people on his heart and shoulders, and he is the final sacrifice whose blood has made permanent peace.
Christ for His People
When the angel of the Lord led Israel through the wilderness, it was Jesus who went before them. The same Lord who conquered the nations and brought them into the promised land will one day lead his people into the new creation.
Every page of Genesis and Exodus shows us the mercy and faithfulness of God through his Son. He creates, sustains, redeems, and dwells among his people. From the first promise in Eden to the cloud of glory over the tabernacle, Christ has always been present, always working for the good of those who belong to him.
The Comfort of Christ in All Scripture
Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament is not a theological exercise. It is a comfort to weary hearts. The same Savior who spoke the world into being is the one who sustains it today. He has always been faithful to his people, and he always will be.
When we read Genesis and Exodus, we are not reading ancient myths or moral lessons. We are reading the beginning of the gospel story. The Redeemer has been there from the start, and he will be there at the end.
From creation to covenant, from promise to fulfillment, the message is the same: Jesus was present from the beginning.
