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Jesus on Every Page: 10 Simple Ways to Seek and Find Christ in the Old Testament
Join author and minister David Murray as he introduces you to Jesus through the lens of the Old Testament.
When you think of a son trudging uphill, carrying wood for his own sacrifice because his father has decided to give him up to death, what biblical event does this bring to mind? Is it Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, or is it Christ's passion in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? The kinship between these two stories is deeper than mere coincidence, and the similarities don't end there. In fact, Murray argues that Christ isn't just present in the story of Abraham and Isaac--he's present on every page of the Old Testament.
In Jesus on Every Page, Dr. Murray guides the reader down his own Road to Emmaus, describing how the Scriptures were opened to him, revealing Jesus from Genesis 1 all the way through Revelation 22. Dr. Murray shares his ten simple ways to seek and find Christ in the Old Testament, diving deep
Christ's planet--discovering Jesus in the story of CreationChrist's people--discovering Jesus in the characters of the Old TestamentChrist's promises--discovering Jesus in the covenants of the Old TestamentRecognizing Jesus in the full breadth of scripture is important for every Christian. In this step-by-step guide to discovering Jesus in the Old Testament, Dr. Murray provides a framework that will help you start practicing this wonderful way of enjoying Jesus throughout the Bible.
Whether you are preaching Jesus through Old Testament readings or just beginning to discover the reality of Christ in the Old Testament, Jesus on Every Page is an accessible guide to getting to know the Old Testament for what it truly full of Jesus.
When you think of a son trudging uphill, carrying wood for his own sacrifice because his father has decided to give him up to death, what biblical event does this bring to mind? Is it Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22, or is it Christ's passion in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? The kinship between these two stories is deeper than mere coincidence, and the similarities don't end there. In fact, Murray argues that Christ isn't just present in the story of Abraham and Isaac--he's present on every page of the Old Testament.
In Jesus on Every Page, Dr. Murray guides the reader down his own Road to Emmaus, describing how the Scriptures were opened to him, revealing Jesus from Genesis 1 all the way through Revelation 22. Dr. Murray shares his ten simple ways to seek and find Christ in the Old Testament, diving deep
Christ's planet--discovering Jesus in the story of CreationChrist's people--discovering Jesus in the characters of the Old TestamentChrist's promises--discovering Jesus in the covenants of the Old TestamentRecognizing Jesus in the full breadth of scripture is important for every Christian. In this step-by-step guide to discovering Jesus in the Old Testament, Dr. Murray provides a framework that will help you start practicing this wonderful way of enjoying Jesus throughout the Bible.
Whether you are preaching Jesus through Old Testament readings or just beginning to discover the reality of Christ in the Old Testament, Jesus on Every Page is an accessible guide to getting to know the Old Testament for what it truly full of Jesus.
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First published August 20, 2013
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About the author
David P. Murray
41 books95 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
David P. Murray is Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and worked for five years in financial services before being converted to Christ. He studied for the ministry at Glasgow University and the Free Church of Scotland College (Edinburgh). He was a pastor for 12 years, first at Lochcarron Free Church of Scotland and then at Stornoway Free Church of Scotland (Continuing). From 2002 to 2007, he was Lecturer in Hebrew and Old Testament at the Free Church Seminary in Inverness. He has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Reformation International Theological Seminary for his work relating Old Testament Introduction studies to the pastoral ministry. He and his wife, Shona, have four children: Allan, Angus, Joni, and Amy. He also blogs at Head Heart Hand.
David P. Murray is Professor of Old Testament and Practical Theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and worked for five years in financial services before being converted to Christ. He studied for the ministry at Glasgow University and the Free Church of Scotland College (Edinburgh). He was a pastor for 12 years, first at Lochcarron Free Church of Scotland and then at Stornoway Free Church of Scotland (Continuing). From 2002 to 2007, he was Lecturer in Hebrew and Old Testament at the Free Church Seminary in Inverness. He has a Doctor of Ministry degree from Reformation International Theological Seminary for his work relating Old Testament Introduction studies to the pastoral ministry. He and his wife, Shona, have four children: Allan, Angus, Joni, and Amy. He also blogs at Head Heart Hand.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
August 21, 2013
We know that Jesus is the central character of the New Testament and His presence shines brightly after Bethlehem. What if, however, He's also the central character of the Old Testament? This is the conceptual soil from which this book grows. It provides a stirring look at Jesus, as He really is, the "towering figure" of all history.
Resources showing how to preach Christ from the Old Testament are quite the rage nowadays, and when I hear trendy theological ideas that are quite the rage, I tend to instinctively dig in my heels and resist them. However. I believe the contemporary church does need a renewed sense of the presence of Jesus in the Old Testament.
Murray's book is rather unique in its approach. It's basic and personal, even a bit autobiographical. It's all about finding Jesus in the Old Testament, not just some potential Messiah figure.
The journey begins on the road to Emmaus, where Jesus delivers a sermon based on a big text: "Moses, all the Prophets, and all the Scriptures". Murray provides autobiographical details on how he found Jesus in the Old Testament and he show sus the difference it made. In His search, he found that "[Jesus] wasn't just here and there [in the Old Testament]--He was everywhere". This discovery came not as a mere academic nuance, but a real, living, passionate reality that shines in the way Murray writes.
Murray unravels his discovery in a orderly and systematic, though not at all dry, way. He writes in an easy and light way and he's very careful to present the information in bite-sized pieces. He's a great communicator.
Murray's examination of the different types of prophesy fulfillment in regard to the Messiah is delightful. I liked his discussion of how to find Jesus in creation and in the law--it was compelling and inspiring. His coverage of the Psalms was fantastic. I must admit as he proceeded to the Song of Solomon, so much interpretative baggage abounds with that book, and yet I found Murray handle it well and actually gave some surprising advice there! I also think Murray's discussion of Christ in the moral law alone is worth the price of the book.
I've found that throughout the book, Murray's approach strikes a delicate balance, neither diminishing the importance, relevance and power of Old Testament examples on the one hand, nor devolving into a simplistic moralization of them on the other. He very patiently walks the reader through the nity-gritty of analyzing and interpreting the Old Testament. There are a lot of nice little details about Murray's approach, such as the way he uses alliteration in his writing.
In my mind, the weakest part of the book was his look at the Pauline teaching on the Old Testament. It wasn't nearly as focused or well-targeted as the rest of the book. It became wrapped up in dealing with specific objections, rather than presenting a positive analysis of Paul's teaching. It certainly bogged things down. I was left wishing it was more like his presentation of Peter's teaching. While Murray was covering some important points and I enjoyed the information he presented therein, such a prolonged discussion of and response to objections at that point may have been better placed in a footnote or a longer tome which expands on the subject.
This is a great book and I suggest picking it up. Don't forget to read the short postscript and work your way through the extensive study questions, they are great! I came away from it not only with a deepened appreciation of Jesus Christ's presence in the Old Testament, but also a heightened sense of the wonderful riches of His humanity and divinity. The Christian puts his or her faith not in "a humanized God or a deified man, but a true God-man", as Warfield once put it. Murray has done a wonderful job of conveying his passion for this marvelous Jesus in a winsome and eloquent way.
Resources showing how to preach Christ from the Old Testament are quite the rage nowadays, and when I hear trendy theological ideas that are quite the rage, I tend to instinctively dig in my heels and resist them. However. I believe the contemporary church does need a renewed sense of the presence of Jesus in the Old Testament.
Murray's book is rather unique in its approach. It's basic and personal, even a bit autobiographical. It's all about finding Jesus in the Old Testament, not just some potential Messiah figure.
The journey begins on the road to Emmaus, where Jesus delivers a sermon based on a big text: "Moses, all the Prophets, and all the Scriptures". Murray provides autobiographical details on how he found Jesus in the Old Testament and he show sus the difference it made. In His search, he found that "[Jesus] wasn't just here and there [in the Old Testament]--He was everywhere". This discovery came not as a mere academic nuance, but a real, living, passionate reality that shines in the way Murray writes.
Murray unravels his discovery in a orderly and systematic, though not at all dry, way. He writes in an easy and light way and he's very careful to present the information in bite-sized pieces. He's a great communicator.
Murray's examination of the different types of prophesy fulfillment in regard to the Messiah is delightful. I liked his discussion of how to find Jesus in creation and in the law--it was compelling and inspiring. His coverage of the Psalms was fantastic. I must admit as he proceeded to the Song of Solomon, so much interpretative baggage abounds with that book, and yet I found Murray handle it well and actually gave some surprising advice there! I also think Murray's discussion of Christ in the moral law alone is worth the price of the book.
I've found that throughout the book, Murray's approach strikes a delicate balance, neither diminishing the importance, relevance and power of Old Testament examples on the one hand, nor devolving into a simplistic moralization of them on the other. He very patiently walks the reader through the nity-gritty of analyzing and interpreting the Old Testament. There are a lot of nice little details about Murray's approach, such as the way he uses alliteration in his writing.
In my mind, the weakest part of the book was his look at the Pauline teaching on the Old Testament. It wasn't nearly as focused or well-targeted as the rest of the book. It became wrapped up in dealing with specific objections, rather than presenting a positive analysis of Paul's teaching. It certainly bogged things down. I was left wishing it was more like his presentation of Peter's teaching. While Murray was covering some important points and I enjoyed the information he presented therein, such a prolonged discussion of and response to objections at that point may have been better placed in a footnote or a longer tome which expands on the subject.
This is a great book and I suggest picking it up. Don't forget to read the short postscript and work your way through the extensive study questions, they are great! I came away from it not only with a deepened appreciation of Jesus Christ's presence in the Old Testament, but also a heightened sense of the wonderful riches of His humanity and divinity. The Christian puts his or her faith not in "a humanized God or a deified man, but a true God-man", as Warfield once put it. Murray has done a wonderful job of conveying his passion for this marvelous Jesus in a winsome and eloquent way.
August 2, 2017
I was a little skeptical going into this book, fearing it would be fluffy, and not very informative. To my delight, I found that it was quite contrary to those low expectations. The book is written for a popular audience, and is often written for the kind of person with little, to no real familiarity with the Old Testament--especially the first third of the book.
But the last two thirds of the book are quite good and helpful, even to someone who is very familiar with the Old Testament and even those who do not suffer from the same kind of prejudice against the OT that Murray seems to be writing.
Murray makes a convincing case that the Old Testament is thoroughly about Christ--that it is the progressive revelation of Christ that in the New Covenant all might be revealed and the glory of Christ made known to all, having been prepared for and promise in the OT.
This is a really good read, and I recommend it--especially to those that don't have much familiarity with the OT, or much inclination to actually read and study it. This will help get a sense of what to look for, what to expect, and motivation to doing so.
But the last two thirds of the book are quite good and helpful, even to someone who is very familiar with the Old Testament and even those who do not suffer from the same kind of prejudice against the OT that Murray seems to be writing.
Murray makes a convincing case that the Old Testament is thoroughly about Christ--that it is the progressive revelation of Christ that in the New Covenant all might be revealed and the glory of Christ made known to all, having been prepared for and promise in the OT.
This is a really good read, and I recommend it--especially to those that don't have much familiarity with the OT, or much inclination to actually read and study it. This will help get a sense of what to look for, what to expect, and motivation to doing so.
April 8, 2022
This book is specifically concerned with finding Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Its strength is its helpfulness. This is a valuable tool for any Bible preachers or teachers, or any student of the Bible, and its simplicity makes it extremely accessible and useful for all - not just the hardcore theologians - although a little bit of Bible knowledge is helpful.
David Murray writes with such a great clarity, so that even if much of the book's content of how to find Jesus in the Old Testament is known to you, it will still help to deepen and increase your own clarity on what you know, and I am sure you will find a variety of thoughts or ways of looking at things that you hadn't yet considered.
Helpful and valuable at every stage, its clear why this book is rated so highly by so many, and there is nothing more important than finding Jesus.
David Murray writes with such a great clarity, so that even if much of the book's content of how to find Jesus in the Old Testament is known to you, it will still help to deepen and increase your own clarity on what you know, and I am sure you will find a variety of thoughts or ways of looking at things that you hadn't yet considered.
Helpful and valuable at every stage, its clear why this book is rated so highly by so many, and there is nothing more important than finding Jesus.
April 30, 2019
This was a reread. I appreciate Murray's approach to take what is sometimes a complex subject and make it accessible for all believers. His story of discovery is a thread throughout the book that keeps the book interesting. Each chapter is a helpful summary of a Christocentric reading of various OT texts/themes. Highly recommended.
July 14, 2025
I loved this book and read half a chapter at a time alongside my morning Bible study over the course of a couple months. A few sections felt a bit more academic—almost like a seminary text—but it was overall accessible and thought-provoking. Definitely recommend for those hoping to see Christ's centrality throughout the Old and New Testaments!
July 27, 2025
it wasn’t all bad…just mostly bad. if you’re interested in this topic, i’d just recommend “knowing Jesus through the old testament” by christopher wright
October 6, 2021
When your heart burns like this you don’t need no Gaviscon
September 4, 2013
Wow, where to start...Jesus on Every Page should be required reading for every Christian within a few year's of their conversion to Christ. Honestly, if I had been able to grasp early on in my Christian walk the things that David Murray shows in his book about Christ being found throughout the Bible, then it would have saved me from a ton of spiritual headaches. I, in my spiritual immaturity, spent countless hours trying to reconcile the Old Testament with the New Testament and can honestly say that I was way off the mark more than I was right. I feel like some of the most basic and fundamental questions that newborn babes in Christ ask and need to know the biblical answer to are:
(1) What role does the Old Testament play in the life of the gentile New Testament believer?
(2) When Christ said that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it, how does that work itself out in the lives of NT believers?
(3) If we are still required to abide by the moral law (i.e. Ten Commandments), then why aren't we required to live by the ceremonial and civil law given to the Israelites as well?
(4) Were OT saints saved in the exact same way that NT saints are? If not, how were they saved...by works? If salvation is the same throughout the Bible (and it is), then how thorough were OT saints understanding of the Messiah?
David Murray does an excellent job of providing answers to all of the questions above, and giving Scripture references to back up all his assertions. I loved the fact that Murray admitted all of his shortcomings and failures along the way as he tried to seek the mind of the Lord on seeking and finding Christ in the Old Testament. It is such a relief to read a book where the author is not trying to cast himself in a spiritual light, but is more concerned with making much of Christ. I am hoping and praying along with David that this book will encourage Pastors everywhere to get back to preaching the Old Testament and showing their congregations that the Old Testament is not something to be avoided b/c of all the genealogies, rules, etc. Rather, the Old Testament was written to declare the character of our God and to incrementally reveal the beauty and majesty of a Messiah whose active and passive obedience to His Father led to our redemption! And, when our Pastors start to get passionate about discovering the character and attributes of our God and Savior in the OT, then our congregations will follow suit.
I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
(1) What role does the Old Testament play in the life of the gentile New Testament believer?
(2) When Christ said that He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it, how does that work itself out in the lives of NT believers?
(3) If we are still required to abide by the moral law (i.e. Ten Commandments), then why aren't we required to live by the ceremonial and civil law given to the Israelites as well?
(4) Were OT saints saved in the exact same way that NT saints are? If not, how were they saved...by works? If salvation is the same throughout the Bible (and it is), then how thorough were OT saints understanding of the Messiah?
David Murray does an excellent job of providing answers to all of the questions above, and giving Scripture references to back up all his assertions. I loved the fact that Murray admitted all of his shortcomings and failures along the way as he tried to seek the mind of the Lord on seeking and finding Christ in the Old Testament. It is such a relief to read a book where the author is not trying to cast himself in a spiritual light, but is more concerned with making much of Christ. I am hoping and praying along with David that this book will encourage Pastors everywhere to get back to preaching the Old Testament and showing their congregations that the Old Testament is not something to be avoided b/c of all the genealogies, rules, etc. Rather, the Old Testament was written to declare the character of our God and to incrementally reveal the beauty and majesty of a Messiah whose active and passive obedience to His Father led to our redemption! And, when our Pastors start to get passionate about discovering the character and attributes of our God and Savior in the OT, then our congregations will follow suit.
I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2019
I bought this book after listening to his outstanding podcast on typology with Nancy Guthrie. He seeks to give a flyover view of Jesus in the OT. It was too much of a flyover for me. Often he would have a heading and one or two sentences. The places he strings paragraphs together are great. The times he uses 1-2 sentences are too shallow. I do appreciate how he brings the reader into his journey of seeing Jesus in the OT.
April 18, 2014
This is probably going to be the best book that I read all year. The theme is finding Christ in every Old Testament genre. What a great way to get your OT reading kicked into high gear. You will never read the OT in the same way again (and that's a good thing). I highly, highly recommend this book.
October 30, 2017
Very helpful in discovering Jesus in the old testament.
This book has been very helpful In seeing Jesus on every page of the bible. I recommend this this book to anyone who is wanting to deepen their relationship with the Lord.
This book has been very helpful In seeing Jesus on every page of the bible. I recommend this this book to anyone who is wanting to deepen their relationship with the Lord.
May 23, 2017
Paradigm Shift
I knew this stuff before ...perhaps but I never knew it the way I know it now because of David Murray. This book has changed my life. Thank you.
I knew this stuff before ...perhaps but I never knew it the way I know it now because of David Murray. This book has changed my life. Thank you.
March 2, 2022
A friend gave this book to me to do what I would with it, and it looked good enough to read before passing it along. Now that I've read it, I'm very excited to add it as a permanent addition to my shelves--for my own reference and hopefully my children's one day.
Murray walks readers through how all the Old Testament supports Jesus' authoritative pronouncement that it is all about Him. He includes all the "types" of Old Testament literature: how can the Law be about Christ? The Proverbs? The Psalms? The Prophets (and not just the Messianic prophecies)? The creation account? Some chapters provide just enough of a skim to get a person going, whereas some seemed to me to open up new depths and treasures. He made his case better in some than in others, but all were valuable. The chapter on Psalms was my absolute favorite and worth the entire book.
Murray also lays some groundwork at the beginning of the book: four chapters detailing how Jesus treats the Old Testament within the New Testament, then ditto for Peter, Paul, and John. These were absolutely essential chapters for me, especially in that they made sense of Paul's apparent disdain for OT Law in several letters--helping me see why it was not the Law itself he disdained, but its abuse and misuse, and therefore how the Law is still valuable for us today. He helped me see more clearly how the old covenants were also of grace, not of works as I am often tempted to think. I learned so much. Again, these chapters were worth the book.
Through it all, Murray was a winsome guide. He presents himself as having begun just as baffled and incredulous as we are and, with disarming humility, takes us along the same journey he made to understand how Christ can be in all of Scripture--yes, that random part, too! Presenting the book as taking us along his own "road to Emmaus" was a smart move.
In short, very enjoyable and valuable reading.
Murray walks readers through how all the Old Testament supports Jesus' authoritative pronouncement that it is all about Him. He includes all the "types" of Old Testament literature: how can the Law be about Christ? The Proverbs? The Psalms? The Prophets (and not just the Messianic prophecies)? The creation account? Some chapters provide just enough of a skim to get a person going, whereas some seemed to me to open up new depths and treasures. He made his case better in some than in others, but all were valuable. The chapter on Psalms was my absolute favorite and worth the entire book.
Murray also lays some groundwork at the beginning of the book: four chapters detailing how Jesus treats the Old Testament within the New Testament, then ditto for Peter, Paul, and John. These were absolutely essential chapters for me, especially in that they made sense of Paul's apparent disdain for OT Law in several letters--helping me see why it was not the Law itself he disdained, but its abuse and misuse, and therefore how the Law is still valuable for us today. He helped me see more clearly how the old covenants were also of grace, not of works as I am often tempted to think. I learned so much. Again, these chapters were worth the book.
Through it all, Murray was a winsome guide. He presents himself as having begun just as baffled and incredulous as we are and, with disarming humility, takes us along the same journey he made to understand how Christ can be in all of Scripture--yes, that random part, too! Presenting the book as taking us along his own "road to Emmaus" was a smart move.
In short, very enjoyable and valuable reading.
January 3, 2024
A bit of a disappointment. It’s good to see Jesus on every page—so that’s why it gets some stars—but it wasn’t a very helpful book about how to do that rightly. I recommend The Messianic Vision of the Pentateuch instead (obviously it doesn’t cover the whole OT).
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My ⭐️ rating criteria
- ⭐️: I absolutely did not like or totally disagreed with the book and would recommend that no one else read it
- ⭐️⭐️: the book was below average style or content, wouldn’t read it again, but wouldn’t beg people not to read it necessarily
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️: a fine book, some helpful information (or a decent story, for the handful of novels I read), didn’t disagree with too much, enjoyed it decently well
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: a very good book, information was very helpful, mostly agreed with everything or it was a strong argument even if I disagree, was above-average enjoyable to read
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: unparalleled book, I enjoyed it more than most other books, I want to read it again in the future, I will be telling everyone to read it for the next few weeks
___
My ⭐️ rating criteria
- ⭐️: I absolutely did not like or totally disagreed with the book and would recommend that no one else read it
- ⭐️⭐️: the book was below average style or content, wouldn’t read it again, but wouldn’t beg people not to read it necessarily
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️: a fine book, some helpful information (or a decent story, for the handful of novels I read), didn’t disagree with too much, enjoyed it decently well
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: a very good book, information was very helpful, mostly agreed with everything or it was a strong argument even if I disagree, was above-average enjoyable to read
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: unparalleled book, I enjoyed it more than most other books, I want to read it again in the future, I will be telling everyone to read it for the next few weeks
March 22, 2020
This was very interesting, though it wasn't quite what I was expecting. I do have a few doctrinal differences with the author, and I'm not completely convinced on everything he sees, but he definitely gives you something to think about with his analysis of the presence of Jesus in the Old Testament writings. Sometimes it seems to be a bit of a stretch, but I did really enjoy the portion on Proverbs, Psalms, and Song of Solomon at the end of the book. I think he needed a bit more scripture (too much quoting of other authors, imho) but if nothing else this will get you thinking. I wouldn’t recommend it as a trustworthy reference or anything, though.
February 8, 2021
Highly recommend. This is such a clear outline of the connectedness of the story of Scripture and of Jesus. My favorite chapter was the one on covenants. I will be referring back to this book as I study different areas of Scripture to be reminded of how they reflect Jesus or how Jesus himself would have read those portions. My biggest takeaway is that the Old Testament and New Testament are not opposed or disconnected, but are a deeply interwoven account of grace to greater grace. The people we read about in the OT are saved by grace as we are today. What a benevolent God, that has always taken the initiative to give us the grace we have always needed.
September 14, 2021
This book was helpful. It did for me what it claims. I believe I am better equipped to seek and find Jesus in the OT. Jesus on Every Page isn’t a hard book to read. Nothing was over-complicated and Murray’s pastoral writing style is refreshing. He doesn’t talk down to his readers but instead comes along side them. Part of this is because Murray shares his own journey of learning how to see Jesus in the OT. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to deepen their understanding and love of Christ. Jesus on Every Page has helped make the OT less intimidating and more inviting.
December 28, 2021
If you want to learn about Jesus in the Old Testament and Typology this is the book for you. Murray is very personal in sharing his own journey on finding Jesus in the OT.
Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from the book, but I was impressed by the way the author tackles this hard topic in a popular way, that is, in a way that you don't have to be a theologian to understand.
It was a great read!
Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from the book, but I was impressed by the way the author tackles this hard topic in a popular way, that is, in a way that you don't have to be a theologian to understand.
It was a great read!
March 14, 2022
Probably more 3.6-3.7ish.
Murray's more capital R Reformed than I am, so I don't agree with some of the conflation of church Israel language, etc - but I'd still be happy to hand this book to a church member who wanted an introduction to how to read their OT with an eye forward to Christ. Very clear and helpful - would have been improved if Scripture citations had been included as footnotes rather than endnotes.
Murray's more capital R Reformed than I am, so I don't agree with some of the conflation of church Israel language, etc - but I'd still be happy to hand this book to a church member who wanted an introduction to how to read their OT with an eye forward to Christ. Very clear and helpful - would have been improved if Scripture citations had been included as footnotes rather than endnotes.
December 14, 2024
Overall, this was a great book. The author and I have differing interpretations of some things, but I absolutely agree that Jesus is on every page of the Old Testament! This was a great intro level book into how to see him in the different types of OT literary genres. I came away with some exciting new insights, nuggets to think on, and concepts to study more!
October 21, 2025
4.5⭐️ A helpful comprehensive resource for recognizing Jesus throughout the Old Testament. Would recommend to anyone wanting to grow in their understanding of how the Old and New Testaments relate to one another and how the entire arc of scripture points to and is fulfilled in Jesus.
September 22, 2017
A great book that helps us understand how all of the Scriptures point to Christ.
January 16, 2021
You will never look at the Old Testament the same way after reading this book. David M. truly helps us take the blinders off and shows us exactly what Jesus meant when He said “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
A Great read that every Christian should have on their shelf.
A Great read that every Christian should have on their shelf.
January 25, 2015
Admirable effort in showing a multiplicity of ways to see Jesus from the OT. Very accessible and easy to read. At the same time, I struggled significantly with his understanding of both the law and articulation of covenant theology. His understanding of the law and articulation of the covenants are both overly simplistic and at time forced (exegesis not derived from text). There was a lack of careful exegesis in general all through the book. For a more carefully nuanced and exegetical approach to those subjects, let me recommend reading Brian Rosner's "Paul and the Law" and "Kingdom through Covenant" by Gentry and Wellum. Overall I was quite disappointed and cannot recommend buying the book unless you just want some helpful ways to think about looking for Jesus in the OT.
July 25, 2017
I wanted to like this one more than I did. The opening chapters were nice, and some of his later chapters are useful, including his section on Song of Solomon.
There's very little deep analysis here, though. I get that it's meant to be an intro-level work (and it is), but the format is off-putting. Some of the chapters are simply brief explanations followed by a bunch of brief examples (none with fully worked out arguments). At times it reads so much like an annotated bibliography that I felt like I should put it down and just go read some Christopher Wright.
It is accessible, and maybe it would be a good aid to readers new to this idea. I'm happy to see its high rating on Goodreads, which I suspect means people are finding it useful and I'm the oddball.
There's very little deep analysis here, though. I get that it's meant to be an intro-level work (and it is), but the format is off-putting. Some of the chapters are simply brief explanations followed by a bunch of brief examples (none with fully worked out arguments). At times it reads so much like an annotated bibliography that I felt like I should put it down and just go read some Christopher Wright.
It is accessible, and maybe it would be a good aid to readers new to this idea. I'm happy to see its high rating on Goodreads, which I suspect means people are finding it useful and I'm the oddball.
September 19, 2013
This is a well-written book that links the Old and the New Testaments. It's definitely important for Christians to read. The word "simple" in the title is a bit of a misnomer, however. The book tends toward the academic - but you don't have to be a seminary graduate to understand it. It would be great for group or individual study. For my full review, see here. http://eagleswingsbooks.blogspot.com/...
August 16, 2020
A little to scholarly for me
This book wasn't altogether bad, and I absolutely love the premise of finding Jesus on every page because he is in and through the whole Bible. There was a lot of information here that was good, informative and well researched, it was just written in a style that was dry and to textbook like for what I was hoping for.
This book wasn't altogether bad, and I absolutely love the premise of finding Jesus on every page because he is in and through the whole Bible. There was a lot of information here that was good, informative and well researched, it was just written in a style that was dry and to textbook like for what I was hoping for.
June 13, 2025
This book divides up the Old Testament into it's different genres and explores how they point ahead (or point alongside) Christ. I found it a useful guide, and appreciated how it encouraged not isolating and avoiding the Old Testament - but rather anchoring it in Jesus' teaching that the things written in all the Scriptures are about Himself (Luke 24:27).
May 30, 2016
Awesome read. This book really helps you realize that the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is all about Jesus.
September 11, 2017
Could have used more prooftexts and citations within the text.
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