BIBLE IS JESUS’ AUTOBIOGRAPHY

By Akin Ojumu

Whether it’s the Torah (i.e., the five Books of Moses), or the Tanakh (which is the entire Hebrew Bible i.e., the Old Testament), or the twenty-seven New Testament Books, Scripture is an account of the life of Jesus Christ. From Genesis to Revelations, the Bible is an autobiography of the Messiah written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Moses, in the Torah, prophesied about the Prophet like himself (i.e., Jesus Christ) who would be raised up from among the people.

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him...” (Deuteronomy 18:15-16)

In the Nevi’im (i.e., the Prophets) we read of several prophecies about the coming Messiah.

Isaiah prophesied the virgin birth.

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a Son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

In Isaiah 9:6 we read about the birth of the Prince of Peace.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” 

Prophet Micah prophesied about the Ruler of Israel from Bethlehem.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me One who will be Ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2)

Zechariah prophesied that the Messiah would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey.

“Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)

We find the story of His rejection, suffering, and death in Isaiah 53.

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely, He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted. But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open his mouth; He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:3-7)

The Psalms also speaks of His crucifixion. 

“Dogs have surrounded Me; a band of evil men has encircled Me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” (Psalm 22:16-18)

In His encounter with Nicodemus, Jesus described the Torah as a type and shadow of Himself. Comparing Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness to his crucifixion on the Cross, Jesus said:

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14).

While addressing His rejection by the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus speaks of Scriptures testifying about Him.

“You pore over the Scriptures because you presume that by them you possess eternal life. These are the very words that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39).

Apostle Paul described the rites and rituals of the Old Testament as mere shadow of the real thing:

“Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day – things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:16-17).

Again, Paul compares Jesus to Adam:

“The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.” (1 Corinthians 15:45).

Speaking of the superiority of the blood of Jesus over the blood bulls and goats, the writer of the Book of Hebrews records Jesus saying He was written in the Scroll of the Book:

“Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the Scroll of the Book.’” (Hebrews 10:5-7)

I could go on and on. There are a lot more Bible texts to cite. But suffice it to say that when you understand Scripture this way, and you come to appreciate that every single book of the Bible is by design and are all together telling the story of the same person, the profundity of God’s omniscience, omnipotent, and omnipresence hits your mind like a ton of bricks.