How to Find Jesus Christ in the Psalms
The Psalms Were Pointing to Him All Along
Have you ever read something in the Old Testament and wondered what it really has to do with Jesus Christ?
Sometimes the connection is obvious. Other times you have to look a little closer.
That is one of the things that makes Psalms 102–150 so interesting. Hundreds of years before Jesus Christ was born, the Psalms were already using words, images, and prophecies that would eventually point directly toward Him.
Psalm 118 gives us one of the best examples:
“The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”
Centuries later, Jesus quoted those words and applied them to Himself.
Think about that image for a minute.
Builders are constructing something important. They examine a particular stone, decide it is not what they want, and reject it. Yet the stone they dismissed eventually becomes the cornerstone—the stone the structure depends upon.
That sounds a lot like what happened to Jesus Christ.
People heard Him teach and rejected Him.
They saw His miracles and still questioned Him.
Religious leaders decided He was not the Messiah they were looking for.
Eventually He was mocked, falsely accused, and crucified.
And yet the One they rejected became the Savior of the world.
Peter later quoted this same Psalm when he testified of Christ and then declared that there is salvation in no one else.
The rejected stone became the cornerstone.
And once you start seeing connections like this, something changes about the way you read the Old Testament.
Jesus Christ did not suddenly enter God’s plan when you turn the page from Malachi to Matthew. He had been at the center of the plan from the beginning.
He is Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament.
The sacrifices pointed toward Him.
The temple pointed toward Him.
The Passover pointed toward Him.
Stories of deliverance pointed toward Him.
Prophets testified of Him.
Covenants prepared people to receive Him.
Even many of the Psalms were teaching people what to watch for when the Messiah eventually came.
That means there may be another question worth asking when you study scripture.
Most of us naturally ask:
What does this have to do with me?
That is a good question. Scripture should become personal.
But try adding another one:
What does this teach me about Jesus Christ?
You may be surprised by how often you find Him.
Maybe a story teaches you something about His power to deliver.
Maybe a sacrifice helps you understand His Atonement.
Maybe someone who is rejected reminds you of the Savior.
Maybe a story about healing helps you think about the One who can ultimately heal everything mortality has damaged.
Maybe a covenant reminds you of His promises.
The more you learn about Jesus Christ, the more places you begin recognizing Him.
And that matters because sometimes seeing Christ more clearly becomes the answer to the very thing you were searching for.
Repentance makes more sense when you understand the Redeemer.
Commandments feel different when you understand the One who gives them.
Suffering looks different when you remember that Jesus Christ Himself was “a man of sorrows.”
Death looks different when you know the One who broke the bands of death.
And your own worth begins to look different when you understand what He was willing to suffer in order to save you.
Maybe the goal of scripture study is not only to learn more information about God.
Maybe it is to learn to recognize His Son.
And once you start looking for Jesus Christ, you may discover that He has been there all along.
Scripture
“The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”
—Psalm 118:22
Reflection
When you read scripture, how often do you intentionally ask what the passage teaches you about Jesus Christ?
What Old Testament story, symbol, prophecy, or person has helped you understand Him better?
Today’s Challenge
As you study scripture today, add one question to whatever you normally do:
What does this teach me about Jesus Christ?
Do not rush past the question. Look for something about His character, His mission, His power, His promises, or what He has done for you.
Write down one thing you notice.
You may begin discovering that the scriptures have been pointing toward Him much more often than you realized.
Christ-Centered Thought
Jesus Christ has always been at the center of Heavenly Father’s plan.
Long before Bethlehem, God was preparing people to receive Him. Long before Gethsemane and Calvary, prophets and scriptures were teaching what He would someday do.
And the same Savior those ancient Psalms pointed toward is the One you can build your life on today.
The rejected stone became the cornerstone.
You can build on Him.
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