The First Testament of Jesus Christ

December 29, 2025 – January 4, 2026Introduction to the Old Testament8 sample passages

This year we read the scriptures Jesus Himself read. The Old Testament covers more than a thousand years of God's dealings with His covenant people, and it testifies of Christ on almost every page, through prophecies, symbols and the God of Israel Himself. This week's passages are a sampler of how it points to Him.

Passage

Map

Place

All places on this map

Study guide

A map of the Old Testament before you start: what's in it, how it's organized, and how to find Christ in it.

How to read this week

Think library, not book. The Old Testament's 39 books include law (Genesis–Deuteronomy), history (Joshua–Esther), poetry and wisdom (Job–Song of Solomon) and prophets (Isaiah–Malachi). Each type reads differently.
Look for Jehovah. Wherever you see LORD in small capitals, the Hebrew has God's personal name. Latter-day Saints understand Jehovah to be Jesus Christ before His birth (compare John 8:58; 3 Nephi 15:5).
Look for types and shadows. Lambs, water from a rock, bread from heaven, a serpent on a pole, a scapegoat, a temple: much of the Old Testament points forward to Christ through symbols (Mosiah 13:31; 2 Nephi 11:4).
Follow the covenant. From Adam to Abraham to Moses to the prophets, the story is about God making covenants with His people and keeping them, even when they don't.
Use the helps. The Bible Dictionary, the Joseph Smith Translation in the footnotes and appendix, and the restored books of Moses and Abraham fill in “plain and precious things” that were lost (1 Nephi 13:28–29).

The Old Testament at a glance

Before history — Creation, Adam and Eve, Enoch, Noah (Genesis 1–11; Moses)
c. 2000–1700 BC — Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph (Genesis 12–50)
c. 1450 or 1250 BC — The Exodus and Sinai; scholars debate the date (Exodus–Deuteronomy)
c. 1000 BC — David and Solomon; the temple is built
722 BC — Assyria destroys the northern kingdom of Israel
587/586 BC — Babylon destroys Jerusalem; Lehi has already left (1 Nephi 1–2)
c. 430 BC — Malachi, the last Old Testament prophet

Ways the Old Testament points to Christ

Passage	Image	What it means
Exodus 3:14	I AM	The God who spoke to Moses is the One who said, “Before Abraham was, I am.”
Exodus 12	The Passover lamb	A spotless lamb whose blood saves: “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:29).
Exodus 16	Manna	Daily bread from heaven: “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).
Exodus 17:6	Water from the rock	“That Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4).
Numbers 21:8–9	The brass serpent	Look and live: Christ lifted up on the cross (John 3:14).
Leviticus 16	The Day of Atonement	Sins carried away by a goat and cleansed by sacrifice.
Jonah 1:17	Three days in the fish	A sign of Christ's burial and resurrection.
Isaiah 53	The suffering servant	He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows.

Restoration connections

1 Nephi 13:28–29, 40 — Plain and precious things were taken from the Bible; latter-day records restore them.
Moses 1:40–41 — The Lord tells Moses that his words will be lost and later restored.
2 Nephi 3:12 — The writings of Judah and of Joseph will “grow together.”
3 Nephi 15:5 — The risen Savior: “I am he that gave the law, and I am he who covenanted with my people Israel.”

Questions for the week

What do you hope to learn about Jesus Christ from the Old Testament this year?
Which Old Testament symbol of Christ means the most to you right now?
How does knowing that Jehovah is Jesus Christ change the way you read the Old Testament?
What covenants have you made, and how are they like the covenants God made with Israel?
What study habit could help you finish the Old Testament this year?

Conference talks & Church resources

Talks the Church's lesson points to this week, plus other Church resources that teach from these chapters.

Scholarly papers

Faithful scholarship from BYU and related publishers, tagged with the chapters each one discusses.

Podcasts & video

Come, Follow Me shows and episodes covering this week's reading.