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Austin Gentry.
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SIMILARITIES
BETWEEN JESUS &
MOSES
The more I read the Bible, the more I see that it is not
just a book of many different stories, but how it is a
book of many stories that ultimately tell one story.
Many of us see the Bible as a composition of ancient,
heroic, moral stories that inspire and teach us. But is
there a way that any of these stories go together? Is
there a thread of commonality? I’m not talking about
some bizarre conspiracy theory like how all Pixar
movies take place in the same galaxy (if you haven’t
heard of this theory, it’s actually pretty cool, but that’s
beyond the point).
However, Jesus himself is actually the one who first
explicitly suggested such a ‘connection’ between all
the stories in the Bible—and interestingly enough, he
claimed that every story was ultimately about himself.
In the gospel of Luke, he says to his disciples,
“everything written about me in the Law of Moses and
the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled;” and
“beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he
interpreted to [his disciples] in all the Scriptures the
things concerning himself” (24:44, 27). Certainly,
Jesus gives us the right glasses for correctly reading
and interpreting the Scriptures.
The Bible, then, is not a book primarily about many
stories, but a book ultimately about many smaller
stories all telling the same, greater story. Jesus says
all these stories ultimately point to himself, are fulfilled
in himself, and find their greater meaning in his
greater story. In other words, all other stories in the
Bible are parts of the conflict and plot in the greater
story of Jesus, in which the fulfillment of their story
ultimately happens in his. In fact, his story is not just
the fulfillment of these other stories; he is the
fulfillment of these other stories. Because all the
stories of the Old Testament point to, foreshadow,
and find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, this also
means that these stories will have figures, events,
traditions, symbols etc. that will foreshadow Jesus
Christ in more or less obvious ways. In this blog, I
wanted to specifically focus on how the great Old
Testament character, Moses, points to, foreshadows,
and prefigures Jesus in many ways. Here’s a number
of parallels I could think of, though, I am sure there
are more. Check it out:
During the time of Moses, Pharaoh ordered a mass
killing of every Hebrew baby under the age of 2 years
old. During the time of Jesus, King Herod ordered a
mass killing of every Hebrew baby under the age of 2
years old.
Moses came up out of Egypt to redeem his people.
Jesus, though born in Bethlehem, at a young age fled
with his family to Egypt and stayed there during his
youth to avoid Herod’s persecution. And Jesus, too,
like Moses, came up out of Egypt to redeem the
world.
Moses was born without shelter, laid into a straw-
thatched basket, floated down a river, and was picked
up by Egyptian royalty. Jesus too was born without
shelter, laid into a straw-filled stable, and was visited
by Herodian royalty.
Moses grew up in the palace of Pharaoh, the highest
place of esteem in his culture. Jesus grew up in the
synagogues of Jerusalem, the highest place of
esteem in his culture.
Moses was a Hebrew Levite. Jesus too was a Hebrew
Levite.
Moses brought the Israelites out of slavery to Egypt.
Jesus brought the Israelites and the world out of
slavery to sin and death.
Moses received the 10 commandments from God on
Mount Sinai. Jesus reinterpreted the 10
commandments from God in his Sermon on the
Mount.
Moses carried the law and pointed to the gospel.
Jesus fulfilled the law and IS the gospel.
The Israelites experienced 400 dark years of bondage
to Egypt until Moses was born and came to rescue
them. The nation of Israel experienced 400 dark years
of silence from God until Jesus was born and came to
save them.
Moses went through the wilderness and was doubtful
to God before he began his ministry to redeem the
Israelites. Jesus went through the wilderness and was
tempted by Satan before he began his ministry to
redeem the world.
Moses was royalty in Egypt, but left his position of
power to serve and save an enslaved people. Jesus
was royalty in Heaven, but left his position of power to
serve and save an enslaved world.
Moses was inconceivably both royalty and slave at
the same time, being a prince but also a Hebrew.
Jesus is inconceivably both God and man at the same
time, being the transcendent Son of God but also a
descendent Son of Man.
God spoke to Moses through a bush that was on fire,
but it was not consumed. Similarly, God speaks to us
through Jesus’ body on a tree that took the fire of
God’s wrath, but he was not consumed.
Moses parted the Red Sea. Jesus calmed the Sea of
Galilee.
Moses chose 12 spies and sent them into the
Promise Land. Jesus chose 12 disciples and sent
them to proclaim the truer and better Promise Land,
one not of earthly geography under God but one of
spiritual restoration with God.
Moses pleaded that God would feed the thousands of
Israelites so they wouldn’t die in the desert; God
answered his prayer and miraculously provided more
manna and quail from the heavens than they could
possibly eat. In fact, there were loads upon loads of
leftovers. Jesus pleaded that God would feed the
thousands of followers so they wouldn’t starve in the
countryside; God answered his prayer and Jesus
miraculously provided more bread and fish than they
could possibly eat. In fact, there were baskets upon
baskets of leftovers.
God’s covenant was first given to Moses. God’s
covenant is finalized in Jesus.
Moses is the author of the law. Jesus is the author of
our faith.
Moses was the first mediator. Jesus is the final
mediator.
Moses carried around the Ark of the Covenant and
the makeshift tabernacle, which contained the
presence of God. Jesus IS the presence of God, not
limited to four walls or holy places.
Moses held up a pole with a snake on it, and
everyone who looked upon it would be saved from
their deadly snakebites. Similarly, Jesus was held up
on cross, and everyone who looks upon it will be
saved from sin, the Serpent’s sting of death.
Moses first initiated the Passover Lamb to absorb the
wrath of God. Jesus is the final and ultimate Passover
Lamb who fully absorbed the wrath of God for sin
once and for all. The Passover Lamb of Moses was
simply a shadow of the coming Passover Lamb of
Christ.
Moses turned water into blood. Jesus turned water
into wine.
Moses appropriated the law. Jesus accomplished the
law.
Moses did not marry a full Jew, but actually a non-
Jew who became grafted into the heritage of Israel.
Jesus will marry the church, which is not fully Jews,
but actually non-Jews as well, who became grafted
into the saving heritage of Israel.
Moses led his people to the Promised Land, but not
into it. Jesus leads his people to the better Promised
Land—reconciliation with God—and will one day
usher us into the eternal, ultimate Promised Land—
heaven.
While the Israelites were dying of thirst in the desert,
Moses struck a rock, and from the blow, it spewed
water to quench their thirst. Similarly, while we are
dying of spiritual thirst in the desert of spiritual
alienation from God, God struck a better Rock for our
sins, Jesus, and from the blow, it spews Living Water
to quench our thirst of spiritual alienation from God.
And I am sure that there are more parallels. The point
is, you can’t make this up. And this is exactly why I
believe it is true. All of history is a book upon which
God writes a story of unparalleled brilliance about his
unparalleled glory to tell the greatest story ever told.
Jesus is the centerpiece of all reality and it made God
glad to glorify his Son in this way. If anything, Moses
—as great as he is—is merely a sign, a pointer, and a
shadow of the truer and greater Moses, JESUS.
__________ Here are some more examples, though
some are more far-
fetched… http://www.confidentfaith.net/moses-and-
jesus-devine-similarities
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