This is an unpopular thought in some academic circles; but it is the clear teaching of our Lord himself.  As Goldsworthy says: ‘We do not start at Genesis 1 and work our way forward until we discover where it is all leading.  Rather we first come to Christ, and he directs us to study the Old Testament in the light of the gospel.’ (According to Plan, p55)

On the road to Emmaus, Jesus preaches on the theme of ‘The Things Concerning Himself’, taking as his text Moses, all the prophets, and all the Scriptures (Luke 24:27).  His sermon has two points: these Scriptures point to his sufferings, and they point to his glory.

And this was no afterthought on the part of Jesus: from the beginning he presented himself and his teaching not as replacing the Old Testament but as fulfilling and completing it (Mt 5:17f).

According to John 8:56, Jesus said, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”  Paul, in Gal 6:8, clarifies this by explaining that Abraham’s call enshrines the promise of the gospel itself: that in him all the nations would be blessed (Gen 12).  And this itself did not come out of the blue: it builds on the ancient promise of Gen 3:15.  Both Mary and Zacharias both rejoiced when they saw that God’s promise to Abraham was being fulfilled in Christ, Lk 1:54f, 72f.  Of course, Abraham only saw in the shadows, not in the full light of days, but ‘his faith wrapped itself around the promised Satan-crushing, world-blessing, life-giving Seed of the woman, just as ours does.’

Truly, the Old Testament Scriptures testify of him, Jn 5:39,46.

Based on David Murray, Jesus on Every Page, pp 14-18.