Types of Christ

OBJECTIVE

To identify types of Christ and consider what the Church teaches us through these types

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 15 Minutes

Please read the following instances where New Testament authors recognized types of Christ in the Old Testament.

Sign of Jonah

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." 39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here (Mt. 12:38-42)

Priest of Mankind

For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, 2 to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated "king of righteousness," and then also king of Salem, meaning "king of peace," 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually (Heb. 7:1-3).

Salvation through Baptism

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us---baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.
**Memory Verse: "**Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad" (Jn. 8:56).

CONTENT (KEY POINTS)

Definition of Types

A type is a person, event, or object in the Old Testament that prefigures a person, event or object in the New Testament

The Old Testament image is called a Type
The New Testament fulfillment is called an Antitype

Reading Typologically means to look for these types and recognize the "Mystery of Christ," which means looking for Christ throughout the stories and events in the Old Testament

The Old Testament is filled with many people that the Church recognizes to be types of Christ as well as events that the Church recognizes to be events in the ministry of Christ according to the Economy, which is His plan for salvation

Adam

St. Paul introduces the concept of Adam as a type of Christ, contrasting the first and second Adam, writing, "'The first man Adam became a living being.' The last Adam became a life-giving spirit" (1 Co. 15:45)

Adam is the first man of the first creation, but Christ is the first born of the resurrection
Adam was created in the image and likeness of God, but Christ is the image of God
Adam was created to have authority and be a priest over creation, but Christ by nature has authority and is the priest of mankind
Adam was created to give thanks to God in obedience but failed whereas Christ in perfect obedience offered Himself on the cross so that we may partake of the Eucharist, which is thanksgiving

Noah

Noah is a type of Christ because he is the righteous man who saves us in his Ark, which represents the church, and the flood is viewed as a type of baptism since it is a new beginning.

Melchizedek

Melchizedek offered bread and wine, while Christ offered bread and wine as His body and blood

Melchizedek's offering preceded that of the Jews, and this was the offering chosen by Christ, which means that Christ's offering predates the offerings according to the law

As Melchizedek means king of righteousness, so Christ is the true king of righteousness

As Melchizedek was the king of salem, which means king of peace, so Christ is the true king of peace

As Melchizedek is a king and priest, so Christ is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek (Ps. 109:4 LXX)

As priesthood comes from God, so the Father anointed the Son priest of humanity through the Holy Spirit, to be the mediator between God and man and to offering His body upon the wood of the cross as a propitiation for our sins

Job

Job did nothing wrong, but he lost everything.

He experienced all the suffering of humanity.

The only thing that comforts him is God, and in the end he is restored.

"It is written that he will rise with those whom the Lord resurrects" (Job 42:18 LXX), which means that Job's physical healing was only a foretaste of what he will experience in God's kingdom.

Moses

As Moses was the mediator between God and the Children of Israel, so Christ is the mediator between God and mankind

Whereas Moses was slow of speech, of tongue, and ill equipped for his mission, Christ came proclaiming the Gospel and was thoroughly equipped with the Holy Spirit for ministry and good works

Joshua

Joshua is the name "Jesus" in Hebrew.

Joshua led the people of God over the Jordan river into the promised land, which is a type of baptism by which we enter the promised kingdom of heaven through baptism

Jonah

Whereas Jonah was called to preach to the Ninevites but ran away, so Christ came to preach to all nations with enthusiasm

As Jonah was in the belly of the sea monster for three days, so was Christ in the belly of hades for three days

Whereas Jonah was sad to see the Ninevites saved, Christ rejoiced in salvation

Types of the Incarnation

Adam and Eve born of the Virgin Earth

Adam and Eve were formed from the "virgin" earth, which was called virgin because there was neither rain nor fertilization

As Adam and Eve were born of the virgin earth, so Christ was born from the womb of the Virgin Mary

Mary the New Eve

Whereas Eve was disobedient and heeded the voice of the serpent, Virgin Mary was obedience and heeded the voice of Gabriel the angel

Through Eve, humanity was entered the condition of death, whereas, through Virgin Mary, we entered into eternal life through union with Christ who is the true life

Jacob's Ladder

As Jacob's ladder united heaven and earth, so did Christ's incarnation unite the divinity and humanity in his one-unique nature, in which the divinity and humanity were united but not mixed

The ladder is also a type of crucifixion because it is the wood by which heaven was opened, and the ladder is also a type of ascension because it is the pathway for mankind to enter heaven through Christ

Aaron's Staff

As Aaron's staff, which was a dead piece of wood, "sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds" (Numbers 17:8), so did a virgin, whose womb was considered "dead" since it was not fertilized, give birth to Christ without the seed of man. Out of a dead piece of wood, came buds; so too did a virgin give birth.

Ark of the Covenant

The ark of the covenant is overlaid with gold with the manna and the staff of Aaron within

This manna is a type of Christ, who is the Bread from Heaven (cf. Jn. 6:51) while the rod of Aaron is a type of St. Mary and the virginal birth

Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ

The Fall and the Tree of Life

As the devil caused Adam and Eve to fall and for death to enter into the world through eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so Christ overcame the devil and defeated the sentence of death by offering Himself on cross as the fruit of the tree of life of which we eat and live forever

Cain Killed Abel

As Abel was killed by his brother Cain, so was Christ killed by the Jews

As Abel died in a field, so did Christ die on Calvary

As Abel died but Adam and Eve have Seth, so did Christ die on the cross yet resurrect and live

Sacrifice of Isaac

As Isaac was sacrificed by his father Abraham yet lived, so Christ was sacrificed on the cross yet resurrects

As Isaac carried the wood of the sacrifice up the mountain, so Christ carried the wood of the cross

As Abraham sacrificed the ram and yet Isaac was preserved, so did Christ offered Himself as the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world," yet Christ is immortal and lives in the Spirit (Origen)

Origen further explains that in the spirit it is Christ who offers the victim to the Father whereas in the flesh it is Christ Himself who is offered on the altar of the cross
Origen recognizes two types of Christs simultaneously in the story: the ram and Isaac, which is fine because this demonstrates the unity between the divinity and humanity of Christ since in divinity Jesus cannot die yet in humanity he dies for us

Joseph's Death and the Increase of the Israelites

As Joseph died and the children of Israel flourished in number, so did the Church grow after the death of Christ

Moses and the Types of the Crucifixion

As Moses' staff humiliated and conquered the earth through great wonders and the ten plagues, so was the earth humiliated and conquered through the cross

As Moses' staff caused Pharaoh to be overwhelmed and release the Jews, so did the cross overwhelm the devil who could not overcome the Christians

As Moses' staff parted the Red Sea so the children of Israel may pass over from Egypt to the promised land, so through the cross may we now pass over from death to life through baptism, by which we participate in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

As Moses staff made the bitter water sweet, so are the bitter waters that destroyed the earth now made sweet through baptism, in which mankind finds healing and the gift of the Holy Spirit in chrismation

As Moses lifted his hands in battle to defeat Amalek, so did Christ grant victory over death by stretching forth His hands on the cross

As Moses established a bronze serpent on a staff for which the children of Israel may gaze and be saved from the serpents' venom, so is Christ crucified to the cross so that all may gaze upon Him and be saved from the sentence of death that entered our nature through the deception of the serpent

Manna From Heaven

As the children of Israel passed over from Egypt to the promised land through the Red Sea and were nourished by manna and water from a rock, so the Christians pass over from death into life through the baptism and unite with Christ who is true life through participation in the Eucharist

As the children of Israel received bread from heaven, and yet they died, Christ is the bread of life, through which we may participate and live forever (cf. Jn. 6:51)

As the children of Israel drank from a rock, so do the Christians drink from the side of Christ, which is the blood He sheds and offers us in the Eucharist

Samson Arrested and Bound

As Samson, a Nazarene, broke his chains when he was blinded and bound by the Philistines, so Jesus of Nazareth broke the chains of the slavery of death through His life giving death on the cross

David Defeats Goliath

David was chosen from Israel and defeated Goliath, the enemy of Israel, who seemed unconquerable. David used Goliath's own weapon to defeat him, as Christ used death to defeat Satan.

Jonah in the Whale's Belly

As Jonah was eaten by the Sea Monster and was in the depth of its belly for three days before arriving unharmed on dry land, so Christ descended into the depth of Hades for three days after His to minister to those therein and on the third day rose from the dead appearing with the prints on his hands and feet and the hole in His side

Elijah and the Chariot of Fire

As Elijah entered a chariot of fire and ascended into heaven, so Christ, who had resurrected from the dead, ascended into heaven

As Elijah dropped his mantle to Elisha as a double blessing, so do we receive the Holy Spirit after the ascension of our Lord

Types of the Church

Noah's Ark

As the ark carried Noah and his family along the waters and brought them to a safe place, so too does the Church carry the Christians and bring them to heaven

As those outside the ark perished, so too do those who remain outside of the Church perish. As the ark was the place of salvation for Noah and his family, so is the Church the place of salvation for us and our family in Christ

For these reasons the Coptic Church allows her churches to be built in the shape of an ark, along with the cross and circle

As the entrance to the ark is on its side, so too do we enter in the Church through the side of Christ which was pierced

St. Cyril said that as Noah rescued his family through the ark, so does Christ save through the Church.

Jacob's Ladder

Jacob saw the ladder in Bethel, which means "house of God"

As Jacob's ladder was a vision of angels ascending and descending between heaven and earth, so there is unity of heaven and earth in the Church, such as unity between heaven and earth in Christ as well as unity between the heavenly and militant church

APPLICATION (Action)

Consider that we studied many character and events in the Old Testament in which we saw the righteousness of Christ foreshadowed as well as the works of His economy according to His tender mercies

As we consider those who were shadows and images of the Christ Who would be incarnate of the Virgin, we may consider what traits and attributes on which the Church focuses and emphasizes

As we are called little Christ--Christians--and are called to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good deeds and glorify our Father who is in Heaven, so are we called to be imitators of these qualities that we may also demonstrate Christ

As Christ's actions revealed the Father, for if one would have known Christ, they would have known the Father, so too should our fellowship with Christ and obedience to His commandments reveal God in our lives

This transformation does not occur passively, but it comes forth from the heart that cooperates with the Holy Spirit in sanctification through participation in the sacraments, so that we may strive to live a holy life in submission to God and dependence on His works for redemption

As the Old Testament types sought their holiness in Christ and demonstrated holiness through similarity to the aspects and events in the ministry and Economy of our Lord, so we too, by imitating Christ, may pursue holiness, which is separation from this world and unity with God

Therefore our faith is filled with works as we partake in the sacraments, which are the mysterious works of salvation, by which we are united with God and filled with His light, so this light may shine forth in a dark place and reveal God as the Old Testament types foreshadowed Christ in a dark time

Remember that holiness and Christian living does not infer superiority, but rather is the condition of Christ, who humbled Himself, became a servant of all, and subjected Himself even to death for our sake so that we may be lifted up

Therefore it is in lowliness and purity of heart, in sincere love for one another, and through service that Christ is revealed in the lives of His humble servants

DISCUSSION/ACTIVITY

You may have noticed, but we almost totally neglected to speak regarding Joseph the Patriarch for this lesson

For this final discussion and activity, we will outline the life of Joseph and discuss as a class or in groups how various aspects of his life foreshadow events in the life of Christ

The Servant, as an additional option, may create a Jeopardy style trivia game based off the content of this lesson since Typology is essentially an exercise of comparing and contrasting the Old Testament elements to Christ and His plan for Salvation

Joseph's Life (Genesis 37-50)

Multicolored Coat
Dreams
Rejected by own brothers
Stripped of robe
Thrown in pit
Sold into Slavery
Falsely accused of sin and condemned
Placed in Dungeon in Egypt
Interpreted a dream of life for one prisoner
Interpreted a dream of death for another prisoner
Redeemed
Had a meal with his brothers before revealing himself
Saved his brothers from famine
Forgave his brothers
Saved Egypt and the World

Answers

Multicolored Coat: This is the Church which Christ acquired; the tunic also distinguished Joseph from his brothers as Christ distinguished the New Covenant from the Old Covenant through grace
Dreams: As Joseph's brothers reviled him for his dreams, so the Jews reviled Christ for His plans of salvation
Rejected by own brothers: As Joseph was rejected by his brothers, so Christ was rejected by the Jews
Stripped of robe: As Joseph was stripped of the robe, so was Christ stripped of His clothing before crucifixion
Throne in pit: As Joseph was thrown into the pit, so did Christ descend into Hades
Sold into Slavery: As Joseph became a slave, so Christ emptied Himself and became man, taking on the form of a servant
Falsely accused of sin and condemned: As Joseph was falsely accused and condemned, so was Christ falsely accused and condemned to death on the cross
Placed in Dungeon in Egypt: As Joseph was placed in a dungeon and was eventually released, Christ was placed in the prison of death and broke down its gates through the resurrection
Interpreted a dream of life for one prisoner: On the cross, Christ's words gave life to the thief on the right
Interpreted a dream of death for another prisoner: On the cross, the other thief was condemned
Redeemed: As Joseph was redeemed, so Christ, through the Resurrection, was redeemed and redeemed mankind
Had a meal with his brothers before revealing himself: As Joseph revealed himself after a meal, Christ revealed Himself to the disciples at Emaus after partaking in the Eucharist; likewise Christ revealed Himself after His death and resurrection
Saved his brothers from famine: As Joseph saved his brothers, so did Christ redeem the remnant of Israel
Forgave his brothers: As Joseph forgave his brothers, so did Christ pray for those and ask for forgiveness for those who crucified Him
Saved Egypt and the World: As Joseph saved Egypt and the world from famine, Christ rescued the world from death and sin