Diving Deeper: Meeting Jesus in the Old Testament with Chad Bird

Today on the Diving Deeper series, I (Adam) had the joy of sitting down with author and Old Testament scholar Chad Bird, a man who has spent decades helping Christians see the beauty, unity, and gospel heartbeat of the Old Testament. While Bethany is out adventuring with the kids, I stepped in to host, and this conversation was such a rich reminder that God’s Word is a deep well of truth, hope, and revelation.

Many Christians love the New Testament (rightly so!), but find the Old Testament a bit… intimidating. It can feel ancient, foreign, filled with laws and customs far from our world. Chad’s heartbeat is to show that Scripture’s first 39 books are not dusty relics; they are living, Christ-centered declarations of God’s grace.

As Chad said, “I teach the gospel with an Old Testament accent.” And in our conversation, you could hear that accent loud and clear.

When Christians Get Lost in the Old Testament

Chad shared that many believers today are drawn back into Old Testament customs, feast days, kosher laws, ritual observances, and even circumcision as if these practices are still commanded for followers of Jesus. This isn’t new. Paul confronted the same problem in Galatia: believers trying to add Old Covenant laws on top of Christ’s finished work.

Paul doesn’t mince words:

“For freedom Christ has set us free… do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” — Galatians 5:1

Chad explained that many of these Old Testament laws were never meant to be permanent. They were given to Israel for a particular time, place, and covenant, one that Christ fulfilled. The moral law remains, because love of God and neighbor is universal. But the ritual and ceremonial laws? Those were shadows pointing forward. Jesus is the substance.

The Old Testament isn’t asking us to go backward. It’s asking us to see Christ more clearly.

How Jesus Fills the Pages of Scripture

One of the most powerful parts of our conversation was hearing Chad describe how Jesus doesn’t just appear in Matthew, He is present throughout the Old Testament:

• In Genesis 3:15, the promised seed who crushes the serpent.

• In the sacrificial system of Leviticus, the substitute who dies for sinners.

• In the life of David, the anointed king whose descendant will rule forever.

• In the figure known as “the angel of the Lord,” who appears again and again speaking as God Himself.

Chad called these “pencil sketches” of Christ—outlines that Jesus Himself later colors in with full vibrancy through His incarnation, death, and resurrection.

This reshapes how we read Scripture. As Chad put it, “Jesus never read the New Testament.” When He opened “the Scriptures,” He opened the Old. And He said they were written about Him.

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” — Luke 24:27

What a gift: the Old Testament is Christian Scripture because it is Christ’s Scripture.

Finding Honest Prayers for Real Life

We also talked about praying the Psalms, a practice Chad has done daily for decades. He encouraged believers not to cherry-pick “feel-good Psalms,” but to pray them straight through, month by month.

Why? Because the Psalms teach us to pray with raw honesty and confidence:

• When we’re joyful, they give us language to praise.

• When we’re grieving, they give us permission to lament.

• When we’re confused, they teach us to say, “How long, O Lord?”

Chad shared with deep vulnerability how, after losing his son Luke in a tragic accident, it was the Psalms that gave him the words he could not form on his own.

“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?” — Psalm 13:1

God gave us these prayers so that we could pray them back to Him. They shape us. They steady us. They remind us that faith is not pretending—we bring our whole selves to God.

Why the Old Testament Still Matters Today

If you’ve ever felt intimidated by the Old Testament, you’re not alone. But as Chad reminded us, these Scriptures pulse with the very heart of God, His patience, compassion, justice, and relentless pursuit of His people. They tell the long story of redemption that Jesus steps into and fulfills.

The Old Testament is not a barrier to the gospel. It is the soil in which the gospel grew.

And when we learn to read it with Christ at the center, we discover a richer, deeper view of God’s love—one that strengthens our faith, enriches our prayers, and roots us more firmly in the story of salvation.

Major Takeaways

1. The Old Testament is Christian Scripture—because it reveals Christ.

From Genesis to Malachi, the storyline, prophecies, sacrifices, and even divine appearances point forward to Jesus.

2. God’s character in the Old Testament is the same as in the New.

Far from being harsh or distant, He is described repeatedly as gracious, compassionate, patient, and eager to forgive—just as He fully reveals Himself in Christ.

Listen to the podcast here!