Following the Scarlet Thread: How the Old Testament Points to Christ

Have you ever used GPS to navigate to an unfamiliar destination? You enter the address, and the device plots out the route with clear markers along the way. In a similar fashion, Scripture provides us with divine markers—prophecies, types, and shadows—that all point to one ultimate destination: Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
This journey through Scripture reveals what theologians call "the scarlet thread of redemption," a continuous line woven throughout the Bible that ultimately leads us to the cross. Understanding this thread transforms how we read the Old Testament, revealing that every page whispers His name.
The Scarlet Thread Begins
The concept of the scarlet thread comes from the story of Rahab in the book of Joshua. When Israelite spies entered Jericho, this Canaanite woman hid them from danger. In return, they instructed her to tie a scarlet thread in her window. When the walls of Jericho fell, everyone in Rahab's house was saved because of that thread. One way. One means of salvation. One scarlet thread.
Remarkably, Rahab—a Gentile prostitute—ended up in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Her story foreshadows a greater truth: salvation comes through one way, and it's available to all who believe.
Understanding "Messiah"
The term "Messiah" comes from the Hebrew word meaning "anointed one." In ancient Israel, three offices required anointing: prophet, priest, and king. Throughout history, individuals filled one or two of these roles, but never all three simultaneously. David was both king and prophet, but longed to be a priest—something forbidden because he wasn't from the tribe of Levi. Moses served as a prophet and priest, but never as a king.
Only one person in all of Scripture fulfills all three offices: Jesus Christ. He is the Prophet who speaks God's word, the Priest who intercedes for us, and the King who reigns forever.
The Greek translation of "Messiah" is "Christos"—Christ. When we say "Jesus Christ," we're actually declaring "Jesus the Messiah," "Jesus the Anointed One."
The First Prophecy
The very first messianic prophecy appears in Genesis 3:15, immediately after humanity's fall into sin. God speaks to the serpent: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
This verse, called the "proto-evangelium" or "first gospel," is remarkable for several reasons. First, it speaks of the woman's "seed"—an unusual term, since seed typically comes from the man. This points forward to the virgin birth. Second, it promises a male descendant who will crush the serpent's head while suffering a wound to his heel—a perfect picture of Christ's victory through the cross.
Even in humanity's darkest moment, God provided hope. The enemy was told from the very beginning that his defeat was coming.
Types and Shadows
Beyond direct prophecies, Scripture contains numerous types and shadows—pictures that foreshadow Christ's work. When God killed an animal to provide covering for Adam and Eve's shame, it previewed the innocent Lamb of God whose blood would cover our sin. The difference? Christ's blood doesn't just cover sin; it removes it completely, as far as the east is from the west.
Consider Noah's ark. There was one door—one way of salvation from the judgment waters. Jesus declared, "I am the door." The pitch that covered the ark and kept the judgment waters out parallels the blood of Christ that protects us from God's wrath. Noah preached righteousness for years while building the ark, giving people the opportunity to enter. Today, the door remains open, but there will come a time when it closes.
Abraham's Promise
When God called Abraham, He made a stunning promise: "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). This covenant narrowed the messianic line to one man and his descendants. Through Abraham would come the blessing for all nations—a clear reference to Christ.
The story of Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah provides one of the most powerful messianic pictures in Scripture. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, the son he loved. Isaac carried the wood up the mountain, just as Jesus would later carry the cross. When Isaac asked where the lamb for sacrifice was, Abraham prophetically declared, "God will provide for Himself the lamb."
At the last moment, God stopped Abraham and provided a ram caught in a thicket. But approximately 2,000 years later, on that same mountain (Mount Moriah, where Jerusalem stands), another Father would not stop. His Son would die, His blood poured out on the wood He carried.
In Abraham's mind, Isaac was as good as dead, yet he received him back as if he were resurrected from death. This foreshadowed Christ's actual death and resurrection.
The Scepter of Judah
As Jacob blessed his sons before dying, he prophesied over Judah: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples" (Genesis 49:10).
"Shiloh" was understood as a name for the Messiah. This prophecy declared that Judah's tribe would maintain rulership until the Messiah arrived. Remarkably, when the Romans destroyed the temple in AD 70, all genealogical records were lost. After that point, no one could definitively prove their tribal lineage. But by then, Jesus—from the tribe of Judah—had already come.
The Story of Joseph
Joseph's life provides an intricate picture of Christ. A beloved son sent by his father to his brothers, Joseph was rejected, sold for the price of a slave, and presumed dead. Yet he was raised to the right hand of power in Egypt, given all authority, and began his public role at age 30.
When Joseph's brothers encountered him the second time, they didn't recognize him in his glory and power. Only when he revealed himself did they understand. Similarly, Christ's first coming was in humility—rejected by His own. His second coming will be in glory and power, and those who pierced Him will recognize who He truly is.
Joseph forgave his brothers and reconciled with them. Christ offers the same ministry of reconciliation, bringing us back to God.
The Journey Continues
These are just the opening chapters of Scripture's GPS to the Messiah. From Genesis through Malachi, the Old Testament builds an increasingly detailed picture of the coming Savior. Each prophecy adds another piece to the puzzle. Each type and shadow reveals another facet of His character and work.
The beauty of this scarlet thread is that it demonstrates God's plan wasn't an afterthought. From the moment sin entered the world, redemption was promised. Every sacrifice, every prophet, every king pointed forward to the One who would fulfill it all.
When Jesus told the religious leaders, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is they that bear witness of me" (John 5:39), He was revealing this profound truth: the entire Old Testament is about Him.
The door remains open today. The scarlet thread of redemption still extends an invitation. The question is: will you follow the GPS to its ultimate destination?