Comparison Between Jeremiah And Christ

 

 

Patty Bowling

The awesomeness of the Bible is not necessarily found completely in its fulfilled prophecies, its historical accuracy, its accounts of God's mighty heroes, or it's guidelines for every day living. These are indeed fascinating aspects of the Bible, each adding its own evidence of authenticity to the "big picture" of the Bible as a whole. The Bible's greatest wonder has to be Jesus Christ and His scheme of redemption. The truly remarkable facet of the Bible is that Christ can be seen in each and every book - Old Testament as well as the New Testament. Every book, every chapter, and every line holds a picture of Jesus Christ.

The book of Jeremiah is no exception. It holds many Messianic prophecies that show a beautiful picture of the coming Savior and His Kingdom. The scathing rebukes and the condemnation preached by Jeremiah is overshadowed by the consolation and promises from God concerning the coming Messiah.

Jeremiah 23:5-6, "5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this [is] his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."

Jeremiah 30:9, "But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them."

Jeremiah 31:31-34, "31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Jeremiah 33:15-16, "15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this [is the name] wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness."

These Scriptures, far from being all inclusive of the prophecies of Christ given by Jeremiah, show the redemption that would be offered to all mankind - Jew and Gentile - through Jesus. The Jews anxiously awaited their coming Redeemer. Little did they know that the very man who preached God's message to them would himself be representative of their long awaited Messiah.

What Is A "Type?"

A type can be described as such: "to mark an impression. A fore-shadow; a prefigure of things to come." A type can be seen as an object, person, symbol or event that is similar but not identical to the anti-type (the fulfillment of the type). Thus, a comparison between the two will bring out an analogy that will present a clear Biblical truth.

The rules concerning typology must be kept in mind when speaking about types. This assures that the meaning of the Scriptures are not stretched into absurd proportions, or that we read into the passages things that were not intended. A type must be directly appointed or designated within the Bible in order to be used to teach doctrine. But an illustrative type, though not to be used for doctrinal teaching, must obviously illustrate God's Truth. Most importantly, we must affirm that the anti-type is always superior to the type.

The whole purpose of a type is to teach, illustrate, and/or predict Biblical truths. In this study, we can see Jeremiah as an illustrative type of Christ, being that it is not specifically designated in the Scriptures as being a type. Let's look at some of the comparisons between Jeremiah and Christ, and we will see how Jeremiah was remarkably prefiguring the incarnate Christ.

JEREMIAH AND CHRIST

Both were "innocent blood."

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:15, "Be assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city, and on those who live in it, for in truth the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing."

Christ

Matthew 27:4, "I have sinned, he said, for I have betrayed innocent blood." (Judas speaking of Jesus)

Both wept over Jerusalem's sins

and the coming judgment.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 13:17, "But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride, my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the LORD's block will be taken captive."

Christ

Luke 19:41, "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it."

Both wanted justice for their enemies. Jeremiah sought

vengeance whereas Christ sought forgiveness.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 18:23, "But you know, O LORD, all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their crimes or blot out their sins from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger."

Christ

Luke 23:34, "Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. And they divided up his clothes by casting lots."

Both were accused of being "mad."

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:26, "The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada to be in charge of the house of the LORD; you should put any madman who acts like a prophet into the stocks and neck irons." (In a letter from Shemaiah to Zephaniah - speaking of Jeremiah)

Christ

John 10:20, "Many of them said, He is demon-possessed

and raving mad. Why listen to him?" (The Jews speaking

of Jesus)

Both were accused of being

self-appointed prophets.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 29:27, "So why have you not reprimanded Jeremiah from Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you? (In a letter from Shemaiah to Zephaniah - speaking of Jeremiah)

Christ

John 8:53, "Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?" (speaking to Jesus)

Both were mocked by their enemies

as well as their brethren.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 20:7, "O LORD, you deceived, and I was deceived, you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me."

Christ

Luke 18:31-32, "Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished 32 For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon."

Matthew 27:31, "And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified."

Luke 22:63, "Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him."

Their brethren and enemies waited to

catch both in a "slip of the tongue."

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 20:10, "I hear many whispering Terror on every side! Report him! Let's report him! All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him."

Christ

Luke 11:53-54, "When Jesus left there, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to oppose Him fiercely and to besiege Him with questions. 54 waiting to catch Him in something He might say."

Both were said to be worthy of death.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:11, "Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people, This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against this city. You have heard it with your own ears."

Christ

Matthew 26:65-66, "Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. 66 What do you think? He is worthy of death, they answered."

Both were defended by some of God's spokesmen.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 26:16, "Then the officials and all the people said to the priest and the prophets, This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the Man of the LORD our God."

Christ

John 10:21, "But others said, These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

Both were put out of the land of the living.

Jeremiah by his enemies' desire - Jesus litertally.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:19, "I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying, Let us cut him off from the land of the living, that His Name be remembered no more."

Christ

Isaiah 53:8, "By oppression and judgment He was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For He was cut off from the land of the living, for the transgression of my people he was stricken."

Both were "led as a lamb to the slaughter."

Jeremiah's enemies, but Jesus in fact.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 11:19, "I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more."

Christ

Isaiah 53:7, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to he slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth."

Both were conspired against to secretly be killed.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 18:23, "But you know, O LORD, all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their crimes or blot out their sins from your sight. Let them be overthrown before you; deal with them in the time of your anger."

Christ

John 11:53, "So from that day on they plotted to take His life.