As followers of Christ, we are often drawn to the New Testament. That is where we meet Jesus, hear His teaching, and walk through His life, death, and resurrection. And every year as Easter approaches, we return to those familiar passages with joy.
But the Easter story does not begin in the Gospels. God had Easter in mind long before Jesus walked on earth, long before the cross, long before the empty tomb.
So where should you look to see Easter foreshadowed in Scripture? Everywhere! Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection are foretold through the true stories in this year’s BSF study, Exile & Return. Here are three examples that help us pause and really take in the wonder of salvation in Christ as Easter draws near.
The temple foreshadows Jesus’s sacrifice
When Ezra was charged with rebuilding the temple, Israel was in ruins. Babylon had devastated the land, scattered the people, and destroyed what had once been the central location of their worship. And at the root of it all was sin—Israel’s sin.
Sin always leaves destruction in its wake. Ruin. Exile. Death. Israel’s physical exile points to a deeper spiritual reality: sin separates us from God. Scripture does not soften it: “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
And that is why Jesus came.
His love for us carried Him to the cross.
The temple Ezra sought to rebuild—with its sacrifices and rituals—pointed to what sin ultimately costs and to a greater sacrifice still to come. Day after day, lambs were offered as constant reminders that sin needs to be dealt with and requires atonement. But those sacrifices were only symbols. They were pointing to one final, perfect, divine sacrifice.
Jesus, sinless and pure, took the death we deserved. He suffered not for His own wrongdoing, but for ours—for my sin and your sin. His love for us carried Him to the cross. There, God’s judgment fell on Him instead of us.
There is no Easter without the cross. Christ’s death restores us from spiritual exile and brings us back to God.
When was the last time you stopped to reflect and grieve over your sin—and to thank Jesus for saving you from it? A deeper awareness of sin’s darkness only magnifies the brilliance of Christ’s grace.
The lion’s den reminds us Jesus defeated death
When Jesus’s body was placed in the tomb, His enemies believed the story was over. Death seemed final. It looked as though evil had the last word.
Daniel’s enemies thought the same. When they could not catch him doing wrong, they trapped him for doing right—for worshiping the true God. The punishment felt final: a sealed pit, a den of hungry lions. What escape could there be?
God is stronger than any power that stands against Him.
From the beginning, Satan has worked to destroy God’s people. In the garden of Eden, in exile, and ultimately at the cross, he has opposed God’s purposes. From the first temptation in the garden, Satan set out to destroy the image of God stamped on humankind. Finally, Satan tried to kill the Son of God—God in flesh.
But God is stronger than any power that stands against Him.
God shut the mouths of lions, preserving Daniel’s life. When Daniel emerged unharmed, his vindication anticipated a far greater victory. When Jesus stepped out of the tomb, He defeated death forever. The risen Christ ascended to heaven and now reigns on high with unmatched power—just as Daniel glimpsed centuries before: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven (Daniel 7:13).”
Easter morning echoes with that triumph: death is defeated and the grave has no victory because Christ reigns. What comfort and hope does that give you today?
Ezekiel’s vision anticipates resurrection life
Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones is striking. God set Ezekiel in a valley of lifeless bones—dusty, scattered, hopeless. God asked him: “Can these bones live?”
By human logic, the answer is no. Dead is dead.
But Ezekiel knew God’s power. He had seen God’s glory. So he obeyed God’s strange command: he spoke to the bones. And before His eyes, bones connected, flesh formed, and breath entered lifeless frames. God showed that He has power to bring life from death.
The grave has no victory because Christ reigns.
Centuries later, He showed that power again—this time through Jesus’s resurrection. And that same resurrection power brings spiritual life to us today. God breathes life into hearts that were once spiritually dead and promises eternal life with Him.
Where do you need God to breathe fresh life into your walk with Him? We can ask Him with confidence. Just as He promises eternal life with Him tomorrow, He also gives power to live for Him today.
God always intended to dwell with His people. Sin may have made it seem impossible for a time, but God kept moving His plan forward. Through prophecies, symbols, and signs, He gave His people hope that one day the Messiah would conquer death and bring life.
And on Easter—He did.