Don Stewart :: Is Jesus Christ the Main Subject of the Entire Bible?

Is Jesus Christ the Main Subject of the Entire Bible?

What Everyone Needs to Know about Jesus – Question 2

Yes. From the testimony Jesus Himself we find that the entire Scripture is about Him. Indeed, He said the following to the religious leaders of His day:

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me...For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote of Me. (John 5:39, 46 NRSV)

What a claim! Jesus said the Hebrew Scripture, the Old Testament, was all about Him. In fact, the entire Bible is about Him. The evidence is as follows.

1. The Old Testament – The Preparation for the Christ

The Old Testament was preparing the way for the Messiah or the Christ. He is the promised One whom God would send to save His people. Isaiah the prophet wrote of His coming:

A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3 NRSV)

The entire Old Testament was looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. He would bring God’s kingdom to the earth. Everything in the Old Testament Scripture was pointing toward Him.

2. The Four Gospels – The Manifestation of the Christ

While the predicted coming of the Messiah is a main theme in the Old Testament His actual coming is the main subject of the four gospels. Indeed, we find that the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, record the manifestation of the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. He came as promised. We read in John,

The next day John [the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 NKJV)

As God had promised the people of Israel, the Messiah came into our world. This Jesus of Nazareth, who is God the Son, fulfilled the various predictions of the coming Deliverer which are found in the Old Testament.

Yet Jesus was rejected by the people of His day. Indeed, they said they did not want Him to rule over them. Though He was guilty of no sin, He was tried, convicted and crucified. But just as He predicted Jesus did not stay dead. Three days after His death He rose from dead, never to die again!

3. The Book of Acts – The Proclamation of the Message of the Christ

Jesus said that His death on the cross was for the purpose of taking away the sins of the world. After the death and resurrection of Jesus, His message was to go out to the entire world. The Book of Acts records the proclamation of the message of Jesus Christ. The key verse of the Book of Acts records the following words of Jesus:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8 HCSB)

The message of the risen Christ who died for the sins of the world was to go everywhere. Indeed, to the remotest parts of the earth.

4. The New Testament Letters – The Explanation of the Two Comings of Christ

One of the mysteries, or sacred secrets which was not revealed until the New Testament era is that the Messiah would not come merely once, but rather twice. These two comings of Christ are explained in the New Testament letters. The Apostle Paul wrote the following about this important truth:

For it has pleased God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ lives in you, and this is your assurance that you will share in his glory. (Colossians 1:27 NLT)

Christ’s first coming was a “mystery” or “sacred secret” that was not explained to the Old Testament readers. The New Testament letters provide us with the explanation. Again, we find that these letters are all about Him.

5. Revelation – The Consummation of All Things in Christ

As the Old Testament was the preparation for the Christ, the gospel the manifestation of the Christ, the Book of Acts the propagation of His message, the letters the explanation of His two comings, the Book of Revelation records the consummation of all things in Christ. Indeed, we find that everything will be accomplished at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. We read the following in the Book of Revelation:

Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. (Revelation 1:7 NRSV)

History will reach its climax as Jesus Christ returns and sets up His everlasting kingdom. Again, it is all about Jesus.

In sum, we find that Jesus, as He stated, is the main subject of the entire Scripture. Indeed, everything in the Bible is about Him. Consequently, when we read and study Holy Scripture we must always do it from this perspective.

Summary – Question 2
Is Jesus Christ the Main Subject of the Entire Bible?

Jesus Christ is the theme of the entire Bible. This is the claim He Himself made to the religious leaders of His day. The evidence for this is as follows.

The Old Testament records the preparation for the predicted Deliverer. He is known by a number of names the most popular being the Messiah, or Christ. The kingdom of God would be brought to this earth through the promised Messiah. Everything in the Old Testament looked forward to His arrival.

The four gospels record the fulfillment of the predictions concerning Christ. The things which were predicted of Him were realized in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth. He had the credentials of the coming Messiah. Yet the people rejected Him. Although they put Him to death on the cross of Calvary death would not hold Him. Three days after His death Jesus was alive again.

The Book of Acts continues the biblical pattern; it is all about Jesus. Indeed, it records the proclamation of the message of the risen Christ to the known world. Jesus told His disciples to go into the entire world and proclaim the good news of forgiveness of sin.

The New Testament letters provide the explanation of the two comings of Christ. It tells us Jesus came the first time to die but He will come again to rule and reign. Again, it is all about Him.

Finally, the Book of Revelation documents the consummation of all things in Christ. He returns and sets up the promised kingdom. All wrongs will be made right in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as Jesus claimed so long ago in His discussion with the religious rulers, the entire Bible is truly about Him.