Is the whole Bible about Jesus?
Jesus Himself said so: the Scriptures testify of Him, and He explained how Moses and all the prophets pointed to Him. The Old Testament prepares His coming through promise, type, and prophecy, and the New Testament declares that all the promises are yes in Christ.
This question arose from studying Can I trust the Bible?.
Begin by reading
Go into the Word
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
Jesus said the Scriptures are about Him
You search the Scriptures, and these are they which testify about me. Beginning from Moses and all the prophets, He interpreted the things concerning Himself, and He said everything written about Him must be fulfilled.
“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me.
Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me must be fulfilled.”
The Old Testament promised Him
The offspring of the woman who bruises the serpent's head, the suffering Servant pierced for our transgressions, the King born in Bethlehem: God spoke long ago through the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son.
I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”
But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.
God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.
The New Testament declares the promises are fulfilled
All the promises of God find their 'Yes' in him. Philip could say, we have found him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote. The apostles preached that the words of the prophets were fulfilled in Jesus.
For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God through us.
Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they didn’t know him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him. Though they found no cause for death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed. When they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb.
Why it matters: the whole Bible is God's testimony to Christ
The prophets searched out the grace that was to come to you, which has now been revealed in the gospel preached through the Spirit. Christ in you, the hope of glory: the Book is one story, and He is the center of it.
Concerning this salvation, the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching for who or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, pointed to, when he predicted the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that would follow them. To them it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to you, they ministered these things, which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Good News to you by the Holy Spirit sent out from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.
to whom God was pleased to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory;
but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
Studying the Word naturally opens more of it. Follow what you just read: it leads somewhere.
We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
Hold onto these
Verses to meditate on
Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me.
For however many are the promises of God, in him is the “Yes.” Therefore also through him is the “Amen”, to the glory of God through us.
I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.”
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