It’s important to bear in mind, as we’re reading and studying God’s Word, that the Bible has a point. Indeed, a single point. Today’s excerpt from The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart is found on pages 128 and 129:
“The point of Scripture, the Word of God, is Jesus Christ. Simply put, period. Wherever you’re reading in the Bible, whatever doctrine you may be focusing on, book you may be pondering, example you may be sorting through, or topic you may be studying, if Jesus Christ is not the center of it, you may be in danger of missing the point of God’s Word.
“And if you miss the point of God’s Word, you may easily veer off the path of joy and rejoicing into one of self-righteousness, spiritual smugness, intellectual vapidity, or mere spiritual indifference. Only Jesus is Life; only in His presence can we know fullness of joy and pleasures forever more. Miss Jesus, and you’ve missed the Scriptures altogether.
“Don’t get me wrong; the Bible contains many interesting and important topics besides Jesus Christ. There are promises to claim, prophecies in some stage of fulfillment, stories to guide our conduct, doctrines to inform our faith, and much more.
“But central to all these, and the only hope we have of benefiting from any of them, is Jesus Christ. All of Scripture is like a spiritual Rorschach Test. Everywhere you turn, whatever you’re reading, studying, or hearing, the final answer is, ‘Jesus Christ.’ Every time you open your Bible, you have an opportunity to learn more of Jesus, to draw nearer to Him, and to enter more fully into His promises and Kingdom.”
For reflection or discussion
1. How could you improve your ability to see Jesus in all of Scripture? Why should you?
2. How can believers help one another keep focused on Jesus in their reading and study of Scripture?
Jesus insisted that He is the point of all Scripture. We should be reading the Bible to see Jesus more clearly and get to know Him more personally and intimately. If we will, Jesus will be at work within us to make us more like Him day by day. And that, after all, is our purpose as believers. Share today’s podcast with a friend, then get together to talk about how you see Jesus when you’re reading the Word. Your copy of The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart is available in The Ailbe Bookstore.
T. M. Moore
