The Bible is a large and complex book. It contains history, poetry, prophecy, wisdom literature, letters, and narratives spanning thousands of years. With so much to discover, it can be easy to approach Scripture looking primarily for information, practical advice, or answers to specific questions. While the Bible certainly teaches us how to live, its ultimate purpose is greater than simply giving us principles for better living. Scripture reveals God, and at the centre of that revelation is Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself taught His disciples to read the Scriptures in this way. After His resurrection, He met two disciples on the road to Emmaus and explained how the Scriptures pointed to Him. Luke records that Jesus, “beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27, ESV). Later, Jesus told His disciples, “Everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44).
This gives us an important principle for reading the Bible: we should learn to see the whole story of Scripture in light of Christ.
The Bible Tells One Story
Although the Bible contains 66 books written by many different human authors across centuries, it tells one unfolding story of God’s work in creation and redemption.
The story begins with creation in Genesis. Humanity is made in God’s image, but sin enters the world through human rebellion. The rest of Scripture traces God’s response to that rebellion and His covenant purposes to redeem His people.
God calls Abraham and promises that through his offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:1–3). God delivers Israel from Egypt, gives them His law, establishes them as His people, and promises David that his throne will be established forever (2 Samuel 7:12–16). The prophets look forward to a coming King, Servant, and Redeemer.
Then, in the New Testament, Jesus arrives.
Matthew begins by connecting Jesus to Abraham and David. John begins even further back, declaring that the Word was with God in the beginning and that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14).
The Bible is not a collection of disconnected moral lessons. It is the story of God’s redemptive work, reaching its fulfilment in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Is the Centre of Scripture
One of the clearest places where we see this is in Jesus’ own words.
Speaking to religious leaders who knew the Old Testament Scriptures, Jesus said:
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.”
— John 5:39
Jesus was not suggesting that reading Scripture was wrong. He was pointing out that it is possible to know the Scriptures and still miss the One to whom they point.
This is an important warning for Christians today. We can read the Bible regularly, memorise verses, study biblical history, and become familiar with Christian doctrine while failing to see how Scripture leads us to Christ.
The goal of Bible reading is not simply to accumulate biblical information. It is to know God and to see His redemptive purposes more clearly.
As Paul writes, “all the promises of God find their Yes in him” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
How Do We Read the Bible With Christ at the Centre?
Reading the Bible with Christ at the centre does not mean forcing Jesus into every verse or ignoring what individual passages actually say. It means understanding each passage within the larger story of Scripture and asking how it contributes to God’s unfolding revelation that culminates in Christ.
For example, when reading the Old Testament, we should pay attention to God’s promises, covenants, sacrifices, kings, priests, prophets, and expectations of redemption. These themes prepare us to understand the person and work of Jesus.
These themes prepare us to understand the person and work of Jesus. Our guide on How to Find the Gospel in the Old Testament explores how this gospel thread runs through the Old Testament and points forward to Christ.
The sacrificial system points toward the need for atonement. The Passover points toward deliverance. The Davidic covenant points toward the promised King. The prophets anticipate a suffering Servant and a coming salvation.
The New Testament makes these connections explicit.
Paul explains that Christ is our Passover lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Hebrews presents Jesus as the greater High Priest whose sacrifice accomplishes what the Old Testament sacrifices could only anticipate (Hebrews 9:11–14). Peter describes Jesus as the fulfilment of the prophetic hope concerning salvation (1 Peter 1:10–12).
This way of reading Scripture helps us see the Bible as a unified story rather than a collection of unrelated passages.
Don’t Reduce the Bible to a List of Lessons
One of the easiest mistakes in Bible reading is to turn every passage into a simple moral lesson.
Consider the story of David and Goliath. It is possible to read the story and conclude, “Be brave like David and face your giants.” While courage is certainly present in the story, that interpretation can miss something much larger.
David is Israel’s representative king, and God uses him to deliver His people from their enemy. The story sits within the larger biblical story of God’s promised King and His deliverance of His people.
The point is not simply that we should become brave enough to defeat our personal “Goliaths.” Scripture ultimately points us toward God’s saving work and, within the larger biblical narrative, toward the promised King whose victory brings deliverance.
This does not mean that the Bible has nothing to teach us about courage, obedience, wisdom, or faith. It means those applications should flow from the meaning of the text rather than replace it.
We should ask not only, “What does this passage tell me to do?” but also, “What does this passage reveal about God, His purposes, and His redemptive work?”
Christ-Centred Reading Should Lead to Christ-Centred Living
Seeing Christ at the centre of Scripture should change the way we live.
The Bible does give Christians commands and principles. We are called to love God, love our neighbours, pursue holiness, forgive others, serve one another, and live faithfully. But Christian obedience is not separated from Christ. We obey because of who He is and what He has done.
Paul captures this beautifully in Galatians 2:20:
“The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Christ is not merely the subject of our theology. He is the foundation of our identity and the source of our new life.
When we read Scripture through the lens of Christ, we begin to understand that biblical transformation is not simply about trying harder to become better people. It is about being conformed to Christ through the work of God’s Spirit.
Romans 8:29 says that believers are being conformed to the image of God’s Son.
Our Sermons Should Have Christ at the Centre Too
The same principle applies to preaching.
If Scripture points us to Christ, then faithful preaching should point us to Christ as well.
A sermon can contain biblical language and still fail to make Christ central. A message can offer useful advice about marriage, parenting, leadership, finances, relationships, or personal discipline while leaving the gospel at the margins.
Christian preaching is more than providing practical principles for life. It is the proclamation of God’s Word, with Christ at the centre.
Paul gives us a powerful example in 1 Corinthians 2:2:
“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”
Paul was not saying that he refused to teach anything beyond those few words. His letters demonstrate that he taught extensively about Christian living, the church, spiritual gifts, relationships, resurrection, suffering, and many other subjects. His point was that everything he taught was grounded in and shaped by the person and work of Christ.
A Christ-centred sermon does not need to mention Jesus in every sentence. Rather, it understands that whatever biblical subject is being addressed must ultimately be understood within the gospel.
Preaching should not merely tell people to be better. It should show them the grace of God in Christ and call them to respond in faith and obedience.
Paul’s instruction to Timothy is therefore significant:
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
— 2 Timothy 4:2
The preacher’s task is not to invent an inspiring message. It is to faithfully proclaim the Word of God.
How Should We Listen to a Sermon?
If Scripture is centred on Christ and preaching is meant to faithfully proclaim Scripture, then we should also learn to listen to sermons differently.
Instead of asking only, “Did that sermon make me feel inspired?” we can ask:
- What did this sermon teach me about God?
- What does this passage reveal about Christ?
- Was the message faithful to the biblical text?
- How does the gospel shape the application?
- What response does God’s Word call me to make?
- How should this truth change the way I live?
This does not mean every sermon must follow exactly the same structure. Biblical preaching can take different forms and address different subjects. But the message should remain anchored in God’s Word and ultimately oriented toward Christ.
Read the Bible to Know Christ
The Bible is worth studying for its history, theology, wisdom, poetry, and practical instruction. But beneath all of these is a greater purpose: Scripture reveals the God who saves, and the centre of that salvation is Jesus Christ.
As Jesus told His disciples after His resurrection, the Scriptures testify about Him.
So when you open your Bible, don’t simply ask, “What can I learn from this passage?”
Reading the Bible well also means learning to ask the right questions of the text. Our article, 10 Questions Every Christian Should Ask While Reading the Bible, offers a practical framework for approaching Scripture thoughtfully and faithfully.
Ask further questions also, such as:
“What does this passage reveal about God?”
“How does it fit into the story of Scripture?”
“What does it teach me about Christ?”
“How should knowing Christ change the way I live?”
The more we learn to read Scripture this way, the more we see the unity of God’s Word. Genesis begins with creation, and Revelation ends with new creation. In between, Scripture tells the story of humanity’s fall, God’s covenant faithfulness, His promise of redemption, and its fulfilment in Jesus Christ.
The Bible ultimately leads us to Him.
And whether we are reading Scripture privately or listening to it preached from a pulpit, the invitation remains the same: look to Christ, know Christ, trust Christ, and live for Christ.