Legacy Church Blog

Where is Jesus in THIS part of the Bible?

We say all the time that “all the Bible aims at Jesus,” but not every verse in Scripture mentions Jesus by name. The vast majority of the Old Testament don’t seem to whisper a word about him at all. But every passage belongs to the grand redemptive story that centers on Him. Jesus is the fulcrum all the weight of the Bible’s storyline is centered upon. Even when Jesus isn’t directly visible, the shadows, signposts, and themes all echo His presence.

Here’s a helpful lens for reading any passage through a gospel-centered framework (Credit to Bryan Chapell, from whose teaching this originates)

1. It reveals our need for redemption.

Scripture consistently shows us the depth of human brokenness - in both testaments. 

Example: Genesis 3 — The fall of Adam and Eve doesn't mention Jesus, but it reveals the fracture between God and man, the entry of sin into the world, and our deep need for a Redeemer. We lost paradise. 

Example: Judges 2 — Israel’s repeated cycle of sin, oppression, crying out, and deliverance highlights our inability to save ourselves and points to our need for a final, faithful Savior who won't merely deliver us temporarily but transform us entirely.

2. It demonstrates God’s character in providing grace.

Even in moments of failure or judgment, God is never without mercy. It is His character to save. 

Example: Exodus 34:6–7 — After Israel’s golden calf rebellion, God reveals Himself as “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” It’s a moment saturated with grace—even in the aftermath of sin.

Example: Hosea 3 — God tells Hosea to love his unfaithful wife again, just as the Lord loves His people. It’s a raw, tangible picture of grace: undeserved, costly, and unrelenting.

3. It ultimately anticipates or flows from Jesus.

Every promise and foreshadow leads to Him—or reflects His work after the cross.

Example: Isaiah 53 — The Suffering Servant bears our griefs and is pierced for our transgressions. Though written centuries before Jesus’ birth, it paints the clearest picture of His atoning death.

Example: Psalm 23 — On the other side of the cross, we now read “The Lord is my Shepherd” with greater clarity, knowing that Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11).

Example: Judges 16 -- Samson’s outstretched arms brought judgment on Israel’s enemies, but Jesus’ outstretched arms absorbed judgment to rescue his enemies. One died destroying more sinners in his death than in his life, as the other died redeeming sinners in his death. 

All Scripture tells one story: the story of redemption in Jesus Christ. Whether it’s revealing the problem, unveiling God’s gracious character and heart, or foreshadowing the solution—every page presses us toward Christ. 

As Tim Keller once said: "Jesus is the true and better Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Job, David, Esther, Jonah… every hero, every rescue, every sacrifice is pointing to Him."

And as Charles Spurgeon once said: "I have never yet found a text that had not a road to Christ in it, and if I do find one that has no such road, I will make one; I will go over hedge and ditch but I would get at my Master, for the sermon cannot do any good unless there is a savor of Christ in it."

So, as you read your Bible, keep your eyes open, it’s bigger than the moment your reading about. It’s part of the most glorious story ever told. 

The Preeminent Word

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). With these opening words, the apostle John draws us into the majesty of Christ. Jesus is not just a teacher or prophet; He is the Logos—the eternal Word through whom God created, sustains, and redeems all things. This truth is not abstract theology; it is the foundation of our salvation and the anchor of our hope.

Before anything was made, the Word was. He was with God and was God. This means Jesus is not a created being but co-eternal with the Father, the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of His nature (Heb. 1:3). All things were made through Him, and in Him all things hold together (Col. 1:16–17). The same voice that called light out of darkness in Genesis 1 is the voice that called Lazarus from the tomb—and the voice that calls sinners from death to life.

God has always revealed Himself through His Word. In creation, His Word brought order and life. In redemptive history, He spoke through prophets, covenants, and promises. But in the fullness of time, God didn’t only send a message—He sent His Son. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Jesus is the perfect and final revelation of God. To know Him is to know the Father (John 14:9).

This is vital because fallen humanity doesn’t just need advice or information—we need revelation and transformation. We are born blind, dead in sin, suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. We needed more than external instruction—we needed the incarnate Word who obeyed perfectly, suffered willingly, died substitutionally, and rose victoriously. He is the message and the means of salvation.
Jesus as the Word means that God is not silent. In a world full of noise and confusion, where truth feels subjective and shifting, we are not left to speculate about who God is or what He wants. God has spoken, finally and fully, in His Son (Heb. 1:2). His Word does not change, and His promises will not fail.

This truth gives unshakable comfort to believers. Jesus is not just the revelation of God’s will—He is the guarantee of it. His life reveals the holiness of God; His death reveals the justice of God; His resurrection reveals the triumph of God’s mercy and power. He is our Prophet who reveals truth, our Priest who reconciles us, and our King who reigns forever.

Because Jesus is the Living Word, we do not build our lives on opinions, feelings, or trends—but on truth, revealed and incarnate. His Word gives life. His Word holds us fast. And His Word will never return empty—it will accomplish all God has purposed, bringing many sons to glory (Isa. 55:11; Heb. 2:10).

Let us hear Him, trust Him, and cling to Him—for in Christ, the Word, we meet the God who saves.