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. 

Will it Last - or will it end?

Rethinking the “World” God Loves

What comes to mind when you hear the word world? For many Christians, especially when reading passages like 1 John 2:15—“Do not love the world or the things in the world”—we picture corruption, temptation, and everything God stands against. 

But that’s not the only definition Scripture offers. The Greek word kosmos carries nuance. Sometimes it refers to the system of life that operates apart from God. But other times, it refers to the material cosmos—the created world: people, animals, trees, oceans, mountains, and yes, even the things we make—our cultural artifacts. Film, music, recipes, architecture, and even watercolor paintings. This world, in its physicality and creativity, was not just made by God, but called good by Him (Genesis 1:31).

Andy Crouch, in Culture Making, challenges us to think of culture as something that might not only reflect God’s image today, but also endure into eternity. “Will the cultural goods we devote our lives to… be identified as the glory and honor of our cultural tradition? Or will they be remembered as mediocrities at best, dead ends at worst?” he asks.

That question lingers: Will our cultural goods be remembered as bearing the weight of glory—or as mere ash?

It's not a stretch to believe that redeemed humanity might contribute to a redeemed creation. After all, we bear the image of a Creator. And as His creation, we are also creators. When we compose a symphony, steward a garden, write a novel, or design a tool—we are imaging His glory -- or merely echoing a fallen world’s decay, but we cannot help but be creators. 

Consider the grand sweep of God’s involvement with His world:

• He made it—and called it good.
  
  
• He entered it—to redeem every inch of it.
  
  
• He will return—to glorify not just His people, but the very ground we walk on.
  
  

As Abraham Kuyper once said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’”

This vision has powerful implications:

• The dignity of life: Every human bears God’s image. We’re not neutral on issues of life because God is not neutral about His image-bearers.
  
  
• Environmental care: The church should be known for tending to God’s creation. We’ve politicized stewardship when we were meant to practice it. Whether it’s animal care, pollution, energy policy, or local gardens—we may disagree on the how, but we can’t avoid the why.
  
  
• Governance and society: Our call isn’t just over nature, but people. How we parent, legislate, and engage society reflects our stewardship.
  
  
• Art and science: Every brushstroke, mathematical breakthrough, and technological innovation can echo the glory of God when it flows from a redeemed heart.
  
  

Adam was called to tend the garden. Jesus, the Second Adam, came not only to reclaim the garden but to perfect it. He is the better steward, environmentalist, artist, and leader. His death doesn’t mean abandoning this world—it means redeeming it.

So we must ask: Will what I’m making last? Will it glorify God, reflect His character, and point toward His Kingdom—or will it fade into irrelevance?

Because nobody loves the world more than God does—and we are called to share that same love, stewarding what is passing through our hands into His forever.