I've often read the Bible with the question in mind 'how is this relevant to me, in my life, and in my circumstances?'Even recently I was saying to Tim of how I had been reading in the Old Testament, yet had come away feeling as though I hadn't really got much. Tim's response was beautiful, reminding me that what to look for in the text was not something relevant to me, but to be looking for Jesus in the text.
I think he got this from Matt Chandler's message at Resurgence
Also in a message I was listening earlier today Chandler said:
"No sermon is complete if it doesn't reveal Jesus in the text."
What a challenging rebuke to me about what I'm primarily looking for in a Bible text as I read or study it.
OK and Yes, the Bible is relevant to each of our lives, God speaks to each of us through it, but primarily; it is about revealing Jesus.
So many times we read the phrase "the Gospel of Christ" in the New Testament [Mr 1:1, Ro 1:16, Ro 15:29, 1 Co 9:18, 2 Co 9:13, 2 Co 10:14, Ga 1:7, Php 1:27, 1 Th 3:", 2 Th 1:8] which ought to be enough for us to realize that it is primarily about Jesus!
This is not something new to me, nor you, yet so often we seem to skip over it to ask 'what does this text say to me' often forgetting to add 'about Jesus' which would make our motivating question;
'What does this text say to me about Jesus?'
As we begin our quiet times, our devotions and daily study and meditation of God's word today, lets begin with that question:
'What does this text say to me about Jesus?'
I think it will lead us into greater understanding of God's Word; and will cause our love for Jesus and relationship with Him to deepen.
