This morning for our Bible study,
I would encourage you to turn to John chapter 5. John chapter
5, and let's begin reading at verse 39. Search the Scriptures,
for in them ye think ye have eternal life. They are they which
testify of me. And ye will not come to me, our
Lord says, that ye might have life. Now here's my question
this morning from these verses that we have just read. What
is the Bible? The Bible all about. The Bible
is the Word of God. Now, there's no doubt about that.
All Scripture is given of God. It's God-inspired, God-sent,
God-preserved. The Bible, the Word of God, is
a book entirely about one person, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible
is not a book about History, although we find history in it,
the Bible is not a book about morality, although that lesson
is taught, or a book about science, or a book about politics, or
even a book about theology. The Bible is a book with one
subject, and that one subject is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
living Word of God, of whom the written Word speaks. Now we read in the book of Acts,
to him give all the prophets witness. All the prophets beginning
with the writings of Moses all the way through the Old Testament
to the book of Malachi. All the Old Testament prophets
and all the apostles of the New Testament all give record and
right of one glorious person The Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord told us in Matthew 11
verse 28, to take the Word of God and to learn of Him. Now this is what the Lord Himself
says to these recorded in John chapter 5. Search the Scriptures,
or He is acknowledging you do search the Scriptures, for in
them ye think ye have life, that is in their ordinances and in
their ceremonies, but they are they You see the law, just as
shadow and type, pointing us to Christ, they are they which
testify, which testify of me. Now after his resurrection we
are told that our Lord, beginning at Moses, this is from Luke 24,
beginning at Moses and all the prophets, expounded, he expounded
unto them and all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Then opened he their understanding
that they might understand the scriptures. The Lord Jesus Christ
plainly told His disciples that all Scriptures were written concerning
Him. The central and constant theme
of Holy Scripture is Jesus Christ the Lord, His glorious person
and His glorious redeeming work. Paul put it this way, I am determined
to know nothing among you but Jesus Christ in Him crucified. Now let me give you three statements
that will help you remember what the Bible is all about. All the
Old Testament tells us that the Redeemer, the Messiah, the Lord
Jesus Christ is coming. That's the message of the Old
Testament. Someone is coming. No sooner had Adam sinned against
God, which plunged our whole human family into spiritual death
and sin, Subject to guilt and subject to the wrath and judgment
of God because of our sin the sin of Adam our sin his sin imputed
to us that God graciously promised that he would send a Blessed
Redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem his people from their
sin now listen to this promise in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15
God spoke to the serpent and said I will put enmity between
thee and the woman between the thy seed and her seed, it shall
bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Now, that's
the gospel. That's the victory. The woman's
seed there is the Lord Jesus Christ, who crushed Satan's dominion
and power, who put an end of sin by the sacrifice of himself. Throughout the ages, the promise
of Christ's incarnation and redemptive work became clearer and clearer
As the prophet wrote concerning him, we see the Lord Jesus in
type, picture, and promise, providential types, instituted types, and
personal types. Isaiah finally wrote of him.
Here we see the Lamb of God personified. And we read in Isaiah 53, it
pleased the Lord to bruise him. He had put him to grief. When
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days, and
the pleasure of the Lord will prosper in his hand. He shall
see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. By his
knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he
shall bear their iniquity." These Old Testament believers taking
God at His word were justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
just as God had promised. God has always saved sinners
based upon an established righteousness and redemption through the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now listen to this scripture
in Romans 4, holds forth two as an example of faith, two men,
Abraham and David, and they both looked to the Lord Jesus Christ
for salvation. Romans 4.1 says, What shall we
say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath
found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to
glory, but not before God. For what saith the scripture?
Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him, reckoned,
imputed unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is a
reward, not reckon of grace, but of debt. But to him that
worketh not, but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly,
his faith is counted for righteousness, even as David." So there's the
example of Abraham. Abraham looked to the Lord Jesus
Christ, and his faith laid hold on Christ, his justifying righteousness. Even as David also described
it, the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputed righteousness
without work, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are
forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin." So there we see two examples, I
could give you others, of Abraham and David both looking to the
coming of the person and glorious work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So what is the Bible all about? Well, the Old Testament says
that someone is coming, and that someone is none other than God
incarnate, the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, the four Gospels in
the book of Acts, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the book
of Acts tells us that the Redeemer, the one who was promised, has
come. This is what John the Baptist
declared. Remember he said, Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh
away and beareth away the sin of God's people in this world.
This is what's stemming in the temple, waiting for the consolation
of the Lord. As the parents of the Lord Jesus,
as his mother and his foster father and his earthly parents
brought him in to do after the custom of the law, and it concerned
circumcision, Simeon, you remember what he said, Lord, now let us
thy servant depart in peace according to thy word, for mine eyes have
seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before thy face,
before the face of all people, in Luke chapter 2. He blessed
God and said, the Redeemer has come. John identified him as
God's sacrifice for sin. Simeon identified him as the
Savior. Salvation is in him. And Peter
at Pentecost said, This is the stone which was set at Nod of
Ye Builders, which has become the headstone of the corner.
He's the foundation of faith, the foundation of salvation.
And then he said, neither is there salvation in any other,
for there is no other name under heaven, none other name under
heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved. You see, the
Old Testament promise is coming. The Gospels in the book of Acts
reveal to us that He has come, that He is the Redeemer, that
He is the Savior, that there is salvation in no other than
the Lord Jesus Christ, that eternal life is in this person we know
as the Lord of glory. Now thirdly, what is the message
of the Bible? What is the Bible all about?
Well, thirdly, the epistles, beginning at Romans all the way
through the book of revelation the epistles tell us that the
Redeemer is coming again one day soon I don't know when our
Lord says plainly that he is returning he said look for the
Lord does come back again one day soon at the appointed time
the appointed time of God the Lord Jesus Christ shall return
to this earth to gather his elect and to judge and to take vengeance
on them that know not the Lord Jesus Christ, to take vengeance
upon the enemies of the gospel. Now we read this in Matthew 25,
when the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy
angels with him. Then shall he sit upon the throne
of his glory, and before him shall be gathered all nations.
He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd Divideth
his sheep from the goats, and he shall set the sheep on his
right hand, and the goat on the left. Then shall the king send
them on his right hand, and come ye blessed to my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
Again, we read in Revelation 1-7, behold, he coming. My friend, he's on his way. That's
what he's saying here in Revelation 1-7, he coming. He is coming
with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also will pierce
Him, and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because
of Him." Even so, John says, Come, Lord Jesus. So what is
the Bible all about? The Old Testament says, Someone
is coming. The Gospels say, and the Book
of Acts say, He is here. And the Epistles, including the
Revelation, declare unto us that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming
again. So what is the Bible about? It's
about the Lord Jesus Christ, His glorious person, God incarnate. His priestly work, when He by
Himself purged our sin, sat down at the right hand of God. And
His glorious victory, saving His people from their sin. what the messenger from heaven
declared, called his name Jesus, which means Savior. He shall
save his people from their sin. And my friend, he did not fail
to accomplish all of God's purpose. He prayed in John 17, Father,
I've glorified Thee on the earth. I've finished the work You gave
me to do. His last words upon Calvary's
cross, he said, is finished. Salvation is accomplished.