If I were to ask you what the focal point of the entire Bible is, would you know the answer? Sometimes, folks approach the Bible with utter confusion. They have no idea what the Bible is about, nor its central theme. To some, the Bible is a jumbled collection of sixty-six books, written by men over thousands of years, that have very little to do with one another. If this is your approach to the Bible, then let this short article be an encouragement to change your thinking.

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The Bible is a collection of sixty-six books, true, but these books all have a common theme. This theme runs through the entirety of the Bible. While these books were written at different time periods and by different authors, they are in perfect harmony with each other. Put simply, the theme of the Bible is redemption. Man sinned before God (Gen. 3:6; Rom. 3:23). Due to sin, God promised a way by which man can be free from sin (Gen. 3:15; Rom. 6:23). From Genesis three through the rest of the Old Testament, we see God revealing a plan by which all men can be saved from sin. This plan so intrigued the spiritual realm that even the angels "desired to look into" God's plan and watched it unfold (I Pet. 1:10-12).

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As we study the Scriptures, we not only see God's plan unfolding, but we see the focal point of the Bible itself. There is a point at which all the Old Testament directs our attention. At the same time, the New Testament also directs us to that point in time. It is a point in time wherein Matthew and Luke dedicate nearly 25% of their writings to recording it. Mark dedicates 33% of his book to the event, and John dedicates 50% of his book to the event. What could have taken place in the lives of these men that would cause them to dedicate so much ink to its description?

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It is this event that caused Paul to be imprisoned (Acts 23:6, 24:21, 26:6-8, 28:20), and all the apostles (except John) to lose their lives. It is the event that motivated the apostles, and all first century Christians to preach the truth and try to win souls. This event caused folks in the Old and New Testament times to suffer, be persecuted, and lose all (Acts 8:4; 11:19-21; Heb. 10:33-39, 11:26, 32-40). At the same time, though these folks lost their worldly goods, they understood it was leading to something far greater in the spiritual realm (Rom. 8:18; II Cor. 4:16-17, 12:10; I Pet. 1:6-7, 4:12-16)!

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The focal point of the Bible is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ! It is this event Paul preached to the Corinthians (I Cor. 15:1-4). It is this event that was prophesied by the Old Testament heroes (Ps. 22; Isa. 53; etc.), and even promised by Jesus Himself (Matt. 12:38-41, 16:21, 17:22-23, 20:17-19; Lk. 9:22)!

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Christ's death, burial, and resurrection mean that we have the promise of salvation today. This event is reenacted every time someone is baptized for the remission of sins (Rom. 6:3-6). Peter promised that baptism "doth also now save us" because of the resurrection of Christ (I Pet. 3:21). This event is prominent in the Bible. Do you appreciate what the Lord did? Is it the focal point of your life?

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Jarrod Jacobs