Jesus: The Center of Scripture and Our Hope

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus Is the Main Character of Scripture

The Bible is not primarily about us, but about Jesus—He is the central figure from Genesis to Revelation. Every book, every story, and every promise ultimately points to Him as the fulfillment of God’s plan to rescue humanity. When we read Scripture, we are invited to see Jesus as the thread that ties all of God’s redemptive work together, reminding us that our hope and identity are found in Him, not in ourselves. [33:15]

John 1:1-5 (ESV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Reflection: When you read the Bible, do you look for how each passage points to Jesus? This week, choose one Old Testament story and ask God to show you how it reveals Christ.

Day 2: The Word Became Flesh—The Miracle of the Incarnation

Jesus, the eternal Word, became fully human while remaining fully God, entering our world not just in appearance but in reality. He experienced hunger, fatigue, and pain, yet never ceased to be divine. This profound mystery—God taking on flesh—means that Jesus truly understands our struggles and limitations, and it is the foundation of our hope and salvation. [44:44]

John 1:14 (ESV)
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to remember that Jesus truly understands your human experience? How might this change the way you pray to Him today?

Day 3: Jesus Reveals the Full Glory of God

In Jesus, we see the fullness of God’s glory—His holiness, love, justice, and mercy—displayed in a way that humanity can behold. Unlike Moses, who could only glimpse God’s glory, we see it fully revealed in Christ, who is the unique Son of God. Jesus is the perfect image of the Father, and through Him, we are invited to know and experience the true nature of God. [58:26]

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Reflection: What attribute of God’s glory do you most need to see in Jesus right now—His holiness, His mercy, or His love? How can you seek to notice this in the Gospels this week?

Day 4: Grace Upon Grace—The Unending Supply in Christ

Through Jesus, we receive wave after wave of God’s grace—there is never a moment when His supply runs out or is exhausted by our weakness. All the resources of God are present in Christ, and He fills us with grace and truth, not just once, but continually. Even when we feel unworthy or worn out, God’s grace is more than enough to meet us and sustain us. [01:07:40]

John 1:16 (ESV)
For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

Reflection: Think of a recent moment when you felt you had exhausted God’s grace. How does the truth of “grace upon grace” invite you to approach Him differently today?

Day 5: Jesus Explains and Reveals the Father

No one has ever seen God, but Jesus, the unique Son who is close to the Father’s heart, has made Him known. If we want to know what God is like, we look to Jesus—His words, His actions, and His love are the perfect explanation of the Father’s character. In Christ, the invisible God becomes visible, inviting us into a relationship of intimacy and trust. [01:13:39]

John 1:18 (ESV)
No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Reflection: What is one question you have about God’s character? Take time today to read a story from Jesus’ life and ask how it answers your question about who God is.

Sermon Summary

The story of Scripture is the story of Jesus. From Genesis to Revelation, every book, every chapter, every promise, and every hope finds its fulfillment in him. Jesus is not just a character in the Bible—he is the main character, the author, and the center of all history. Too often, we approach the Bible as if it is about us, searching for answers to our problems or inspiration for our lives. But the true power of Scripture is found when we see that it is about God’s Son, sent to rescue us, and that every page points to him.

John’s Gospel opens with a profound truth: Jesus, the eternal Word, became flesh and dwelt among us. This is the miracle of the incarnation—God himself stepping into human history, not just appearing as a man, but truly becoming one of us. He took on all the limitations of humanity—he grew tired, he hungered, he suffered—yet he never ceased to be fully God. In Jesus, we see the fullness of deity in bodily form, and in his humanity, he sympathizes with our weaknesses, understanding our struggles and pain.

When John says that Jesus “dwelt among us,” he uses language that recalls the tabernacle in the wilderness—the place where God’s presence was with his people. But now, in Christ, God has moved into our neighborhood in a far more intimate way. The glory that Moses could only glimpse, and that Isaiah feared, is now revealed in the person of Jesus. He is the unique, one-of-a-kind Son, full of grace and truth. In him, we see the perfect balance of God’s justice and mercy, his holiness and his compassion.

Through Jesus, we receive “grace upon grace”—an unending supply of God’s favor and kindness. The law, given through Moses, showed us our need for forgiveness, but it is in Christ that grace and truth are fully realized. He fulfills the law and opens a new way for us to know God, not through our efforts, but through his finished work. No one has ever seen God, but Jesus, who is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. If we want to know what God is like, we look to Jesus—his life, his words, his sacrifice.

May we never lose sight of the wonder that God came to us, that he took on flesh for our sake, and that in Jesus we have everything we need. Let us trust him, adore him, and live in the waves of his unending grace.

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Key Takeaways

1. Jesus Is the Center of All Scripture and History Every book of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, points to Jesus as the main character and the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan. Recognizing this shifts our focus from ourselves to the glory and work of Christ, inviting us to read Scripture with a Christ-centered lens that deepens our understanding and worship. [33:15]
2. The Incarnation: God Truly Became Human Without Ceasing to Be God The eternal Word did not merely appear as a man but became flesh, fully embracing humanity while retaining full divinity. This mystery—100% God and 100% man—means that Jesus experienced our limitations, pain, and struggles, yet remained the perfect, sinless Savior. His incarnation is the foundation of our hope, for only a God who became truly human could redeem us. [47:56]
3. Jesus Reveals the Full Glory and Character of God In Christ, the invisible God is made visible. The glory that was once unapproachable and terrifying is now seen in the face of Jesus, who embodies all the attributes of God—holiness, love, justice, mercy, and more. To know what God is like, we look to Jesus, who is the perfect revelation and explanation of the Father. [60:57]
4. Grace Upon Grace: The Unending Supply of God’s Favor in Christ Through Jesus, we receive not just a single act of grace, but wave after wave of God’s kindness and provision. There is never a moment when his grace is exhausted or withheld; even in our weakness, his grace is most evident. This abundance frees us from striving and invites us to rest in the sufficiency of Christ’s work. [67:36]
5. Jesus Fulfills and Surpasses the Law, Opening a New Way to God The law given through Moses revealed our need but could not save us. Jesus fulfills the law and inaugurates the age of grace, where relationship with God is based not on our performance but on his finished work. In him, truth and grace are perfectly united, and we are invited into a new, intimate relationship with the Father through the Son. [70:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:23] - Back-to-School Reflections and Book Reports
[33:15] - Jesus: The Main Character of Scripture
[34:39] - Jesus in Every Book of the Bible
[37:27] - The Uniqueness of John’s Gospel
[40:43] - The Eternal Existence and Purpose of Jesus
[42:10] - God Comes to Us: The Incarnation
[44:44] - The Centrality of John 1:14
[47:05] - The Meaning of “The Word Became Flesh”
[49:00] - The Fullness of Deity in Christ
[50:48] - The Kenosis: Christ’s Self-Emptying
[52:26] - The Eternal Humanity of Jesus
[54:30] - Jesus Sympathizes with Our Weakness
[56:11] - Jesus “Tabernacled” Among Us
[57:24] - The Glory of God Revealed in Christ
[60:57] - The Only Begotten, Full of Grace and Truth
[64:48] - John the Baptist’s Testimony
[66:43] - Grace Upon Grace
[70:42] - Jesus Fulfills the Law and Brings Grace
[73:39] - Jesus Explains the Father
[75:17] - The Cross: The Ultimate Display of Grace
[76:29] - Trusting and Adoring Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 1:14-18 (ESV) — 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”)
16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Observation Questions

According to John 1:14, what does it mean that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”? How does John describe what people saw when Jesus lived among them?
In verse 16, what does John say we have received from Jesus’ fullness? How does the phrase “grace upon grace” help us understand God’s generosity?
What is the difference John points out between the law given through Moses and what Jesus brings?
According to verse 18, how does Jesus make God known to us?

Interpretation Questions

The sermon says that Jesus is the main character of the whole Bible, not just a part of it. How does this change the way someone might read the Old Testament stories?
The phrase “the Word became flesh” is described as the miracle of the incarnation. Why is it important that Jesus was both fully God and fully human? What difference does this make for our faith?
The sermon explains that Jesus is “full of grace and truth.” Why is it significant that Jesus perfectly embodies both of these qualities at the same time?
John says that no one has ever seen God, but Jesus has made him known. What does it mean for us that Jesus is the perfect explanation of who God is?

Application Questions

The sermon warns against reading the Bible as if it’s mainly about us and our problems, instead of about Jesus. When you read Scripture, do you tend to look for yourself or for Jesus? How could you shift your focus to see Jesus as the center?
The incarnation means that Jesus understands our struggles and pain because he became truly human. Is there a struggle or weakness in your life right now where it helps to remember that Jesus “gets it”? How does this change the way you pray or approach him?
The sermon says that through Jesus, we receive “grace upon grace”—an unending supply of God’s favor. Are there areas in your life where you feel like you’ve run out of God’s grace? What would it look like to rest in the sufficiency of Christ’s work instead of striving?
Jesus reveals the full glory and character of God. When you think about what God is like, do you picture him as Jesus shows him—full of grace, truth, compassion, and holiness? Are there old ideas about God you need to let go of?
The law showed us our need for forgiveness, but Jesus opens a new way to God based on his finished work. Are you tempted to relate to God based on your own performance or efforts? How can you remind yourself this week that your relationship with God is based on what Jesus has done?
The sermon encourages us to “trust him, adore him, and live in the waves of his unending grace.” What is one practical way you can express trust or adoration for Jesus in your daily life this week?
If someone asked you, “What is God really like?” how comfortable would you be pointing them to Jesus’ life and words? Is there a story or teaching of Jesus that especially helps you understand God’s heart?

Sermon Clips

``Jesus is the main person of the Bible. It's not you. You're not the main character. And I think sometimes we can trip ourselves up because we open the book and we think God is going to say the exact thing that I need to hear in my moment for what I need. And we make it about us. But the main person of scripture is the one who wrote scripture. It's not about you. Yes, we learn a lot about ourselves as we read the Bible. But the main point is that God has sent his son to rescue us. That message is all throughout the scriptures. Even in the Old Testament, before the name of Jesus is mentioned, the name of Jesus is present. [00:33:42] (57 seconds) #JesusIsTheCenterOfScripture

John writes, Jesus became flesh and he dwelt among us. Now that word dwelt is important. It comes from a Greek word that means to pitch a tent or to tabernacle... In the Old Testament, the tabernacle was the moving tent that followed Israel in the wilderness as they made their way to the promised land. It was in the center of the tabernacle that the presence of God resided in what was referred to as the Holy of Holies. Here, though, John tells us that Jesus took up residence among us. Jesus moved his home into our neighborhood. [00:55:41] (54 seconds) #GraceAndTruthInJesus

All of the resources of God are present in Jesus Christ. And as a result, we have all received. So, John's not trying to trip us up, but just to draw attention to it. The word all means what? All. This isn't a mystery. You and I are able to receive grace upon grace because, in Jesus, we have received all the resources of God. Because of Jesus, we have everything that we need. We have everything. There is never a moment in your life when you won't have what you need. [01:06:55] (50 seconds) #GraceAfterGraceInJesus

Jesus is the ultimate revealer of God. So here he is, the eternal word, the embodiment of grace and truth who has come to explain God to the world and in him is the full glory of God. And as we're going to see throughout the rest of this Gospel, Jesus will do and say things only God can do and say. Jesus will lead us to the cross and we will witness the most spectacular, gracious event of all human history. God himself dying in the place of fallen humanity. The perfect substituting his life for the imperfect. Why? So that we can be forgiven and healed. That's grace after grace. Those are waves of unending grace hitting against us. What grace it is. [01:15:17] (72 seconds)

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