It is clear from Scripture that Jesus Christ is the ultimate need of all mankind: John 6:68, “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life;” and that it is essential that He be exalted (i.e. lifted up):
John 12:32, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
For the believer, He is identified with such essentials as:
Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
The end of the believer’s spiritual walk is to eventually become the image of Jesus Christ; image meaning “likeness,” ‘representation,’ ‘illustration,’ or ‘reflection’ of Jesus Christ.
Additionally, only Jesus Christ pleases God: Matthew 3:17, “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
According to Byrnes (1988) “It is God's goal that Christians mature (1Corinthians 3:1-3), with the goal of the perfect man in Christ (Ephesians 4:13).”
None of these, salvation, conformation to His image, maturity, or pleasing God can take place if the believer is not presented with Jesus Christ whether from the pulpit, in fellowship, in Bible study, or in meditation - the example which God desires His people to become (c/w 1Peter 2:21). In fact, the name Christian means ‘little Christ’ or ‘Christ one.’ Therefore, it would make sense for Jesus Christ to be the focus of any and every ministry.
Jesus Christ is the Christian’s:
Water (John 6:35) . . . Could we last long without water? Our bodies would shut down. How can peoples’ spiritual thirst be quenched without Christ being preached? How can people function healthily spiritually without Christ?
Bread (John 6:35) . . . Would we go to work without eating? What would happen? Our work would be less, and our energy low. We would be barely able to go through the motions. How can people eat spiritually without Christ being preached? How can they be nourished without Him?
Light (John 8:12) . . . What happens when we walk around in the dark? We stumble, get hurt, and fall down. How can people see spiritually to know which way to go in their personal life without Christ being preached?
Door (John 10:7, 9) . . . Can someone enter a house without a door? If they can, you are entering through the window, and are considered a thief (c/w John 10:1). How can people enter the kingdom of heaven, and go in (and out) without Christ being preached? Without Christ, they will not know that there is a door, and they will just enter through the window (i.e. false teaching, false Gospel) to their eternal shame because Christ wasn’t exalted.
Righteousness (2Corinthians 5:21) . . . Can we as humans clean ourselves up enough to be acceptable to God? Of course not. We then need to know how we can be “righteous enough” to be accepted by God. But it is only through Christ that we can become righteous ‘enough.’ But, how can people hear without teaching Christ; how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard (Romans 10:17)?
Wisdom (1Corinthians 1:30) . . . When we face difficulties in life; when we don’t know what to do, we need wisdom. But we do not need earthly wisdom, we need the wisdom of God – Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12:3 tells us to “consider Him.” What did Jesus do; who is Jesus; what did He endure; what was His example; how can He transform; how can He lead us? These are what people need to hear; not moral lessons, steps and procedures, points and sub-points.
True Vine (John 15: 1, 5) . . . If a branch is cut off from the bush it will wither and die. How can believers therefore be nourished without Christ being exalted? How can they be nourished apart from Christ by self-help messages, and methods which promote self-reliance?
Good Shepherd (John 10:11-14) . . . We need people to lead us. If we have no leader, how will we know which direction to go, or how to get to where we are going? How can believers be led, protected, comforted, and guided if Christ is not lifted up?
Way (John 14:6) . . . If we are traveling to a destination, and don’t know how to get there, what happens? It becomes a pretty terrible trip, and we end up lost to boot. Or, others are on the right path, but take so many detours, and a long time, expense, and fatigue. How can people know the way they should go in salvation and life decisions if Christ is not being taught?
Truth (John 14:6) . . . What happens to those who follow a lie? They get deceived and end up in a worse condition. If we take some medicine that we bought from some street vendor who said it will cure our illness; and it turns out to be a placebo; how sad. We need to know the truth so we can make informed decisions and follow after right things. How can people know the truth if Christ is not being magnified? People do not need to hear what this guy thinks, or that gal says; they need to know what Christ says.
Life (John 11:25) . . . If we don’t have life, we are dead. There are people who attend church meetings that do not know the Lord (c/w 1Corinthians 14:23-25). How can people hear the words of life if Christ is not being taught?
Example (1Peter 2:21) . . . We need role models. We seek idols, because we humans need to follow someone – like sheep (Isaiah 53:6). How can believers follow Christ’s perfect Example (1Peter 2:21) if Christ is not being held up?
Hope (1Timothy 1:1) . . . Without hope, people perish. We need hope to make it through tough times. Hope keeps us going. Spiritually speaking, Jesus Christ is our Hope. How can the people sitting in these local churches be given hope if the teacher does not share Him with them? They are left hopeless. Even after a 60-90 minute lesson and 14 points – they are still without hope. People need to hear the hope of found in Jesus Christ, and the hope of earthly sanctification in Christ.
Furthermore, Colossians 2:3 tells us that “in Christ is hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Christ is the Christian’s greatest Treasure. Let Christ be exalted, and He will draw men to Himself (John 12:32). Conversely, let man be exalted and men will be drawn away from Christ. One way we benefit, the other way we suffer. No Christ in teaching means no Life, no Light, no Bread, no Way, no Truth, no Door, no Shepherd, no True Vine, no Lamb of God, no blood. Everything must relate to Christ where spiritual matters are concerned.
He is an eternally abundant Savior and wellspring abounding for His people; an eternally abundant source of spiritual lessons who needs to be discovered: First in our own personal devotions, and second in ministry. It is clear then that Christ is to be shared, because people do ‘need the LORD. As Clark et al. (1991) puts it, “Christian education must be biblical, and to be entirely biblical, it must center on Christ.”
John 12:32, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”
For the believer, He is identified with such essentials as:
Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”
The end of the believer’s spiritual walk is to eventually become the image of Jesus Christ; image meaning “likeness,” ‘representation,’ ‘illustration,’ or ‘reflection’ of Jesus Christ.
Additionally, only Jesus Christ pleases God: Matthew 3:17, “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
According to Byrnes (1988) “It is God's goal that Christians mature (1Corinthians 3:1-3), with the goal of the perfect man in Christ (Ephesians 4:13).”
None of these, salvation, conformation to His image, maturity, or pleasing God can take place if the believer is not presented with Jesus Christ whether from the pulpit, in fellowship, in Bible study, or in meditation - the example which God desires His people to become (c/w 1Peter 2:21). In fact, the name Christian means ‘little Christ’ or ‘Christ one.’ Therefore, it would make sense for Jesus Christ to be the focus of any and every ministry.
Jesus Christ is the Christian’s:
Water (John 6:35) . . . Could we last long without water? Our bodies would shut down. How can peoples’ spiritual thirst be quenched without Christ being preached? How can people function healthily spiritually without Christ?
Bread (John 6:35) . . . Would we go to work without eating? What would happen? Our work would be less, and our energy low. We would be barely able to go through the motions. How can people eat spiritually without Christ being preached? How can they be nourished without Him?
Light (John 8:12) . . . What happens when we walk around in the dark? We stumble, get hurt, and fall down. How can people see spiritually to know which way to go in their personal life without Christ being preached?
Door (John 10:7, 9) . . . Can someone enter a house without a door? If they can, you are entering through the window, and are considered a thief (c/w John 10:1). How can people enter the kingdom of heaven, and go in (and out) without Christ being preached? Without Christ, they will not know that there is a door, and they will just enter through the window (i.e. false teaching, false Gospel) to their eternal shame because Christ wasn’t exalted.
Righteousness (2Corinthians 5:21) . . . Can we as humans clean ourselves up enough to be acceptable to God? Of course not. We then need to know how we can be “righteous enough” to be accepted by God. But it is only through Christ that we can become righteous ‘enough.’ But, how can people hear without teaching Christ; how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard (Romans 10:17)?
Wisdom (1Corinthians 1:30) . . . When we face difficulties in life; when we don’t know what to do, we need wisdom. But we do not need earthly wisdom, we need the wisdom of God – Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12:3 tells us to “consider Him.” What did Jesus do; who is Jesus; what did He endure; what was His example; how can He transform; how can He lead us? These are what people need to hear; not moral lessons, steps and procedures, points and sub-points.
True Vine (John 15: 1, 5) . . . If a branch is cut off from the bush it will wither and die. How can believers therefore be nourished without Christ being exalted? How can they be nourished apart from Christ by self-help messages, and methods which promote self-reliance?
Good Shepherd (John 10:11-14) . . . We need people to lead us. If we have no leader, how will we know which direction to go, or how to get to where we are going? How can believers be led, protected, comforted, and guided if Christ is not lifted up?
Way (John 14:6) . . . If we are traveling to a destination, and don’t know how to get there, what happens? It becomes a pretty terrible trip, and we end up lost to boot. Or, others are on the right path, but take so many detours, and a long time, expense, and fatigue. How can people know the way they should go in salvation and life decisions if Christ is not being taught?
Truth (John 14:6) . . . What happens to those who follow a lie? They get deceived and end up in a worse condition. If we take some medicine that we bought from some street vendor who said it will cure our illness; and it turns out to be a placebo; how sad. We need to know the truth so we can make informed decisions and follow after right things. How can people know the truth if Christ is not being magnified? People do not need to hear what this guy thinks, or that gal says; they need to know what Christ says.
Life (John 11:25) . . . If we don’t have life, we are dead. There are people who attend church meetings that do not know the Lord (c/w 1Corinthians 14:23-25). How can people hear the words of life if Christ is not being taught?
Example (1Peter 2:21) . . . We need role models. We seek idols, because we humans need to follow someone – like sheep (Isaiah 53:6). How can believers follow Christ’s perfect Example (1Peter 2:21) if Christ is not being held up?
Hope (1Timothy 1:1) . . . Without hope, people perish. We need hope to make it through tough times. Hope keeps us going. Spiritually speaking, Jesus Christ is our Hope. How can the people sitting in these local churches be given hope if the teacher does not share Him with them? They are left hopeless. Even after a 60-90 minute lesson and 14 points – they are still without hope. People need to hear the hope of found in Jesus Christ, and the hope of earthly sanctification in Christ.
Furthermore, Colossians 2:3 tells us that “in Christ is hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Christ is the Christian’s greatest Treasure. Let Christ be exalted, and He will draw men to Himself (John 12:32). Conversely, let man be exalted and men will be drawn away from Christ. One way we benefit, the other way we suffer. No Christ in teaching means no Life, no Light, no Bread, no Way, no Truth, no Door, no Shepherd, no True Vine, no Lamb of God, no blood. Everything must relate to Christ where spiritual matters are concerned.
He is an eternally abundant Savior and wellspring abounding for His people; an eternally abundant source of spiritual lessons who needs to be discovered: First in our own personal devotions, and second in ministry. It is clear then that Christ is to be shared, because people do ‘need the LORD. As Clark et al. (1991) puts it, “Christian education must be biblical, and to be entirely biblical, it must center on Christ.”
