Martin Luther held the idea that Christ appears throughout the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, and this truth reminds us that every sermon must keep Jesus at the center, not leave Christ in the last place of the sermon.
I affirm this idea because the person of Christ is seen throughout the whole Bible. From the first pages of Genesis to the final vision of Revelation, Scripture points us to the glory, work, authority, and redemption accomplished by the Son of God. The Bible is not a collection of disconnected stories, moral lessons, or religious thoughts. It is a unified revelation centered on Jesus Christ.
In the Old Testament we find promises, shadows, sacrifices, prophecies, deliverances, kings, priests, and events that all point forward to the coming Messiah. In the New Testament, the veil is lifted more clearly, and we see that Christ is the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan. All creation, all history, all redemption, and all hope are subject to the power and lordship of Jesus Christ.
There is no person more important in all human history than Christ. No king, philosopher, teacher, reformer, or religious leader can be compared to Him. He is the eternal Word made flesh, the Son of God, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, the risen Lord, and the only Savior of sinners. Therefore, if Christ is the center of Scripture, He must also be the center of our preaching, teaching, worship, and life.
Christ Is Present Throughout the Scriptures
From the very beginning of the Scriptures, we see shadows, figures, and promises that point directly to the work Christ would accomplish. The first promise of redemption appears after the fall, when God speaks of the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent. This promise already directs our eyes toward the coming Redeemer.
Every sacrifice in the Old Testament reminds us that sin requires atonement. Every priest points us to the need for a mediator. Every deliverance points us to the greater deliverance from sin and death. Every king points us to the perfect King. Every prophet points us to the One who is the final and fullest revelation of God.
This means that the Old Testament is not separate from Christ. It prepares the way for Him. The Passover lamb, the tabernacle, the sacrifices, the priesthood, the kingdom of David, the prophecies of Isaiah, the suffering servant, the promise of a new covenant—all these things find their ultimate meaning in Jesus.
A person can read the Bible only as history and still miss the glory of its message. A preacher can speak about biblical events and still fail to proclaim the One to whom those events point. This is why we must learn to read and preach Scripture with Christ at the center. Without Him, the message becomes incomplete.
The Danger of Christless Sermons
Is it not true that many of the sermons we hear today do not contain Christ as the center of everything? This is one of the great problems affecting the church. Many preachers speak with passion, emotion, and confidence, but their sermons are inflated with human ideas and empty of the gospel. They may mention the Bible, but they do not proclaim Christ.
Sadly, in our day, the message that should exalt Jesus has often been replaced by motivational speeches, human philosophies, personal success formulas, political commentary, entertainment, and superficial teachings. Some sermons do not confront sin, do not present the cross, do not announce repentance, do not explain grace, and do not call sinners to Christ.
When Christ ceases to be the center, the message loses its spiritual power. The power of the church does not rest on eloquence, charisma, creativity, emotional music, impressive stages, or social media influence. The power of the church rests in the gospel of Jesus Christ. A pulpit without Christ may entertain people, but it cannot save them.
The church weakens not mainly because of external enemies, but because it forgets its foundation. When Christ is absent, the sermon becomes a religious speech. It may sound spiritual, but it lacks the heart of biblical proclamation. A Christless sermon is like a body without breath: it may have form, but it lacks life.
A Serious Problem in Modern Preaching
Perhaps it has become common for many preachers to come to the platform, open their Bibles, read a passage, and then spend the entire sermon speaking about things that have little or nothing to do with the text. They may begin with Scripture, but soon abandon it. They may mention God, but never clearly proclaim Christ. They may speak for an hour, yet leave the congregation without the gospel.
This is extremely noticeable when we watch certain videos on social networks. A preacher may speak loudly, move the emotions of the crowd, and receive many “amens,” but if Christ is missing, something essential has been lost. The applause of the audience cannot validate a message that fails to honor the center of Scripture.
This situation is alarming because it reveals that not only preachers are drifting, but also congregations are losing discernment. When people celebrate sermons that do not present Christ, it shows that many have become accustomed to spiritual emptiness. They may confuse excitement with truth, volume with authority, and emotion with anointing.
A church that applauds a Christless sermon is gradually moving away from the truth. This does not mean every sermon must repeat the same phrases mechanically, but every faithful sermon must be connected to the redemptive truth of Scripture and must lead people to the glory, lordship, sufficiency, and saving work of Christ.
Paul Preached Christ and Him Crucified
The apostle Paul understood very clearly what was central in preaching. He was an educated man, capable of deep reasoning and powerful argument. Yet when he came to the Corinthians, he did not place his confidence in human eloquence or worldly wisdom. He determined to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
1 Corinthians 2:1-2
Paul reminds us that the strength of the message does not lie in the ability of the preacher, but in the message itself. He chose to preach Christ because he understood that only the cross can break chains, forgive sins, defeat darkness, reconcile man with God, and give true hope to sinners.
The early church did not grow because it had modern strategies, impressive technology, or a message adjusted to please every culture. It grew because Christ was proclaimed with boldness. The apostles preached His death, resurrection, lordship, and return. They called sinners to repentance and faith. They did not offer a Christless morality, but a crucified and risen Savior.
This must also be our conviction today. We do not need to invent a better message. We do not need to hide the cross to make Christianity more acceptable. We do not need to replace Christ with self-improvement. We must preach the message God has given: Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
The Gospel Is the Message Entrusted to the Church
We as a church have been called to announce one message: the gospel. But if we do not understand what the gospel is, we cannot faithfully preach what has been entrusted to us. The gospel is not simply advice for a better life. It is not a motivational message. It is not merely a call to be religious. The gospel is the good news of what God has done in Christ to save sinners.
What is the gospel? The Bible presents it as the good news that Christ became man, lived among us, died on the cross, and rose again on the third day. But why did He die? He died to free us from sin, judgment, and eternal condemnation. He died as the substitute for sinners, bearing the wrath we deserved and securing salvation for all who believe.
The gospel is centered on the life, death, resurrection, and lordship of Jesus Christ. It tells us that salvation is not achieved by human merit, religious works, traditions, or emotional experiences. Salvation is by grace, through faith, because of the finished work of Christ. This is why the church must never lose the blessing of the gospel, because no other message can truly save and transform the human heart.
The simplicity of the gospel is powerful enough to change the hardest sinner. The good news is not about earthly success, material prosperity, or personal fame, although God may bless His people in many ways. The heart of the gospel is eternal salvation in Christ. When we distort this message, we rob people of the only truth that can save them.
Christ Must Not Be Left for the End
One of the saddest things is to hear a preacher speak for a long time without mentioning Christ, only to say at the end: “Does anyone desire Christ?” This reveals a serious problem. We are leaving Christ for the end when He should be the beginning, the center, and the end.
A certain preacher said that Christ is not the cherry we put on top of an ice cream. He is either everything or nothing in your life. This statement is powerful because it exposes a common error. Many treat Jesus as an addition to an already finished message, as if the sermon were complete and Christ were only needed to make it sound more spiritual.
But Christ is not a closing ornament. He is the essence of preaching. He is the foundation of the church. He is the substance of the gospel. He is the fulfillment of the Scriptures. He is the only Mediator between God and men. He is the Lamb of God, the Great High Priest, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords.
When Christ is relegated to the final minutes of a sermon, it reveals a lack of understanding of who He truly is. The goal of preaching is not to display the preacher’s creativity, intelligence, humor, or emotional power. The goal is to proclaim the Word of God in such a way that Christ is exalted and people are called to faith, repentance, worship, and obedience.
The Cross Must Remain Central
The cross is not a secondary doctrine. It is the heart of the Christian message. Without the cross, there is no forgiveness of sins. Without the cross, there is no reconciliation with God. Without the cross, there is no victory over death. Without the cross, there is no gospel.
Many modern messages try to avoid the offense of the cross. They speak of purpose, dreams, destiny, success, and self-esteem, but do not speak of sin, repentance, blood, sacrifice, judgment, and grace. But if we remove these truths, we no longer have apostolic preaching. We have religious motivation without saving power.
The cross confronts human pride because it tells us that we are sinners who cannot save ourselves. It confronts self-righteousness because it shows that even our best works cannot remove guilt. It confronts worldly wisdom because God chose to save through a message many consider foolish. But for those who are called, Christ crucified is the power and wisdom of God.
This is why we must continue proclaiming that believers are united to Christ in His death and resurrection. The Christian life is not built on superficial religion, but on the saving work of Christ, and that is why the message of being crucified with Christ remains essential for understanding grace, new life, and true discipleship.
Christ Is the Center of Everything
If Christ is the center of Scripture, He must be the center of the church. If He is the center of redemption, He must be the center of preaching. If He is the head of the body, He must be the center of ministry. If He is the Lord of glory, He must be the center of worship.
The church does not exist to exalt human personalities. It does not exist to build the fame of preachers. It does not exist to entertain people with religious language. The church exists to glorify God through Christ, proclaim the gospel, make disciples, teach the Word, love the brethren, and bear witness to the truth.
When Christ is the center, everything finds its proper place. Doctrine becomes worship. Service becomes gratitude. Holiness becomes love for the Savior. Evangelism becomes the proclamation of His saving work. Fellowship becomes union in Him. Suffering becomes participation in His path. Hope becomes expectation of His return.
But when Christ is removed from the center, everything becomes distorted. Doctrine becomes cold intellectualism. Worship becomes entertainment. Service becomes self-promotion. Evangelism becomes marketing. Holiness becomes legalism. The church may remain active, but spiritually weak.
The Church Must Recover Christ-Centered Preaching
If we truly desire revival, transformation, and a church filled with spiritual power, we must return to Christ-centered preaching. The world does not need more opinions. It needs the Savior. The church does not need more religious entertainment. It needs the gospel. Sinners do not need motivational speeches. They need reconciliation with God through the blood of Christ.
Christ-centered preaching does not mean forcing the name of Jesus into every sentence artificially. It means faithfully showing how Scripture reveals God’s redemptive plan fulfilled in Christ. It means interpreting the Bible in light of its ultimate purpose. It means proclaiming the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, the sufficiency of Christ, and the call to repentance and faith.
A sermon that truly honors Christ will not be empty of doctrine, nor will it be empty of application. It will teach the truth and call people to live in obedience. It will comfort the afflicted and confront the rebellious. It will lift up the cross and point to the resurrection. It will not make man the hero of the story; it will make Christ glorious.
This is why the command to preach the gospel must remain at the heart of the church. We have not been sent to preach ourselves, our opinions, our experiences, or our achievements. We have been sent to proclaim Christ crucified, risen, reigning, and returning.
The Danger of Preaching Ourselves
One of the great temptations for preachers is to make themselves the center. This can happen subtly. A preacher may constantly speak of his achievements, his revelation, his authority, his suffering, his ministry, his success, or his personal stories, while Christ becomes secondary. The congregation may leave impressed with the preacher but not humbled before the Savior.
This is dangerous because preaching is not a platform for self-exaltation. It is a sacred responsibility. The preacher is a servant, not the Savior. He is a messenger, not the message. He is a herald, not the King. His task is to decrease so that Christ may be seen more clearly.
When preaching becomes centered on man, it produces followers of personalities rather than disciples of Christ. People begin to depend on the preacher’s voice more than the Word of God. They admire charisma more than truth. They seek emotional experiences more than spiritual maturity.
But faithful preaching points away from the preacher and toward the Lord. It says, “Behold the Lamb of God.” It says, “Look to Christ.” It says, “Repent and believe the gospel.” It says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Christ Transforms Lives
Let us preach Christ and only Christ, because He is the only One who can transform life. Moral advice may improve behavior for a time, but only Christ gives a new heart. Human motivation may inspire temporary effort, but only the gospel gives eternal life. Religious rules may produce external discipline, but only grace produces true spiritual transformation.
Christ saves sinners. Christ breaks chains. Christ forgives guilt. Christ reconciles us to God. Christ gives life to the spiritually dead. Christ strengthens the weak. Christ restores the fallen. Christ sustains His people until the end. There is no one like Him.
This is why every sermon, every Bible study, every evangelistic message, and every Christian conversation should reflect the glory of Christ. We may speak about many subjects—family, suffering, holiness, prayer, wisdom, stewardship, service—but all these themes must be connected to the lordship and grace of Christ.
A church that preaches Christ may not always be popular, but it will be faithful. A preacher who exalts Christ may not please everyone, but he will honor God. A believer who lives centered on Christ may be misunderstood by the world, but he will stand on the only foundation that cannot be shaken.
Conclusion
Martin Luther was right to affirm that Christ appears throughout the Scriptures, because the whole Bible points us to Him. From Genesis to Revelation, God reveals His plan of redemption, and that plan finds its fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the church must never preach as if Christ were secondary. He is not an addition to the message. He is the message. He is not the final decoration of a sermon. He is the foundation, center, and goal of all faithful preaching.
Let us reject Christless sermons, empty motivation, human-centered messages, and religious speeches that do not proclaim the gospel. Let us return to apostolic preaching. Let us determine, like Paul, to know nothing among the people except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
The world does not need more human opinions. It needs the Savior. The church does not need more personality-driven preaching. It needs Christ. May every sermon, every teaching, and every word we speak be used to exalt the One who died, rose again, reigns forever, and alone is worthy of all glory.