A few weeks ago I talked to you about my second job, one that I do on the side and receive no pay for it-an armchair football coach. Actually, I have another part-time job as well. I teach tenth grade literature. No pay for this one either. Really and truly one of my homeschooling duties is to teach World Literature to my youngest son Tyler.

The curriculum for this course takes us on a journey of reading many classical works. This year we've already worked through a section of poetry, including poems by Longfellow and Tennyson. We've studied the book of Job from the Old Testament. And we've read The Gilgamesh Epic and Greek Mythology and just finished up, joy of all joys, Homer's The Odyssey. With any piece of literature teachers want you to identify its theme. What is the author trying to communicate?

Students who have taken the SAT recently probably have fond memories of the reading comprehension section. They will read a literary piece and one of the most common multiple choice questions will ask the test taker to identify the theme.

I hold in my hand the Book of all books-the Bible. Every literary work ever composed can be divided into two subcategories: the Bible and everything else. What makes the Bible unique is that it is the only work that has divine authority. It is the only work that was written under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

I would say that most of us here this morning would not disagree with anything I just said. Now if you're here today and you've never made the decision to follow Christ, you may view the Bible in a different way. That's okay. We're glad you're here. You're in a safe place where you can explore matters of the faith.

We lay these great accolades on the Bible. But do you know what the Bible is about? In other words, what is its theme? Sometimes when I'm asked about what I'm preaching on next Sunday, I'll jokingly respond, "God." If I'm pressed for more info, I might say, "God, the Universe, and other related subjects." Would that be your response to the theme of the Bible? It's about God. Or maybe more extensively, it's about God and the universe.

If we say that the Bible is central to our faith, shouldn't we know the central theme of this great book? What's it about? We can tell the stories of David and Goliath, Moses parting the Red Sea, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and Jesus dying on the cross. We know the Bible teaches truths about sin, salvation, heaven, hell, and the church. How would you answer this question on a school exam: In ten words or less, state the theme of the Bible? Could you handle that one?

Let me answer that question for you. Then we will look at the Scriptures to see how this theme runs from Genesis to Revelation. Here is the theme of the Bible stated in six words: God's plan of redemption for mankind. Six words-not bad. Can the theme be stated more concisely than that? Yep. In fact, let me give you a one word theme for the Bible. The Bible is about Jesus.

W.A. Criswell, who pastored the First Baptist Church of Dallas for decades, used to preach a message called "The Scarlet Thread through the Bible." On New Year's Eve this congregation would gather in the auditorium and hear Dr. Criswell preach all night long on this theme. He would start in Genesis and go all the way to Revelation teaching about how the scarlet thread, the blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, weaves its way through the Scriptures.

During the Christmas season we are looking at the theme "Jesus-the Center." We've already talked about Jesus being the Center of the universe and the Center of the Church. Today we're going to see how He is the Center of the Bible.

To start, let's look at a familiar portion of the Christmas story from Matthew 2. Jesus has already been born. In fact, in all likelihood He was already a toddler when the wise men arrived in Jerusalem searching for the child. Read Matthew 2:1-6.

Here are these non-religious magi, men who studied the night time skies. They spotted this unusual star and somehow knew that it was giving them directions to visit a baby, whom they identified as the King of the Jews. The fact that a new king was on the scene greatly disturbed King Herod. So he called all the religious experts, those who studied the Old Testament Scriptures, to get an idea where this king was supposed to be born.

Keep in mind, these Bible experts had no clue that five miles down the road the Messiah had been born. But one thing they did know was that the Scriptures taught that the Messiah would certainly be born in Bethlehem. And that's the report they gave to Herod. A small, insignificant town like Bethlehem, probably no bigger than Pomaria, would be the birthplace of the Son of God.

This story in Matthew 1 is about who? Not Herod or the wise men or the Bible scholars. No, it is about Jesus. The book of Micah, from which the Bible scholars quoted, is about Jesus. Seven hundred years before His birth, Micah prophesied He would be born in Bethlehem.

It's obvious when you read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, that the stories they tell are about Jesus. Even Jesus Himself stated that the Old Testament Scriptures pointed to Him. The Jews were threatening to kill Him not only because He was breaking their Sabbath laws, but because He was also claiming to be equal with God. Part of His response says, "You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me!" (John 5:39-40, Msg). Jesus wasn't boasting. He was just trying to help them see that the Scriptures all pointed to the coming Messiah. And Jesus claimed to be the very Messiah sent from God.

I wish I had all day long to show you how Jesus is the Center of the Bible. But since I don't, let me point out just a few evidences. Since we say from Genesis to Revelation the Bible is about Jesus, maybe I ought to show you something from the first book of the Bible.

After Adam and Eve caved into Satan's snare by eating the fruit from the forbidden tree, God issued His punishment plan. Satan was first in line. "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel" (Genesis 3:14-15).

The last statement clearly refers to Jesus. It is a reference to His victory over Satan on the cross. Jesus will crush Satan's head, meaning that He will give the devil a fatal blow. Satan will strike Jesus on the heel, suggesting that what the devil thought was victory over God, the cross, resulted in only a bruise on the heel. So in the opening chapters of the Bible we see God's plan of redemption for mankind. Even the book of Genesis points to the centrality of Jesus.

In Exodus, before God delivered His people out of Egyptian slavery and brought them across the Red Sea into the Promised Land, it was the blood from the Passover lamb that protected them from the angel of death. Is that not a clear picture of what Jesus has done for us? By His blood we are delivered out of spiritual slavery and given the promise of eternal life.

Psalm 22 is known as a Messianic psalm. It begins with the words, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Are not those words prophetic, pointing towards the time when Jesus was dying on the cross and He cried out these very same words?

Eight hundred years before Jesus' birth, the prophet Isaiah foretold the day that a virgin would give birth to a son and name Him Immanuel. Jeremiah pointed to Jesus when he prophesied that God would usher in a new covenant, one that would not be written on clay tablets but on human hearts. Then he talks about how God will forgive our rebellious disobedience and remember our sins no more.

The Bible is a book that's all about Jesus. This doesn't mean that you try to stretch the Bible beyond its true meaning by trying to read Jesus into every verse and into every story. No. Instead, what we see is that scarlet thread, God's plan of redemption, being woven from Genesis to Revelation. His plan of redemption pinnacled when Jesus died on the cross and came back to life on the third day.

The Old Testament points to the coming Jesus. The Gospels tell the story of the life of Jesus. The book of Acts tells how the church was organized on the foundation of the resurrection of Jesus. The letters of Paul, Peter and others put it all together and help us understand how to make Jesus the Lord of our lives. And Revelation tells us how time as we know it will end. And guess who's at the center of the story? Jesus.

Sixty-six books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament, all pointing to Jesus. A wide variety of authors including the rich and the poor, fishermen and Kings and even a doctor and tax collector-all writing about Jesus. Narratives, prophecy, parables, poems, wisdom and law-all pointing to Jesus.

I hope this message has given you a deeper appreciation for the Bible. But my objective this morning goes much deeper than that. Thirty years ago 38 percent of Americans believed that the Bible is the actual word of God and should be taken word for word. Today, it is only 28 percent. A percentage that low obviously suggests that there are hundreds of thousands who claim to be followers of Christ, yet hold a low view of the Bible.

God has left us this precious book, a book about Jesus. A book that contains the answer for every issue you're facing right now. It is a book that will give you strength when you're weak, a book that will give you hope when you think all is lost, a book that will give you answers to those deep questions of life. This book about Jesus-how often do you read it? How much time each week do you invest studying it?

Job said, "I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread" (Job 23:12). Do you hunger for God's Word? God's Word is supernaturally powerful. The Bible says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). Do you really want to be a fully devoted follower of Christ? Then let God's Word be your best friend.

Many of you are thinking right now, "I wish I knew better how to study the Bible. I wish I had a better understanding of how it all fits together." I've got a solution for you if you're serious. Every Chapin U class will help you dig into the Bible. But there are two classes next semester I especially want you to be aware of. One will give you a 90 day journey through the Bible, helping you get that overview which will put the pieces of the puzzle together. The other will teach you 12 specific methods of studying the Bible.

The Bible-God's plan of redemption for mankind. The scarlet thread. Jesus. He is the Center of the Bible.

Kanye West, a cocky hip hop producer and rapper, wants a new version of Scripture. That's not all that unusual except for the fact that he thinks he should be a character in the new Bible. He arrogantly refers to himself as an inspirational speaker and credits himself for changing the sounds of today's music more than once. So he thinks he should be a part of the Bible.

Guess what, Kanye? You're already in the Bible. We all are. Any time the Bible speaks of sinners that a holy God died to save, it is talking about Kanye, you and me. Jesus died to save us all. If you've never made the decision to be a follower of Jesus, I invite you today to take that step. Jesus died on the cross to save you. So let Him. Ask Him into your life today.

If you are saved, then you have a responsibility to be a student of this book about Jesus. No exceptions. The more you study this book, the more you become like the One the book is about. The more you study this book, the more you understand what life is all about and the more you understand God's purpose for your life. If you're not in the habit of reading, studying, and meditating on this book each day, what are you waiting on? Start today.