It’s not about me

Tim Keller asks, “Is the Bible basically about me and what I must do? Or is it basically about Jesus and what He has done?” The pastor and author asks us to consider the familiar account of David and Goliath. We tend to view that story as an example of how God can help us slay the metaphorical giants in our lives.Keller suggests that’s a mistake. A story from the gospel of Luke reveals why. On the day of His resurrection, Jesus interacted with two of His followers on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus.

Amazingly, but fittingly, they didn’t recognise Him (Luke 24:16). That lack of recognition symbolises their deeper problem, and perhaps ours. “You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures,” Jesus told them (v.25). They didn’t understand that everything in the Old Testament writings pointed to Jesus! Genesis foretold of Eve’s offspring who would crush the head of the serpent (3:15). It also records God’s promise to Abraham to bless all the nations through his descendants (12:2-3). The prophets spoke of the Wonderful Counsellor and the Suffering Servant who would come (Isaiah 9:6, 53:2-6). The Psalms present a Messiah who would be God’s Son and foretold of His crucifixion even before that form of execution had been invented (2:7, 22:16-18).

I’m so prone to live my life as if everything is all about me. And while I fully understand that God’s Word is not about me, I tend to read the Bible with a ‘what’s in it for me’ perspective. When I do that I miss the wonderful truth that there’s One who can say, in perfect and majestic humility, “It’s about Me.” And that changes everything! —Tim Gustafson