Today, if you spend much time in church or around Christian books, you’ll hear people say things like “the Bible is all about Jesus.” It’s a big idea, often called Christocentric theology. That just means “Christ-centered”—that everything in the Bible somehow points to Jesus Christ.

But what does that really mean? Does every single verse talk about Him? Does He show up in every story? Or does it mean something else?

Let’s look at three common ways people define this idea, and then consider what makes the most sense.

View One: Every Verse Is About Jesus

The first view says that every single part of the Bible is directly about Jesus. Some writers, like Graeme Goldsworthy, say that every verse in the Bible is meant to show us something about Christ. Alan Miller puts it even more simply: “Christ must be the big idea of every text.”

This view is bold—and popular. It makes reading the Bible feel exciting, like you’re on a treasure hunt for Jesus in every line.

But it runs into problems.

Take the Book of Proverbs, for example. It’s full of practical wisdom for daily life—how to speak kindly, work hard, and avoid foolish choices. But most of it doesn’t mention Jesus, not even indirectly. The same goes for books like Esther, or large parts of Genesis and Leviticus. These books matter deeply. But to say every line is about Christ might stretch the meaning more than it should.

This first view is well-meaning. It reminds us that Jesus is central to our faith. But it may ask too much of every Bible verse.

View Two: Reading the Bible Through Jesus’ Eyes

The second view takes a different approach. Instead of saying every verse is about Jesus, it says we should read every verse the way Jesus would read it.

A man named Christopher Peppier puts it this way: Jesus shows us what God is like, and so we should read the Bible through that lens. That means we try to understand the Bible by thinking about what Jesus taught, how He lived, and what He showed us about God’s character.

This view has a lot going for it. Jesus clearly believed the Old Testament (the first part of the Bible) was true and important. He talked about people like Jonah, Noah, and King David as real people—not made-up stories. He quoted the Old Testament often and used it to teach people about God’s ways.

So this second view doesn’t say every part of the Bible talks about Jesus. Instead, it says we should interpret the Bible through the truth Jesus revealed. It’s not as bold as the first view, but it’s more balanced and careful.

View Three: Only the Words of Jesus Matter Most

The third view focuses only on the teachings of Jesus in the four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These books record Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Some people believe that everything else in the Bible should be judged by what Jesus said and did in those books.

This might sound good at first. But it often causes problems.

Some scholars who follow this view start to ignore the rest of the Bible. Others begin questioning parts of the Gospels themselves—saying that many of Jesus’ sayings or miracles are myths or legends, not facts. Often, they end up imagining a “Jesus” who happens to think just like they do.

That’s not helpful. If we let go of the whole Bible—or cut it down to just a few parts—we lose the full picture of who Jesus really is. So this third view is too narrow and sometimes even dangerous.

So, What’s the Right Way?

Let’s go back to the big question: Is the Bible all about Jesus?

The answer is yes—and no.

Yes, Jesus is at the heart of the Bible. The whole story of Scripture leads to Him. From the first book, Genesis, to the last, Revelation, the Bible tells one big story about how God created the world, how it was broken by sin, and how He is restoring it through His Son.

But that doesn’t mean every single verse directly talks about Jesus. Some parts of the Bible focus on other things—laws, history, wise sayings, family trees. These things matter too. They’re not “about Jesus” in a direct way, but they still play a part in the story that leads to Him.

Also, not every promise in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus Himself. For example, God promised Abraham a land for his family. Jesus is not the land. He will one day bring that promise to life, but He’s not the full answer to every promise in a literal sense. Some promises are still waiting to be fulfilled in the future.

So What Is the Bible’s Main Theme?

In the past, I believed the main theme of the Bible was “the people of God.” That is, how God chooses and shapes a people for Himself. That theme is important—and it shows up everywhere. But now, I think the better answer is this: the Kingdom of God.

That’s the story that ties everything together. God is building a kingdom. And Jesus is the King. He brings together every promise, every covenant, every part of God’s plan.

Creation? Jesus restores it.

The Fall when sin entered the world? Jesus redeems it.

The promises to Abraham? Jesus brings them.

The Law of Moses? Jesus completes it.

The throne of David? Jesus sits on it.

The New Covenant? Jesus establishes it.

In short, Jesus is the center of the Bible—not because He’s in every verse, but because the whole Bible only makes sense because of Him.

A Picture: The Wheel

Think of a wagon wheel. It has a hub in the center, spokes that stretch out, and a rim that holds everything together.

Jesus is the hub. The spokes are themes like redemption, covenant, people of God, and the Kingdom. The rim is the whole story of Scripture. You can’t say the whole wheel is just the hub—but without the hub, the wheel falls apart.

That’s what the Bible is like. Not every verse is about Jesus, but without Jesus, the whole thing doesn’t hold together.

Responding to Good Questions

One friend asked me, “If Jesus is the center of the Bible and without Him nothing else works, isn’t the whole Bible about Him?”

That’s a good question. But it depends on what you mean.

When someone asks, “What is this book about?” they usually mean, “What’s the main topic I’ll find wherever I turn?” In the Bible, not every page mentions Jesus. So if that’s the standard, we need to say the Bible is about the Kingdom of God, or the people of God, or something like that.

But the whole Bible depends on Jesus. Without Him, none of it makes sense. So He’s the center—even if He’s not the subject of every verse.

Another friend said something helpful: “God is building His Kingdom by bringing His people to Himself through redemption, all for His glory.”

That’s a great summary! But technically, it’s a summary, not a theme. A theme is something you can find in every part of the Bible. A summary ties things together. Both are important.

Final Thoughts

So, is the Bible Christ-centered? Yes, absolutely. He is the One who gives the Bible its meaning, its beauty, and its power. He is not in every verse, but every verse in some way depends on Him.

The Bible tells a big story. It’s not just about rules or heroes or history. It’s about how God is saving the world through His Son. Jesus is not a side character in that story. He’s the turning point. The key. The King.

Without Him, we would have pages of laws we couldn’t follow, promises we couldn’t keep, and stories we couldn’t finish.

But with Him, it all comes together.