Jesus
When a Bible teacher wants to convince you of the importance of some particular word or concept in the Scriptures, one thing he’ll often do is go to a concordance and tally up the number of times that word occurs. Well, here are the results of a concordance search on two words, from Acts to Revelation, which I did the other day. Can you guess what the two words were? Answers below:
Acts 1:1 Acts 1:11 Acts 1:14 Acts 1:16 Acts 1:21 Acts 1:22 Acts 2:22 Acts 2:31 Acts 2:32 Acts 2:36 Acts 2:38 Acts 3:6 Acts 3:13 Acts 3:16 Acts 3:18 Acts 3:20 Acts 4:2 Acts 4:10 Acts 4:13 Acts 4:18 Acts 4:27 Acts 4:30 Acts 4:33 Acts 5:30 Acts 5:40 Acts 5:42 Acts 6:14 Acts 7:55 Acts 7:59 Acts 8:5 Acts 8:12 Acts 8:16 Acts 8:35 Acts 9:6 Acts 9:17 Acts 9:20 Acts 9:22 Acts 9:27 Acts 9:34 Acts 10:36 Acts 10:38 Acts 10:48 Acts 11:17 Acts 11:20 Acts 13:6 Acts 13:23 Acts 13:24 Acts 13:27 Acts 13:33 Acts 13:38 Acts 15:11 Acts 15:26 Acts 16:7 Acts 16:18 Acts 16:31 Acts 17:3 Acts 17:7 Acts 17:18 Acts 18:5 Acts 18:25 Acts 18:28 Acts 19:4 Acts 19:5 Acts 19:13 Acts 19:15 Acts 19:17 Acts 20:21 Acts 20:24 Acts 20:35 Acts 21:13 Acts 22:9 Acts 24:24 Acts 25:19 Acts 26:9 Acts 26:16 Acts 26:23 Acts 28:23 Acts 28:31 Romans 1:1 Romans 1:4 Romans 1:6 Romans 1:7 Romans 1:8 Romans 2:16 Romans 3:22 Romans 3:24 Romans 3:26 Romans 4:24 Romans 5:1 Romans 5:6 Romans 5:8 Romans 5:11 Romans 5:12 Romans 5:15 Romans 5:17 Romans 5:21 Romans 6:1 Romans 6:3 Romans 6:4 Romans 6:8 Romans 6:9 Romans 6:11 Romans 6:23 Romans 7:4 Romans 7:25 Romans 8:1 Romans 8:2 Romans 8:9 Romans 8:10 Romans 8:11 Romans 8:17 Romans 8:34 Romans 8:35 Romans 8:39 Romans 9:1 Romans 9:3 Romans 9:5 Romans 10:4 Romans 10:6 Romans 10:7 Romans 10:9 Romans 10:17 Romans 12:5 Romans 13:14 Romans 14:9 Romans 14:14 Romans 14:15 Romans 14:18 Romans 15:3 Romans 15:5 Romans 15:6 Romans 15:7 Romans 15:8 Romans 15:16 Romans 15:17 Romans 15:18 Romans 15:19 Romans 15:20 Romans 15:29 Romans 15:30 Romans 16:3 Romans 16:5 Romans 16:7 Romans 16:9 Romans 16:10 Romans 16:16 Romans 16:18 Romans 16:20 Romans 16:25 Romans 16:27 1 Corinthians 1:1 1 Corinthians 1:2 1 Corinthians 1:3 1 Corinthians 1:4 1 Corinthians 1:6 1 Corinthians 1:7 1 Corinthians 1:8 1 Corinthians 1:9 1 Corinthians 1:10 1 Corinthians 1:12 1 Corinthians 1:13 1 Corinthians 1:17 1 Corinthians 1:18 1 Corinthians 1:23 1 Corinthians 1:24 1 Corinthians 1:30 1 Corinthians 2:2 1 Corinthians 2:16 1 Corinthians 3:1 1 Corinthians 3:11 1 Corinthians 3:23 1 Corinthians 4:1 1 Corinthians 4:10 1 Corinthians 4:15 1 Corinthians 4:17 1 Corinthians 5:4 1 Corinthians 5:7 1 Corinthians 6:11 1 Corinthians 6:15 1 Corinthians 8:6 1 Corinthians 8:11 1 Corinthians 8:12 1 Corinthians 9:1 1 Corinthians 9:13 1 Corinthians 10:4 1 Corinthians 10:16 1 Corinthians 11:1 1 Corinthians 11:3 1 Corinthians 11:23 1 Corinthians 12:3 1 Corinthians 12:12 1 Corinthians 12:27 1 Corinthians 15:1 1 Corinthians 15:3 1 Corinthians 15:12 1 Corinthians 15:13 1 Corinthians 15:14 1 Corinthians 15:15 1 Corinthians 15:16 1 Corinthians 15:17 1 Corinthians 15:18 1 Corinthians 15:19 1 Corinthians 15:20 1 Corinthians 15:22 1 Corinthians 15:23 1 Corinthians 15:27 1 Corinthians 15:31 1 Corinthians 15:57 1 Corinthians 16:23 1 Corinthians 16:24 2 Corinthians 1:1 2 Corinthians 1:2 2 Corinthians 1:3 2 Corinthians 1:5 2 Corinthians 1:14 2 Corinthians 1:19 2 Corinthians 1:20 2 Corinthians 1:21 2 Corinthians 2:10 2 Corinthians 2:12 2 Corinthians 2:14 2 Corinthians 2:15 2 Corinthians 2:17 2 Corinthians 3:3 2 Corinthians 3:4 2 Corinthians 3:14 2 Corinthians 4:4 2 Corinthians 4:5 2 Corinthians 4:6 2 Corinthians 4:10 2 Corinthians 4:11 2 Corinthians 4:14 2 Corinthians 5:10 2 Corinthians 5:16 2 Corinthians 5:17 2 Corinthians 5:18 2 Corinthians 5:19 2 Corinthians 6:15 2 Corinthians 8:9 2 Corinthians 8:23 2 Corinthians 9:13 2 Corinthians 10:1 2 Corinthians 10:5 2 Corinthians 10:7 2 Corinthians 10:14 2 Corinthians 11:2 2 Corinthians 11:3 2 Corinthians 11:4 2 Corinthians 11:10 2 Corinthians 11:13 2 Corinthians 11:23 2 Corinthians 11:31 2 Corinthians 12:2 2 Corinthians 12:19 2 Corinthians 13:3 2 Corinthians 13:5 2 Corinthians 13:14 Galatians 1:1 Galatians 1:3 Galatians 1:6 Galatians 1:7 Galatians 1:10 Galatians 1:12 Galatians 1:22 Galatians 2:4 Galatians 2:16 Galatians 2:17 Galatians 2:20 Galatians 2:21 Galatians 3:1 Galatians 3:13 Galatians 3:14 Galatians 3:16 Galatians 3:22 Galatians 3:24 Galatians 3:26 Galatians 3:27 Galatians 3:28 Galatians 3:29 Galatians 4:14 Galatians 4:19 Galatians 5:1 Galatians 5:2 Galatians 5:4 Galatians 5:6 Galatians 5:24 Galatians 6:2 Galatians 6:12 Galatians 6:14 Galatians 6:17 Galatians 6:18 Ephesians 1:1 Ephesians 1:2 Ephesians 1:3 Ephesians 1:5 Ephesians 1:9 Ephesians 1:10 Ephesians 1:12 Ephesians 1:13 Ephesians 1:15 Ephesians 1:17 Ephesians 1:20 Ephesians 2:1 Ephesians 2:5 Ephesians 2:6 Ephesians 2:7 Ephesians 2:10 Ephesians 2:11 Ephesians 2:12 Ephesians 2:13 Ephesians 2:20 Ephesians 3:1 Ephesians 3:4 Ephesians 3:6 Ephesians 3:8 Ephesians 3:11 Ephesians 3:17 Ephesians 3:18 Ephesians 3:21 Ephesians 4:1 Ephesians 4:7 Ephesians 4:12 Ephesians 4:13 Ephesians 4:15 Ephesians 4:20 Ephesians 4:21 Ephesians 4:32 Ephesians 5:2 Ephesians 5:5 Ephesians 5:14 Ephesians 5:20 Ephesians 5:21 Ephesians 5:23 Ephesians 5:24 Ephesians 5:25 Ephesians 5:29 Ephesians 5:32 Ephesians 6:5 Ephesians 6:6 Ephesians 6:23 Ephesians 6:24 Philippians 1:1 Philippians 1:2 Philippians 1:6 Philippians 1:8 Philippians 1:10 Philippians 1:11 Philippians 1:13 Philippians 1:15 Philippians 1:17 Philippians 1:18 Philippians 1:19 Philippians 1:20 Philippians 1:21 Philippians 1:23 Philippians 1:26 Philippians 1:27 Philippians 1:29 Philippians 2:1 Philippians 2:5 Philippians 2:10 Philippians 2:11 Philippians 2:16 Philippians 2:19 Philippians 2:21 Philippians 2:30 Philippians 3:3 Philippians 3:7 Philippians 3:8 Philippians 3:9 Philippians 3:10 Philippians 3:12 Philippians 3:14 Philippians 3:18 Philippians 3:20 Philippians 4:7 Philippians 4:19 Philippians 4:21 Philippians 4:23 Colossians 1:1 Colossians 1:2 Colossians 1:3 Colossians 1:4 Colossians 1:7 Colossians 1:15 Colossians 1:27 Colossians 1:28 Colossians 2:2 Colossians 2:5 Colossians 2:6 Colossians 2:8 Colossians 2:9 Colossians 2:10 Colossians 2:11 Colossians 2:13 Colossians 2:17 Colossians 2:20 Colossians 3:1 Colossians 3:3 Colossians 3:4 Colossians 3:11 Colossians 3:15 Colossians 3:16 Colossians 3:17 Colossians 3:24 Colossians 4:3 Colossians 4:11 Colossians 4:12 1 Thessalonians 1:1 1 Thessalonians 1:3 1 Thessalonians 1:10 1 Thessalonians 2:7 1 Thessalonians 2:14 1 Thessalonians 2:15 1 Thessalonians 2:19 1 Thessalonians 3:2 1 Thessalonians 3:11 1 Thessalonians 3:13 1 Thessalonians 4:1 1 Thessalonians 4:2 1 Thessalonians 4:14 1 Thessalonians 4:16 1 Thessalonians 5:9 1 Thessalonians 5:18 1 Thessalonians 5:23 1 Thessalonians 5:28 2 Thessalonians 1:1 2 Thessalonians 1:2 2 Thessalonians 1:7 2 Thessalonians 1:8 2 Thessalonians 1:12 2 Thessalonians 2:1 2 Thessalonians 2:8 2 Thessalonians 2:14 2 Thessalonians 2:16 2 Thessalonians 3:6 2 Thessalonians 3:12 2 Thessalonians 3:18 1 Timothy 1:1 1 Timothy 1:2 1 Timothy 1:12 1 Timothy 1:14 1 Timothy 1:15 1 Timothy 1:16 1 Timothy 2:5 1 Timothy 3:13 1 Timothy 4:6 1 Timothy 5:11 1 Timothy 5:21 1 Timothy 6:3 1 Timothy 6:13 1 Timothy 6:14 2 Timothy 1:1 2 Timothy 1:2 2 Timothy 1:9 2 Timothy 1:10 2 Timothy 1:13 2 Timothy 2:1 2 Timothy 2:3 2 Timothy 2:8 2 Timothy 2:10 2 Timothy 3:12 2 Timothy 3:15 2 Timothy 4:1 Titus 1:1 Titus 1:4 Titus 2:13 Titus 3:6 Philemon 1:1 Philemon 1:3 Philemon 1:5 Philemon 1:6 Philemon 1:8 Philemon 1:9 Philemon 1:20 Philemon 1:23 Philemon 1:25 Hebrews 2:5 Hebrews 2:9 Hebrews 2:11 Hebrews 3:1 Hebrews 3:3 Hebrews 3:6 Hebrews 3:14 Hebrews 4:14 Hebrews 5:5 Hebrews 5:7 Hebrews 6:1 Hebrews 6:20 Hebrews 7:11 Hebrews 7:22 Hebrews 7:24 Hebrews 8:6 Hebrews 9:11 Hebrews 9:14 Hebrews 9:15 Hebrews 9:24 Hebrews 9:26 Hebrews 9:28 Hebrews 10:5 Hebrews 10:10 Hebrews 10:19 Hebrews 11:26 Hebrews 12:2 Hebrews 12:24 Hebrews 13:8 Hebrews 13:12 Hebrews 13:15 Hebrews 13:20 Hebrews 13:21 James 1:1 James 2:1 1 Peter 1:1 1 Peter 1:2 1 Peter 1:3 1 Peter 1:7 1 Peter 1:11 1 Peter 1:13 1 Peter 1:19 1 Peter 2:5 1 Peter 2:21 1 Peter 3:15 1 Peter 3:16 1 Peter 3:18 1 Peter 3:21 1 Peter 4:1 1 Peter 4:11 1 Peter 4:13 1 Peter 4:14 1 Peter 5:10 1 Peter 5:14 2 Peter 1:1 2 Peter 1:2 2 Peter 1:8 2 Peter 1:11 2 Peter 1:14 2 Peter 1:16 2 Peter 2:20 2 Peter 3:18 1 John 1:3 1 John 1:7 1 John 2:1 1 John 2:6 1 John 2:22 1 John 3:16 1 John 3:23 1 John 4:2 1 John 4:3 1 John 4:15 1 John 5:1 1 John 5:5 1 John 5:6 1 John 5:20 2 John 1:3 2 John 1:7 2 John 1:9 Jude 1:1 Jude 1:4 Jude 1:17 Jude 1:21 Jude 1:25 Revelation 1:1 Revelation 1:2 Revelation 1:5 Revelation 1:9 Revelation 11:15 Revelation 12:10 Revelation 12:17 Revelation 14:12 Revelation 17:6 Revelation 19:10 Revelation 20:4 Revelation 20:6 Revelation 22:7 Revelation 22:16 Revelation 22:20 Revelation 22:21
[BTW: I didn’t spend an hour making all of these into links. If any of you blog using WordPress, note that there are a couple of different plugins available which will hyperlink Scripture references for you. I use Scripturizer. All I had to do was cut and paste the references.]
OK, I know. The title of this post gave it away. The two words I searched for were JESUS and CHRIST. And these are only the passages that explicitly use those two words (go ahead, click and see!). We’re not even counting the neighboring passages that simply use the pronouns He, Him, and His to refer to Jesus, or the passages where He is referred to with other titles (especially in Revelation) such as The Lord, Lamb, Word, or The Son (of God). Of course, I left off the four gospels since it is already completely obvious that they are 100% Jesus.
Hallelujah! So (Biblical) Christianity really is all about Christ, isn’t it? Oh sure, there are countless implications that flow from knowing Jesus which are important and worth talking about. Justification, sanctification, morals, values, social action, evangelism, missions, prayer, money, war, peace, on and on. Important stuff. But check it out. The inspired apostles couldn’t talk about any subject for very long without bringing it back to the Person of Jesus Himself. He IS the Way, He IS the Truth, He IS the Life.
Oh, but that’s just the New Testament! Well guess what? The Old Testament is just as much all about Jesus as the New Testament is! Really, that’s no exaggeration. The record of Sarah’s death in Genesis 23, that’s about Jesus. The Prayer of Jabez? Jesus! Elihu’s speech in Job 32-37: Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Oh, and let’s not even get started on Leviticus, that’s too easy. I hope, God willing, to have the chance to write on the Old Testament soon and convince you, if you’re not already convinced, that the Old Testament is a book about Jesus. And if you are already convinced of that, then great, we can open up the ancient scrolls and enjoy looking at Jesus together. Amen to that.
UPDATE: See the Jesus blog!