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Seeing all of scripture as ultimately pointing to the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Key question: “Where is the "red thread" in this passage that leads us to Jesus?”
24,455 sermon illustrations through the Christocentric lens
"We are chosen IN CHRIST—the Chosen One. We are priests THROUGH CHRIST—the Great High Priest. We are holy BY CHRIST—the Holy One. Our identity is derivative, participatory, Christological. Apart from Him, we are none of these things; in Him, we...
"What does the Lord require? Christ fulfills it. He did justice—confronting oppression. He loved mercy—healing, forgiving, touching the unclean. He walked humbly—to the cross. Following Jesus IS living Micah 6:8. In Him we see what God requires; by Him we are enabled." — Karl Barth.
"'He cares for you'—and the 'He' is the crucified and risen Christ. On the cross, He took our cares, our sins, our death. We cast our anxieties on the One who has already borne the ultimate burden. In Christ, our...
"I AM come—Christ Himself is the coming of life. That THEY might have LIFE—life is found only in Him. And have it ABUNDANTLY—Christ is inexhaustible. He is not merely the giver of life; He IS life. Apart from Him is...
"In Christ Jesus our Lord—all abundance is Christological. The power at work is resurrection power; the glory is Christ's glory. We imagine salvation; God gives Christ Himself, immeasurably more. He is the fullness beyond our asking." — Karl Barth. Christocentric: Christ as fullness.
"Christ is our courage. He went to the cross without fear; He descended to hell and rose. In Him, fear has been conquered. 'I am with you'—now means Christ is with us. Our courage is not self-generated; it is Christ...
"The clean heart is created through Christ—His blood cleanses, His Spirit renews. David looked forward in hope; we look back in gratitude. The cross is where hearts are made clean; union with Christ is where cleanness is maintained. No Christ,...
"In Christ we see God, and in Christ we see what humanity is meant to be. There is no truth about God or humanity apart from Him. He does not merely show the way; He IS the way. He does...
"Christ passed through the waters of death—baptism in Jordan, descent into Sheol. He walked through fire on the cross. Because HE passed through, WE can pass through. 'I will be with you' is fulfilled in Emmanuel. Christ is our companion...
"Jesus lived without worry—wholly dependent on the Father, free for others. Following Him means learning His freedom. Anxiety binds us to ourselves; trust in Christ frees us for discipleship. 'Do not worry' is possible only in union with the One...
"Christ wipes tears—He who wept at Lazarus' tomb, who sweat drops of blood, who cried on the cross. He knows tears; He ends them. His resurrection is the beginning of this new world; His return completes it. All things are...
"Christ is the Lord who goes before—into death and through it. He is with us—Emmanuel, God with us. He will never leave—'I am with you always.' The promise to Joshua finds fulfillment in Jesus. Where He goes, we follow; where...
"Grace has a name: Jesus Christ. He is not merely the messenger of grace but grace itself embodied. We are saved by grace—which means we are saved by Christ. Faith receives not an abstract gift but a living Person. In...
"The kingdom is not an idea but a Person: Jesus Christ. To seek first the kingdom is to seek first Christ. His righteousness becomes ours; His reign is what we pursue. Follow Christ—single-mindedly, completely—and all else finds its place." — Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
"'I am with you'—and this 'I' has now taken flesh in Jesus Christ. Emmanuel, God with us. Christ is the fulfillment of Isaiah 41:10. In Him, divine presence is complete; in Him, fear is finally conquered. Christ says to us...
"'I have overcome'—this is Christ's definitive word over the world. Not 'I will overcome' but 'I HAVE overcome.' The victory is accomplished in His person, His work, His resurrection. In union with Christ, we participate in accomplished victory. The world...
"'It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.' Our life is hidden with Christ. He is not merely our example or helper; He is our life itself. To be a Christian is to have Christ...
On January 8, 2004: The RMS Queen Mary 2, then the largest ocean liner ever built, is christened by her namesake's granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II. This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about godly leadership and its impact.
On June 18, 1633: Charles I is crowned King of Scots at St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh. This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about godly leadership and its impact. Consider using it when preaching about leadership.
This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about how God works through the events of history. Consider using it when preaching about history.
On May 1, 1945: World War II: German radio broadcasts news of Adolf Hitler's death, falsely stating that he has "fallen at his command post in the Reich Chancellery fighting to the last breath against Bolshevism and for Germany".
This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about God's creation and human discovery. Consider using it when preaching about discovery.
On February 9, 1945: World War II: Battle of the Atlantic: HMS Venturer sinks U-864 off the coast of Fedje, Norway, in a rare instance of submarine-to-submarine combat. This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about how...
On October 4, 1602: Eighty Years' War and the Anglo-Spanish War: A fleet of Spanish galleys are defeated by English and Dutch galleons in the English Channel. This historical event can serve as a powerful sermon illustration about how God...