I must admit I am not much for sticking to Church Calendar events. I am not suggesting that they are unimportant, but it seems to me that the Church Calendar should only be full of one event, "Christ crucified and Risen." I take that to be a 'Biblical position, "... Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms" (Luke 24:44). That's not suggesting that Christ's earthly life isn't important, on the contrary there is much we can learn from His ministry, the Easter period, the Ascension, Pentecost, and now at this time of year Christmas.

So if the whole Old Testament is about and pointing to Jesus, then the history leading up to Jesus' birth, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension has redemptive value. And that is why good biblical teaching and preaching has a redemptive historical, Christ centered emphasis, whilst at the same time being true and faithful to the text.

Let us never under estimate that all of Scripture is about God's great love to sinful mankind, seen in the giving of His Son, to be the only Redeemer of sinners who have been chosen before the foundations of the world to be saved to eternal life to the glory and praise of God the Father (Jn 3:16; Phi 2:9-11; Eph 1:4).

Now that doesn't mean that there isn't any other things we can learn from Scripture. Of course there are and it would be terribly neglectful of any preacher not to mention these things. For instance, Scripture has much to say about grace and law and how they are intimately connected. Scripture says a great deal about the holiness of God and how the Old Testament people had to offer various offerings according to the strict guidelines that had been set down. Scripture has much to say about how we should live with each other, indeed commanding us to love one another as Christ loved us. Scripture gives us guidance on morals and ethics. Scripture tells us how we should live as husband and wife, parents and children.

The many parables that Jesus taught also have great lessons for us. Paul's letters to the various churches and various colleagues give very useful instruction on how the bride of Christ should behave.

However, having said all that, if Christ crucified and risen isn't preached or taught, then the rest has very little or no value. What's the point of knowing the Abraham story and how he offered Isaac on the altar and it doesn't connect you to the Lamb that was slain at Calvary? What's the point of knowing all about the sacrifices and not understand their fuller meaning of the blood shed at Golgotha? What's the point of learning about God's mighty acts of deliverance out of Egypt and entry into the Promised Land if it doesn't bring you to deliverance from our slavery to sin through Christ's redemptive work and then onto the Promised Land ourselves? What's the point of learning about all of Israel's kings and their many failures, if it doesn't bring you to the King of kings? What's the point of learning from Jesus' many parables, and it doesn't bring you to a saving faith in Jesus Christ? There is no point, for none of these things taken by them selves saves us to eternal life.

So whether it is the month of December, March, April or any other month, let's encourage our preachers and teachers to make sure they understand the redemptive historical aspect in any text of Scripture for this will inevitably lead them and their hearers to the wonderful Saviour Jesus Christ.

How important is this approach? Absolutely vital for there is no other name under heaven by which sinful man can be saved (Acts 4:12).

Of course there are other ways of preaching Christ crucified and risen. We can do that topically or even thematically, but the bottom line is that if we only read the Scriptures and hear it proclaimed from a purely exemplary point (i.e. purely horizontal) and there is no mention made of Christ crucified and risen, then it is at the very least, poor preaching and not true to the text, for all Scripture finds its fulfillment in Christ.

So as we lead into the Christmas period, may our reading of Scripture bring us to the cross and beyond, to the glory and praise of the Father. JZ.