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Shepherd. King. Carpenter. Priest. Friend. Healer. Brother. Savior. Teacher. Perfect sacrifice. Son. Leader. Redeemer. Servant. Prophet. Judge. Miracle-worker. Jesus.
Jesus is the namesake of Christianity, the center of our faith. He is the subject of countless books, yet He is inexhaustible. If you speak to older men and women of faith, they’ll tell you they’ve known Jesus and walked with Him for years—yet their desire is to know Him still deeper. After decades loving Jesus, these saints can attest that their love for Him is ever growing.
Likewise, Paul, after years following Jesus, shared that everything else paled in comparison to knowing and loving Jesus: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:7-8 ESV).
If you long to know Jesus this intimately and love Him more, Bible study can be an incredible tool to get closer to Jesus’ heart.
Here are three ways that studying the life and work of Jesus can help you fall more in love with your Savior.
1. Bible study is an avenue to knowing Jesus and finding life in Him.
In John 5:39-40, Jesus tells the Pharisees (religious leaders who studied Scripture in depth but did not believe Jesus’ claims about Himself), “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”
The Pharisees and other religious leaders were highly devoted to Scripture, studying it meticulously, but they missed its very purpose. They believed that simply by knowing the text, they could achieve eternal life. But Jesus reveals something profoundly important: Scripture, in all its depth and richness, ultimately points to Him.
The goal of Bible study should never be study for study’s sake. Rather, studying Scripture is an avenue to knowing Jesus and finding life in Him. Every verse, every story, every prophecy, every teaching points us to the Savior, who is the fulfillment of God’s promises and the source of eternal, abundant life (John 10:10).
While the religious leaders of Jesus’ day missed the forest for the trees—studying Scripture without seeing or understanding its main subject—our study can help us go deeper in our relationship with Jesus, and find life in Him, when we keep that goal front and center.
2. Bible study can help you understand the big picture storyline of Scripture—and see Jesus on every page.
Since every page of the Bible points to Jesus, it’s helpful to know the “big picture” when it comes to Bible study. That way, you can understand how the passage or verse you’re studying fits into the rest of the story.
In Luke 24, after Jesus has risen from the dead, He appears to two disciples, though His identity is hidden from them. As the two discuss the recent events of Jesus’ crucifixion and their disappointment that the claims He had made about being Israel’s Messiah seemed not to be true, Jesus says to them, “‘O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
The two disciples lacked an understanding of the storyline of the Bible—they failed to see that Jesus’ suffering and His resurrection were all foretold in Scripture. Later, Jesus’ closest 11 disciples also struggled to believe Jesus had risen from the dead. They, too, needed a deeper understanding of Scripture. Jesus tells them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:47).
Jesus’ point in both of these interactions is clear: Whether you’re reading Leviticus, Psalms, or Isaiah, all of Scripture points to Jesus and tells part of His story. When you study Jesus’ life and work in the context of the rest of the Bible, seeing Him on every page, you get a richer understanding of who He is—and your love for Him grows.
3. Bible study can help you understand the gospel—and grow your appreciation for Jesus.
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul reminds the church at Corinth of the gospel message he preached to them: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…”
The essential message of the gospel is summed up in these verses: Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day, “in accordance with the Scriptures,” that is, just as Scripture said! The gospel message is woven throughout the Bible, not just in the Gospels or in the New Testament.
In your Bible study journey, you will grow in your understanding of many difficult concepts related to salvation and the gospel—but you’ll never outgrow the gospel. We need Jesus, not just for forgiveness of our past sins but to give us grace to walk with Him today and every day until He returns or calls us home.
As you study Scripture, your appreciation for Jesus will grow as you see more and more that He is the fulfillment of all God’s promises, the answer to the deepest needs of our souls, and the ultimate source of our hope. His sacrifice on the cross is not just a historical event; it’s the pivotal moment in the grand narrative of Scripture and in our own lives. The gospel, which means “good news,” is not just something to believe at the beginning of our faith journey—it’s something that continues to shape us as we grow in our relationship with Jesus.
Understanding the gospel more deeply through Bible study helps us grasp the immensity of what Jesus accomplished. His death was not simply a tragic event but the means through which God poured out His love and grace, rescuing us from sin, restoring us to Himself, and giving us new life. Jesus’ resurrection was not only a miracle but a promise of our own future hope—a hope that death will not have the final word for those who are in Christ.
When we study Scripture, we encounter the gospel in both its historical reality and its eternal significance. We see that our salvation is not merely individual but part of a much larger, cosmic plan of redemption. We learn about the character of the God who saves, His deep love, and the fullness of life He offers to us through His Son. And the more we see and understand these truths, the more our hearts fall in love with Jesus.
Bible Study as a Path to Deeper Love
Bible study is a powerful means of deepening your relationship with Jesus. It’s not just about gaining knowledge or filling your mind with facts—it’s about encountering the living Word who invites you into a closer walk with Him. As you study the Scriptures, you’ll discover more about Jesus—His nature, His mission, His love for you—and as you do, your love for Him will grow.
Whether you’re a new believer or someone who has walked with Jesus for many years, there is always more to learn, always more of His heart to discover. Bible study isn’t just an academic pursuit—it’s an invitation to know Jesus more intimately and to experience His transforming love in ever-deepening ways.
So, take time to study the life and work of Jesus. Dive into the Scriptures with an open heart, eager to encounter Him on every page. As you do, you will find yourself falling more in love with the Savior who gave His life for you. And in that love, you’ll find the fullness of life, joy, and peace that only He can offer.