Jesus Under Every Rock? Rethinking Christ-Centered Reading & Preaching (Chris Wright) Ep #209

Should Christians look for Jesus in every verse of the Old Testament—or are we missing the point when we do?

In this wide-ranging and practical conversation, Dr. Christopher J. H. Wright, Langham Partnership’s Global Ambassador and one of the world’s leading Old Testament scholars, joins Dru Johnson to explore the difference between Christocentric and Christotelic readings of Scripture. Wright reflects on common instincts Christians have—either skipping the Old Testament or trying to make every text about Jesus—and explains what we lose when we fail to respect the voice and context of the original authors.

Wright argues for a more faithful reading that respects the historical drama of God’s covenantal journey with Israel, leading to but not eclipsed by Christ. He explains how Luke 24 affirms that the Scriptures point to Jesus, but that doesn’t mean every verse must be “about” him. Instead, Scripture forms a unified story with Jesus as its destination, not its hiding place.

The conversation ends with a powerful case for why the global church, especially in the majority world, has crucial theological insights to offer—and why Western Christians should be ready to learn.

For more from Chris Wright:

https://christopherjhwright.com/

For more about Langham Partnership:

https://us.langham.org/

We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/give

For more articles: https://thebiblicalmind.org/

Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought Threads: https://www.threads.net/hebraicthought X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org

Chapters:

00:00 Understanding the Old Testament's Relevance 02:01 Challenges in Interpreting the Old Testament 05:26 The Importance of Context in Biblical Interpretation 08:09 The Role of Jesus in Old Testament Texts 11:00 Exegetical Approaches to the Old Testament 14:08 The Historical Unfolding of God's Promises 21:06 The Transition from Law to Grace 22:32 The Journey of Scripture Towards Christ 24:57 Understanding the Role of the Gospels and Acts 27:00 The Nature of Biblical Narrative 29:01 Langham Partnership: Resourcing Global Churches 32:37 The Importance of Preaching in the Majority World 36:00 Listening to Global Voices in Theology