Wednesday, October 1, 2025

All Things in the Gospel Must Come Through Christ (Santamaria)

The gospel is not an abstract system, nor a bare philosophy, nor even a set of moral rules. At its center stands a Person: Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Without Him, there is no gospel. Without Him, the promises of God are empty, the Scriptures are a closed book, and salvation is an impossibility. All things in the gospel must come through Christ, because He is Himself the gospel.

Jesus declared: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). These words leave no room for alternative paths, no allowance for rival saviors, no partial credit to human works. The way to the Father is exclusive—Christ alone—and the way is sufficient—Christ fully.

Peter echoed this exclusivity before the Sanhedrin: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Salvation is not in Moses, though the law pointed to Christ. Salvation is not in Abraham, though the covenant promised Christ. Salvation is not in the apostles themselves, though they bore witness to Christ. Salvation is only in Him, because in Him alone God and man are reconciled.

Paul summarized it with breathtaking scope: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). Every attempt to build a gospel apart from Him is sand. He is the foundation stone, the chief cornerstone, the one rejected by men but chosen by God and precious (1 Peter 2:4–6).

Thus, from the outset, we affirm: everything in the gospel—every promise, every doctrine, every comfort, every hope—must pass through Christ. He is the door (John 10:9), the shepherd (John 10:11), the bread of life (John 6:35), the light of the world (John 8:12), the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). Strip Christ away, and the gospel collapses. Exalt Christ, and the gospel shines.

The Eternal Purpose of God in Christ

The story does not begin in Bethlehem or even at Sinai. The gospel begins in eternity, with the purpose of God outlined in Christ. Paul declares: “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him” (Ephesians 1:9–10).

All things—heavenly and earthly—are gathered together in Christ. He is not an afterthought, not God’s “plan B” after the fall, but the eternal center of God’s design. Colossians 1 makes this cosmic scope unmistakable: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible… all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (vv. 16–17).

Creation itself was made not only through Christ but for Christ. The galaxies exist for Him. The angels exist for Him. Humanity exists for Him. The church exists for Him. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end (Revelation 22:13). The eternal purpose of God is that Christ should be preeminent: “that in all things he might have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).

This means that even before the cross, before the prophets, before Adam was formed from the dust, God’s plan was fixed: all blessings would come through Christ. The Lamb was “slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Grace was given to us “in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9).

Thus, the gospel is not a human invention or a reaction to sin. It is the eternal counsel of God to glorify His Son by saving His people through Him. Everything that follows in redemptive history flows from this fountain: all things in the gospel must come through Christ.

The Old Testament Witness: Christ Foreshadowed

If all things in the gospel must come through Christ, then we must see Him not only in the New Testament but also in the Old. For Jesus Himself said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). At that time, the “Scriptures” were what we now call the Old Testament. From Genesis to Malachi, Christ is present—sometimes in shadow, sometimes in promise, sometimes in direct prophecy—but always central.

The First Gospel: Promise in Eden

The first whisper of the gospel comes immediately after the fall. When Adam and Eve sinned, judgment fell upon them, but hope was spoken to the serpent: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

This “protoevangelium”—the first gospel—foretells a coming seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head, though wounded in the process. Already, salvation is not in Adam’s repentance, nor in Eve’s sorrow, nor in fig leaves, but in the promised Christ. The gospel begins not with human repair but with divine promise. All hope flows through Him.

The Covenant with Abraham

Generations later, God called Abraham and promised: “In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:18). Paul interprets this in Galatians 3:16: “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.”

The promise to Abraham was not ultimately about a nation or a land, but about Christ. The blessing to all nations comes only in Him. This is why Paul can write, “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). Every covenant blessing flows not through genealogy, not through circumcision, but through Christ.

The Exodus and the Passover Lamb

The central event of Israel’s history was the Exodus, when God delivered His people out of Egypt. At the heart of that redemption was blood: the lamb slain at Passover. God declared, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exodus 12:13).

Paul identifies this directly: “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The lamb was a type; Christ is the fulfillment. The angel of death passed over not because Israel was righteous, but because blood covered them. So too, the wrath of God passes over sinners only when the blood of Christ is applied by faith. Again, all things in the gospel come through Him.

The Tabernacle and Priesthood

The law of Moses established sacrifices, priests, and a tabernacle where God dwelt with His people. But all of these were shadows pointing to Christ. The book of Hebrews makes it plain:

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices… make the comers thereunto perfect” (Hebrews 10:1).
“But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come… by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:11–12).

The priests stood daily, offering sacrifices that could never take away sin. But Christ offered Himself once for all (Hebrews 10:11–12). The tabernacle was made with hands, but Christ entered heaven itself (Hebrews 9:24). Every curtain, altar, lamp, and offering was a signpost pointing to Him.

The Prophets: Christ Foretold

The prophets also bore witness to Christ. Isaiah 53 describes Him as the Suffering Servant: “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (v. 5).

Micah foretold His birthplace: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah… out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2).

David in the Psalms prophesied His crucifixion: “They pierced my hands and my feet… they part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture” (Psalm 22:16, 18).

Zechariah spoke of His betrayal: “So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver” (Zechariah 11:12).

In all these, the Spirit pointed forward to Christ. Peter explained: “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43).

The Old Testament is not merely background; it is the canvas upon which Christ is painted in advance. Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17). Every promise, every type, every prophecy finds its fulfillment in Him.

This means the gospel cannot be detached from Christ, even in the first half of Scripture. Without Him, the Old Testament is a story without an ending, a promise without fulfillment, a shadow without substance. But with Him, the whole Bible becomes one story: God’s purpose to redeem through His Son.

We are often tempted to think of the Old Testament as dry history or complicated law. But when we see Christ in it, everything changes. The sacrifices remind us of His blood. The tabernacle reminds us of His presence. The prophets remind us of His promise. The entire Old Testament becomes a testimony to Him.

Therefore, we must read it with the eyes of faith, always asking, “How does this passage point to Christ?” For as Paul says, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

All things in the gospel—even in its Old Testament foundations—must come through Christ.

The Gospels: Christ Incarnate, the Fulfillment of All

When the angel announced the birth of Jesus to Joseph, the message was not simply about a child—it was about the fulfillment of all God’s promises. “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The gospel is not merely a message about good advice or new commandments. It is the good news that God has entered history in the person of His Son, to accomplish redemption that no man could achieve.

Christ the Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets

Jesus declared in the Sermon on the Mount: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17). The law, with its sacrifices, priesthood, and ordinances, pointed forward to Him. The prophets, with their promises of a suffering servant, a conquering king, and a coming shepherd, all anticipated His arrival.

Luke records the risen Christ opening the Scriptures to His disciples on the road to Emmaus: “Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). What a lesson that must have been—the whole Old Testament unfolding as a testimony to Him. Later, He confirmed: “These are the words which I spake unto you… that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me” (Luke 24:44).

Thus, the Gospels show us that Christ is not a break from the Old Testament, but its completion. Every promise finds its yes and amen in Him (2 Corinthians 1:20).

Christ the Word Made Flesh

John’s Gospel takes us deeper: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14). The eternal Word, through whom all things were created, became flesh and lived among men.

Here is the staggering truth: the Creator became creature, the infinite entered the finite, the eternal stepped into time. He did not cease to be God, but He truly became man—fully God and fully man, in one person. This is why Paul could write: “For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).

The incarnation is not an optional doctrine; it is the heart of the gospel. Without it, there is no mediator, no cross, no resurrection. For as Paul declares: “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). Only because He is both God and man can He bridge the gulf of sin and reconcile us to the Father.

Christ the Lamb of God

When John the Baptist saw Jesus approaching, he cried out: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). With these words, centuries of sacrifices and shadows find their fulfillment. All the lambs slain at Passover, all the offerings of Leviticus, all the blood sprinkled on the altar were types pointing to Him.

Jesus is the Lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:19). His blood alone redeems: “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).

Christ the Bread, the Light, the Life

In John’s Gospel especially, Jesus declares Himself to be the fulfillment of Israel’s deepest needs:

“I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger” (John 6:35).
“I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).
“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9).
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11).
“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

Each declaration ties the hope of the Old Testament to His person. Manna pointed to the bread of life. The pillar of fire pointed to the light of the world. The temple gate pointed to the door. David pointed to the shepherd. Resurrection hope pointed to Him who is life itself. In every way, Christ declares that the gospel is not a set of truths about Him—it is Him.

Christ the King

The Gospels also present Jesus as the long-awaited King. Matthew especially emphasizes this, tracing His genealogy back to David (Matthew 1:1) and recording the Magi’s question: “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2).

At His triumphal entry, the crowds shouted: “Blessed is the King that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Luke 19:38), fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy: “Behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass” (Zechariah 9:9).

Even at the cross, Pilate’s inscription read: “Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews” (John 19:19). What the world mocked was the truth of the gospel: He is the King, not only of the Jews, but of all creation.

Why the Gospels Show Christ’s Centrality

In the four Gospels, Christ is not a moral teacher only, nor merely a prophet among others. He is the fulfillment of all history, the incarnation of God, the Lamb who takes away sin, the Shepherd who lays down His life, the Resurrection and the Life, the Way to the Father, the King enthroned through suffering.

This means all things in the gospel must come through Him. Forgiveness of sins, adoption into God’s family, and eternal life—all are bound to His person and work. As He Himself put it: “Without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5)

When we read the Gospels, we must not approach them as four biographies of a great figure, but as the Spirit-inspired testimony of God’s Son fulfilling all things. Every parable reveals His kingdom. Every miracle shows His authority. Every word exposes His truth. Every step leads to the cross.

This is why Paul could resolve: “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). For the gospel is not about us—it is about Him.

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