This is a question that will get innumerable answers (and not just because I’m bad at counting). Some would say that the Bible is all about what we ought to do, how we ought to live. Some would say the Bible is about all the things that are wrong with us. Some would say the Bible is about the nation of Israel. Some would say that the Bible is a book of helpful tips on life. Some would say the Bible is a bunch of random stories with morals in them. Some would say the Bible is about how we can get eternal life.
I don’t believe any of that; though I would not argue with someone who said the Bible addresses some of those points. The Bible is not silent when it comes to discussing its own purpose and topic. Jesus Himself has declared that Scripture, all of Scripture, bears witness to Him. When on the road to Emmaus with some disciples, he told them that they were foolish because they had read the Bible and didn’t understand that it predicted and explained His suffering and glorification.1
Put simply, then, I believe the Bible is about Jesus. It makes sense, too. Homer Simpson is said to have read through the entire Bible and made the remark “All of these people were really messed up except that one guy.” The guy to whom He referred is Jesus.
The Bible tells us that all of humanity is so messed up and evil (a fact to which the evening news will also attest) that we need someone who isn’t human to come fix it.2 Jesus, being Himself God, came to do what we could not.3 He lived the life we could never live and died for all the horrible things we’ve done and are.4 The entire Bible is a library of books all explaining in various ways the person and work of Jesus.5
