What is the Scarlet Thread?

It is the doctrine that all 66 books of the Bible, although written by different authors spanning thousands of years, are tied together by Jesus of Nazareth and the blood He shed on His cross.

The Old Testament foreshadows and prophesies the coming Messiah, and the New Testament declares that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah foreshadowed and prophesied in the Old Testament.

The Scriptures are about Jesus and what He did to serve us in His death, burial and resurrection.  Yet many people, including prominent pastors with tremendous influence on Christian culture, read the Bible as if it is primarily about us and what we ought to do to serve God.  But Jesus had words for those who read the Scriptures primarily for life principles and tips for living:

It is not natural to read the Bible and follow the Scarlet Thread.  It requires tutoring and teaching.  Jesus Himself specifically tutored the disciples regarding this matter and He had to open their minds.

Because it is so unnatural to read the Scriptures as Jesus advises us to, and because so few pastors demonstrate for their people how it is done, the posts on this site categorized as “The Scarlet Thread” are offered as a demonstration of what Jesus meant when He said the Old Testament was about Him.