Why Does Reading the Bible Sometimes Feel Like a Chore? | From Eden to Jesus
Have you ever opened the Bible, read a chapter, and closed it thinking, “I have no idea what I just read”?
Or maybe you've experienced something even more frustrating: you believe the Bible is God's Word, you know you should read it, and yet your time in Scripture sometimes feels more like homework than something that gives you life.
You're not alone.
In the final message of our From Eden to Jesus series at Friends Church Sacramento, we explored an important question: Why does reading the Bible sometimes feel like a chore instead of a joy?
Throughout this series, we've been walking through Old Testament stories and discovering that the Bible is not simply a collection of disconnected stories, rules, and historical events. It is one connected story of God's love, rescue, and invitation—and that story ultimately leads us to Jesus.
Scripture Doesn't Save Us—It Points Us to the One Who Does
We began with Isaiah 9:2–7, written hundreds of years before Jesus was born. God's people had repeatedly failed to live according to God's law, yet God continued to provide hope.
Isaiah describes a people walking in darkness who would see a great light. He speaks of a child who would be born, a Son who would be given, and a ruler whose kingdom would bring justice and peace.
The law was never the ultimate hope. The hope was always the One the law pointed toward.
Isaiah's promise ultimately finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah who came to rescue humanity from sin and bring us back into relationship with God.
This changes the way we approach Scripture.
The Bible isn't primarily a rulebook that we have to master so that we can somehow become good enough for God. Scripture reveals our need for a Savior and points us toward the One who can save us.
Everything Scripture Has Been Saying Reaches Its Fulfillment in Jesus
Hebrews 1:1–3 takes us from the promise of Isaiah to the person of Jesus.
The author of Hebrews describes Jesus as “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being.”
Jesus doesn't merely tell us what God is like. Jesus shows us what God is like.
This is why the Old Testament matters so much for Christians. Stories about creation, Abraham, Moses, the Exodus, the prophets, Israel's failures, God's promises, and the coming Messiah aren't disconnected pieces of history.
They are part of one story that ultimately points toward Jesus.
Jesus himself demonstrated this after his resurrection. On the road to Emmaus, he walked alongside two disciples who were struggling to understand what had happened. Beginning with Moses and the Prophets, Jesus explained what the Scriptures said about himself.
The promise had become a person.
Scripture Comes Alive When Christ Opens Our Eyes
The disciples on the road to Emmaus had access to Scripture, but they didn't yet understand what they were seeing.
Then Jesus opened their eyes.
Later they said:
“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Their experience reminds us that reading Scripture isn't simply about trying harder to understand more information.
We can buy another study Bible, listen to another sermon, read another commentary, or learn another Bible study method—and those things can certainly help. But ultimately, we need the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to see Christ in Scripture and allow God's Word to transform the way we live.
The goal isn't simply to know more about the Bible.
The goal is to know Jesus more deeply.
So How Should We Read the Bible?
If Bible reading has become a burden, perhaps the answer isn't simply to try harder.
Instead, begin by asking:
“Jesus, what are you showing me about yourself through this passage?”
Read Scripture expecting to encounter Christ.
Pray before you read.
Slow down.
Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes.
And then ask how what you've read should change the way you live.
The Bible becomes so much more than a religious obligation when it becomes an avenue through which we deepen our relationship with Jesus.
The Bible isn't a burden to carry.
It is an invitation to know Jesus.
And that is ultimately what our journey From Eden to Jesus has been about.
From the very beginning of Scripture, God has been telling a story of creation, brokenness, rescue, redemption, and hope.
And that story finds its fulfillment in Jesus.
Join Us at Friends Church Sacramento
If you're looking for a Christian church in Sacramento, a church near you in East Sacramento, or a welcoming community where you can explore faith, we'd love to meet you.
Friends Church Sacramento is a Christian community in East Sacramento committed to creating a Christ-centered community that is changing the world.
Join us Sundays at 10:00 AM at our church in East Sacramento.
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Learn more at sacfriendschurch.org.
