The Bible is one big Story.
The Bible is one big Story of redemption, restoration and renewal through Christ Jesus. Yet regrettably, people don’t always read, hear, share, teach, or engage with the Bible as one big Story. Many people limit the Bible to lessons in good behaviour, an arrangement of doctrines, a sourcebook for wisdom, words or succour, interesting literature, something to be studied, or a guide for decision-making.
The narrative composition of the Bible.
The one big Story is full of stories. Narrative accounts for seventy-five percent of the Bible, and the remaining twenty-five percent comprises poetic or didactic material. The narrative composition of the Bible should direct our engagement. Rather than majoring in the directives of the Bible, as many do, we should engage with the Bible in ways that ignite our hearts and minds to the one big Story. That is, we should chiefly interact with the Bible as the Story of God’s love for us, how Christ Jesus came to rescue us from sin and give us fullness of life.
Christ is the focus of the Story.
Engaging with the Bible as one big Story about Christ Jesus and His love for us shouldn’t be one approach among many. It should be the only approach. Why? Because from the beginning to the end of the Bible, according to the Bible, Christ Jesus is the focus of the Story (cf. Luke 24:27). That’s not to say that He’s mentioned directly in every sub-story. He’s not. In many instances, He’s “hidden.” But it is to say that all the stories, taken together, are one big Story about Christ Jesus and how He wants us to enter into and become a part of His Story.
The storyline of the Story.
So, what is the storyline of the big Story that Christ Jesus wants us to enter into and become a part of? The Story begins with our creation and, shortly thereafter, our separation from God because of sin. What follows concerns God’s grace as He seeks to restore humanity to Himself. It’s the Story of brokenness and how we can be whole through faith in Christ Jesus.
At the heart of the Story is the incarnation and life of Christ Jesus. The Story reaches its climax when a great reversal occurs. Amazingly, Christ Jesus offers humanity reconciliation with God through His sacrificial death and miraculous resurrection.
The Story is good news!
The Story is good news second to none! It’s about the greatest rescue plan in history – about God in the person of Christ Jesus, who enters our world to save – about the Redeemer who ultimately makes everything right. And more. What makes it good news is that it’s a living Story concerning you and me. In Christ, all things are made new (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17). The Story reveals how, through confession, repentance and belief in Christ Jesus, we can know salvation from the penalty of sin, fullness of life now, and the hope of eternal life to come.
The grand ending of the one big Story depicts creation renewed. The ending is a fresh beginning – a magnificent turn-around. Everything will be new – a new heaven and a new earth in which there is no more pain, sorrow or death. And Christ Jesus will live with His people forever.
Entering the Story.
While the one big Story has a beginning and an end, it’s also a never-ending Story. The paradox of the Story is that as we enter it, we discover that we’re living in the tension between the already and the not yet. That’s why we pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” Matthew 6:10 (NIV). And as we pray this prayer, we’re reminded that we owe allegiance not to ourselves but to the King. The purpose of our lives is to do what the King wants us to do: “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8 (NIV). We will do this kingdom work until God ushers in the new heaven and earth.
Unlike the story of those in the world without Christ Jesus, the one big Story transforms us so that we can do kingdom work, not in our own strength, but with the strength that comes from Christ Jesus. When we enter into the Story, we’re committing ourselves, at His invitation and direction, to share and live out the Story throughout our lives.
Your story in God’s Story.
So, we should engage with the Bible as the one big Story of redemption, restoration, and renewal through Christ Jesus. In so doing, aim for your story to become His Story. For as Glenn Paauw from the Institute for Bible Reading says, “the Bible wants us to see our own lives as little parts of its own bigger, grander story.”
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Summary
The Bible is a unified narrative of redemption, restoration, and renewal through Christ Jesus, but many limit its message to isolated lessons or doctrines. Seventy-five percent of the Bible is narrative, which directs us to engage with it as one continuous Story of God’s love and salvation. The Story reveals how we can be reconciled to God and experience eternal life, from creation and humanity’s fall to Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection. As we enter this Story, Christ transforms us to live out God’s kingdom work, empowered by His strength and purpose.
© Scripture Union Canada
