Reading The Stories And Missing The Story
Tullian Tchividjian Blog | February 27, 2012
It's possible to read the Bible, study the Bible, and memorize large portions of the Bible, while missing the whole point of the Bible. It's entirely possible, in other words, to read the stories and miss the Story.This is what happened to the two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24.
They were dejected, down, and despairing because the one they had put all their hope in had just been executed. They heard "rumors" that he was missing from the grave but, as far as they knew, these were unsubstantiated claims. As they were walking and talking Jesus came up and walked with them "but they were kept from recognizing him." Jesus asked them, "What are you two talking about? Why are you so sad?" Looking strangely at this stranger, they asked, "Where have you been? Don't you know what's just happened? It's the talk of the town." They went on to explain that the one they were banking on to restore Israel to it's national and political prominence had just been put to death. Their hopes had been dashed, their dreams shattered.
Jesus looked at them and said, "Do you not read your Bibles?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself (Luke 24:27). Jesus showed them that if they had understood what the Old Testament was really about, they wouldn't have been so shocked by the things that had happened. They knew their Bible's, but they missed Jesus.
Luke 24:21 tells us what they thought the Bible was about. They read it as if it was fundamentally about their glory--Jesus was coming to restore their prominence, position, and power.
We make the same mistake.
As I mentioned in my last post, we often read the Bible as if it were fundamentally about us: our improvement, our life, our triumph, our victory. And as a result we treat it like a book of timeless principles that will give us our best life now if we simply apply those principles. We treat it, in other words, like it's a heaven-sent self-help manual. But by looking at the Bible as if it were fundamentally about us, we totally miss Jesus--like the two on the road to Emmaus. In fact, unless we go to the Bible to see Jesus and his work for us, even our devout Bible reading can become fuel for our own narcissistic self-improvement plans.
So, if we read the Bible asking first, "What would Jesus do?" instead of asking "What has Jesus done" we'll miss the good news that alone can set us free.
As I've said before, the overwhelming focus of the Bible is not the work of the redeemed but the work of the Redeemer. The Bible is not first a recipe book for Christian living, but a revelation book of Christ who is the answer to our unchristian living. Scripture, in other words, is the portrait of Jesus. It's a picture of who he is and what he's done. The Bible tells one story and points to one figure: it tells the story of how God rescues a broken world and points to Christ who accomplishes this. The OT predicts God's rescuer; the NT presents God's rescuer. In all of its pages and throughout all of its stories, the Word of the Lord reveals the Lord of the Word. The plot line of the Bible, in other words, is Jesus-centered. He is the Hero of the Story.
Even though it's a children's Bible, The Jesus Storybook Bible is, in my opinion, one of the best resources available to help both children and adults see the Jesus-centered story line of the Bible.In the Introduction of that book, author Sally Lloyd-Jones rightly explains what the Bible is not before she beautifully explains what the Bible is. She writes:
Now, some people think the Bible is a book of rules, telling you what you should and shouldn't do. The Bible certainly does have some rules in it. They show you how life works best. But the Bible isn't mainly about you and what you should be doing. It's about God and what he has done.
Other people think the Bible is a book of heroes, showing you people you should copy. The Bible does have some heroes in it, but (as you'll soon find out) most of the people in the Bible aren't heroes at all. They make some big mistakes (sometimes on purpose), they get afraid and run away. At times, they're downright mean.
No, the Bible isn't a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It's an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It's a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne--everything--to rescue the ones he loves. It's like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!
You see, the best thing about this Story is...it's true.
There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.
It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in the puzzle-the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.
For an amazing article by Sally on the need to teach children that the Bible is not about them, go here.
And here's a message I gave on the subject of what we miss when we don't read the Bible in a Christ-Centered way. This message was delivered at the 20/20 College Conference 2012 at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary a few weeks ago.
Tullian Tchividjian - 20/20 Collegiate Conference 2012 - Session 3 from Southeastern Seminary on Vimeo.
Comments:
March 1, 2012 at 09:16 PM
"We only have a form of godliness but we deny it’s power, when we think the Bible is supposed to just tell us what to do."
Amen, Liz.
January 28, 2013 at 11:32 AM
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January 14, 2013 at 04:54 PM
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February 29, 2012 at 10:19 AM
[...] on Feb 29, 2012 in Pastor Rick's Blog This morning I read a blog post by Tullian Tchividijian. He is the senior pastor at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida and the grandson of Billy [...]
February 28, 2012 at 11:17 PM
To those who have ears to hear,
Religionists who equate being saved with being born again say John 3:1-16 teaches certain things that one must do in order to be saved. They affirm that salvation consists in a person’s belief of these four things: (1) God loves him; (2) he is lost; (3) Christ died for him; and (4) God will save him on the condition that he believes on Jesus Christ as Savior. Although millions of young people, college students, and others have been led to make decisions for Christ on the basis of these four laws, the decisions are false and empty apart from regeneration (born from above). If a passive sinner needs no more than believing God loves him, admitting he is lost, saying Christ died for him, and then believing on Him, regeneration is unnecessary to give him a new nature. Only in the power of a new nature can one understand the truth of the gospel, be capable of repenting on account of his grief according to God who works repentance to salvation never to
be regretted (II Cor. 7:9, 10), and believe on Christ with God-given faith (Eph. 2:8; Titus 1:1). Both repentance and faith are fruits of one who has been born out of God by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:8). An exceptional great book in anyone's arsenal yet may not be for all Christians though should be is "How to read the Bible for all it's worth by Gorden D fee & Douglas Stuart, even I after being recommended by a minister find it an overwhelming wealth of necessity but much study is required to truly understand the bible due to the time it was written, who wrote it, and why, and to whom it was directed to, the culture in that period, the language it was written,and many other factors & details and then...how do we apply it to our 21st culture, 1st once we understand the time period and the circumstances of that culture and time era of the scriptures written both old & new only then can we see how we can reason with it's purpose and apply that full meaning to our culture for it's intended purposes and for all it's worth. JR.
February 28, 2012 at 10:39 PM
I feel like I'm missing something - what's with the Blink 182 graphic? is there a band reference I'm missing?
February 28, 2012 at 08:26 AM
This is so true. I was not able to be healed or saved until I was able to learn who the Father is and what Jesus did, then I could accept their love and change. I read the Bible through initially more like War and Peace, and it took learning of their love to open the words of the Scripture, to change my perspective and to realize the incredible love behind the words - the love of the rules, the love of the living guidelines.Excellent post.
February 28, 2012 at 04:57 PM
I appreciate Ms. Lloyd-Jones' heart in sharing the true gospel with the young ones and to start them out with the proper foundation. We have been inundated in Christian circles with the "to-do" lists, which really does distract and detract from the true message of the Gospel.
I would agree that the Gospel message isn't about "us" as far as our requirement to perform or to maintain certain behaviors to stay in God's grace and love. He loves us unconditionally. However, I do believe it is about us in that God did leave his Kingdom to come down and rescue us because we were the object of His love. We are the inheritors of His Kingdom and Covenant and the recipients of His love, blessings, power and authority as a result of what He has done. The message of the Gospel is about a love relationship consisting of 2 parties--The One Who gave the ultimate sacrifice and the grateful recipients of all that He is.
February 28, 2012 at 03:40 PM
[...] Reading the Bible and missing Jesus is liking staring at trees and missing the forest: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tullian/2012/02/27/reading-the-stories-and-missing-the-story/ [...]
February 28, 2012 at 03:21 PM
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. John 1:1 The Rider on the White Horse, is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the WORD of God. The One worthy to be slain because He didn't consider equality of God something to be grasped but humbled Himself, put on the robe of humanity so that we could wear His robe of righteousness. We have been chosen IN Him before the foundations of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.
He chose to create us because His perfect love desired to share itself with free beings that could partake of His life and join Him in His unspeakable joy. What makes this so incredible is that He did not purpose this out of need within Him for company. He is the infinitely fulfilled One. He created men and women because His love must be shared and given away. He loves you not only because you are here, but also you are here because He loved you into existence. - The Power of the Blood Covenant, Malcolm Smith. The entire Bible speaks of His choosing us and the depths of His love for that which He created. How much we miss when we read the Bible as one big to do list. We only have a form of godliness but we deny it's power, when we think the Bible is supposed to just tell us what to do.
February 28, 2012 at 02:47 PM
Jeremy, "The Gospel-Centered Life" is a great small-group study, I highly recommend it.
God bless.
Chris
February 27, 2012 at 12:53 PM
It sounds like a great book. And not just for kids.
Thanks for highlighting it here.
February 27, 2012 at 12:36 PM
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February 27, 2012 at 12:27 PM
[...] Reading the Stories and Missing the Story (Article) Liberate (Tullian Tchividjian) [...]
February 27, 2012 at 12:04 PM
I think I missed the story for about 40 years. I'm starting to understand now, thank GOD!
I really like the intro to this children's Bible. Makes me want to get it.
February 27, 2012 at 10:22 PM
[...] Reading the Stories and Missing the Story So, if we read the Bible asking first, “What would Jesus do?” instead of asking “What has Jesus done” we’ll miss the good news that alone can set us free. [...]
February 27, 2012 at 08:48 PM
Those who grow up attending church sometimes have the strongest battle before them. As we hear the same stories so many times, read the same passages, we begin to smoothly slide over the top of the text, forgetting that so much meaning lies within.
February 27, 2012 at 02:13 PM
Pastor
Amen, from creation God had a story to tell, His story.
February 27, 2012 at 01:13 PM
Absolutely love how God is using your ministry in my life!! Do you have any recommended grace based discipleship materials? I'd appreciate any help that you may be able to offer in coming alongside other men in discipleship... Thanks Jeremy
Carmen
October 19, 2012 at 03:44 PM
Thank you so much for sharing this! Blessings!