I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. (Rev. 1:8)
If you’re like me, you start watching coverage of the Masters early in the week each year. Whether it’s Chamblee, Faldo, or Nance speculating on possible outcomes, the tournament is better when you know the backstories of the players and the unfolding conditions at the course. All these subplots feed into a developing storyline—it’s the stuff of Golf Films on the Golf Channel.
When the winner slips into the green jacket on Sunday, the narrative is finally complete. We have our ending and champion. If we have followed the storyline closely, we know of the travails and ecstasies that were a part of the victor’s journey to the end.
God is telling a story. His story is a grand narrative that encompasses all of history.
The reason storylines are compelling is because they matter. Stories can make profound sense of our lives, inspire, provide insight, communicate timeless truths, and give hope.
God is telling a story. His story is a grand narrative that encompasses all of history. God’s story doesn’t begin with “Once upon a time,” but “In the beginning” (Gen. 1:1). God’s story matters because it makes sense for a lost people. It explains origins, reasons why, what is of utmost value, and final outcomes.
The following are some cliff notes on the story God is telling:
First, God precedes the material world; he always has been. God is not material but Spirit. God is distinct and separate from his creation; he is not his creation.
God’s story starts with God Himself and not with us. His story is not about our comfort and prosperity but Jesus’ suffering, sacrifice, and redemptive work for God the Father’s glory. According to God’s story, everything belongs to him, and nothing belongs to us—we own nothing and have no rights in his narrative.
God uses a lot of metaphors when telling His story to give us some understanding of things that are far beyond our comprehension. The most commonly-used metaphor is God as an all-powerful and all-wise King with a Kingdom. Another is that God is a loving Father who sees us as his sons and daughters. Both of those images should provide great comfort to those who are concerned that life has no purpose or meaning.
When Jesus arrives in the first century, he adds a lot of needed detail to God’s overarching narrative. In a strange twist, God has written himself into his own storyline in the person of Jesus. God begins to narrate his story from the inside out.
Jesus makes it clear that his words are not his own but his Father’s and that he preexisted creation with his Father. (John 17:15). Apparently, the plan of salvation, to offer Christ as a sacrifice for the human race, was devised back then before the very beginning of the world (Rev. 13:8). Tales like Star Wars, Gladiator, and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe all borrow from God’s messianic theme and hint at this greater reality.
Like Chamblee and the rest, the Scripture provides commentary from beginning to end. We study the Scripture to better understand God’s grand narrative. While meditating on Scripture, it builds our faith (Romans 10:17).
But there is a lot more at stake than a golf tournament in the world’s unfolding story. Souls are being won and lost for eternity. And unlike the start of a golf tournament, the outcome has already been decided, the victor named.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I praise you because you so loved the world that you gave your son. Please show me my role in your great narrative.