His Story

Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.  -Luke 24:27 (NASB)

“Daddy, tell me the story again. Please!” Children love stories. They don’t mind if they are passed along by memory or in turning the pages of a book, just tell them a story. They will listen in wonder and ask for the same stories to be told over and over again. They cannot get enough. This is another example of why Christians of all ages must become like children. We are to love and want to hear stories.

Many of us have lost or are not acquired a love for story. Instead, we are used to checking the headlines, blogs, X posts and the like; drawing conclusions, and moving on to the next interesting “fact.” In our trivial pursuit we miss the story and, therefore, a proper grasp of history. For many, history is just a collection of chronological but basically unrelated events—it is historical, not historic. Sadly, we can read our Bibles in the same way. It need not, and should not, be so.

Imagine talking a long walk with me and discussing the latest big news on the most recent fair and balanced program. We are both distraught and wondering how such things could happen, when a stranger walking along the same road joins us. This stranger is, in our view anyway, extremely ignorant of the news of the day. We cannot believe anybody hasn’t heard the news covered around the clock and live, so we decide to fill him in on the latest headlines. After all the gory details, he says to us, “You are both fools, lacking in faith and hope.” That, I think, would get our attention. He then goes on to give us the rest of the story. This story moves us like none ever has, and like children we listen in wonder. When we stop for a bite to eat, we realize the man telling us the story is the story itself.

This is essentially what happened to the men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), and it needs to happen to us. We must hear the greatest Storyteller explain the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures, and recline with Him at the table for He is recognized in the breaking of bread (vv. 30,35). We should not be slow of heart to believe the story or fearful to enter fully into it, for the Bible is His story.

Also, we need to know that His story did not end when the Holy Spirit stopped inspiring the revelation of Scripture. When we understand the story properly, we recognize that not only is the Father’s Word all about the Son, so is the Father’s world—that is, history is also His story. Not only beginning with Moses and the prophets, but also, In the beginning God…The story of the glory of the Triune God in the face of Jesus Christ continues with each chapter decreed by the Lord before history began. Let us rejoice with awe in such a wonderful story and such a gracious Storyteller.

We are too much like Martha, distracted with many things; we don’t have time for childish cares like stories. We need, like Mary, to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His story. We must, like children, love story time.

Daddy, tell me the story again. Please!