The Protagonist
3 min read
WHO is the moral of the story?
The stories of the Bible are so inspiring!
I get hype reading about Joshua marching around Jericho.
I picture the walls of my
- worry,
- discouragement,
- and difficulties
falling around me.
Victory over my enemies!
Or what about David and Goliath?
(One of my childhood favorites)
I picture myself as David—
- the unlikely warrior
- underestimated
- unappreciated
The exemplary underdog.
Victory over the “giants” of my life!
“Lazarus!!!! Come out!”
Man, when I read Jesus saying those words—
and then Lazarus walking out of that tomb,
I see the possibility of my
- dead dreams
- dead career
- dead relationships
resurrecting from the grave.
Victory over my circumstances!
These stories show me what I can be!
- It’s exciting
- It’s encouraging
- It’s attainable
Try it!
Just plug your name into any Bible story,
and you can relate it to your life.
It places you front and center.
But is this why the Scriptures were written?
To learn some lessons in morality and self-help?
Are these stories about me?
Or is each and every word about Jesus?
I would be less enthusiastic if I knew that I’m not Joshua.
The walls aren’t my problems.
I am not the one who is conquering anything.
Remember Rahab?
She lived a shameful life.
She begged for redemption,
knowing she didn’t deserve it.
Yep... that sounds more like me!
Unable to work out my salvation on my own.
Fully dependent on my Savior to decimate the walls of sin and death,
and then save me from the destruction of it all—grafting me into His family tree.
This story is about Jesus!
I would enjoy the story of David and Goliath less
if I knew that I’m not David, and Goliath is not
- my debt
- my sickness
- my grief
I am, instead, the cowardly Israelite army—
the ones who let Goliath mock both them and their God.
I needed a representative.
One who could defeat the giants of sin and death,
because I was incapable.
This story is about Jesus!
Jesus and Lazarus...
I mean...
It would take much hubris to read this story
and then afterwards conclude that I’m Jesus here.
So I don’t think many of us do that.
But it’s important to note that Lazarus does not represent
all of the unfulfilled and unfinished desires and purposes of my life.
God has not promised that
- every forgotten dream
- every given up hope
- every past wish
will be “raised back to life.”
This scene with Lazarus represents the work of Christ.
His saving grace freeing us from the linen strips of our sins.
Delivering us from the curse of death.
Alluding to the future glorification promised to those who are His.
This story is about Jesus!
So as it turns out,
I discovered that I am not any of the protagonists from these beloved stories.
I’m not even a minor character, really.
I’m more like one of the roles that has no speaking part.
My role is not to shout and blow trumpets
My role is to cry out to God in repentance
My role is not to slay giants
My role is to humble myself before the Lord and believe in Him
My role is not to expect the resurrection of any of life’s secondary yearnings
My role is to receive grace through faith in Jesus Christ
The protagonist of Scripture is Jesus
He moves the plot forward
Every chapter and verse is about Him
The glory of His majesty
His saving work on the cross
The power of His resurrection
Instead of making these stories about me,
I pray that my life may emulate them in this way:
That it would be all about Jesus.
—
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
John 5:39-40, Jesus speaking
—
References:
Story of Joshua/Jericho/Rahab - Joshua 5 & 6
Story of David/Goliath - 1 Samuel 17
Story of Jesus Raising Lazarus - John 11