Is Jesus Just A Story?
“Mom, sometimes I think it’s all just a story.” This came from my 6-year-old son, Walt, last week as we were talking about Jesus. He said it with hesitation, and a bit of shame. A six-year-old was expressing in words the actual reality that many grown people are living out at this very moment. The answer is “Yes, He is a story, but not ‘just’ a story.”
I’ve been captivated by the idea of our lives being stories ever since I read the question “Are we living a good story?” in a Donald Miller book years ago. Truly, if you think about it, all of us are stories from beginning to end. When someone passes away, what do we do to remember them? We certainly don’t rattle off their social insurance number, bank account status, and credit score. We tell stories. We “re-member” their lives with the bits and pieces of stories we have stored in our hearts.
But what happens when we treat Jesus the same way? Jesus is undeniably a “good story”. He’s an inspiring story. An adventure story. A love story. But if He’s just a story then there is no salvation. No power over sin and death. Just….a little comfort and entertainment.
The story of Jesus, without a right view of the full reality of the power of His death, burial, and resurrection, would be powerless to change our lives. The “story” in and of itself, by itself, would be powerless to sanctify us or to bring us eternal life.
Jesus is undeniably a “good story”. He’s an inspiring story. An adventure story. A love story. But if He’s just a story then there is no salvation. Click To TweetIn 1 Corinthians 15:13-14 the Bible says “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
So, here’s my question - are we living an all-around good story that in the end produces useless faith? Or have our eyes been opened to see the actual true and living person of Jesus? Is your faith based on the One true story, or are you still just playing make-believe?
Do we simply treat Jesus like a relative that has passed away and sit around nostalgically telling stories of his life to remember Him? Or do we actively live our lives with the awareness that He is not dead, He is not just a story, He is alive and active and wants to be your Lord, Saviour, and King.
Ultimately, His story should so impact yours that you can no longer remember where yours ends and His begins.
My reply to Walt was, “That’s okay, Walt. A lot of people think that way. I thought that way, too, once. But let’s talk about why Jesus was and is more than just a story. Let’s look at His life in His Word and see who He really is…”
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