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September
2, 2007 Mural
Worthey The Real Story Introduction: From childhood, we have been told the
stories of the Bible from one viewpoint; often it is the viewpoint of what is
interesting to children and what we were taught in VBS. But there is often a
more mature emphasis that is missed; there is the real story that should be
told. Here are some examples. The Story of
David and Goliath.
Recently in the presentation titled “A Tale of Three Kings,” we noted David’s
attitude and heart in contrast to Saul’s and Absalom’s heart. Samuel, the
prophet, said to King Saul, “Now your kingdom will not continue. The Lord hath
sought him a man after his own heart.” (1 Sam. 13:14.) In the NT, Paul
recounted this history and said concerning David, “I have found David the son
of Jesse, a man after my own heart which shall fulfill all my will.” (Acts
13:22.) In 1 Samuel 16,
Samuel anointed David the son of Jesse to be the King of Israel. Saul is still
reigning and will continue for the next several decades. David is still a young
boy. But in 1 Samuel 17, David goes out to check on his brothers on the
battlefield with the Philistines. He found the army of We have heard this
story from this angle repeatedly from childhood. This battle between the young
lad David and the giant Goliath has become a proverb and a parable. It
represents any conflict between good and evil when the evil seems to be so
great to overcome, but the young and seemingly impossible task is accomplished
by faith in God. While all of that is true, the real story is the contrast between
Saul hiding behind the rocks and the young King, David going out to meet the
giant. It is the story of faith and unbelief. David is the right kind of king;
Saul was like the kings of the nations around Jesus told his
disciples who were in conflict over this very matter that his kingdom would not
be like the Gentile princes who loved to exercise dominion over others. In my
kingdom, the chief will be your minister and the greatest will be your servant.
Even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give
his life a ransom for many. (Matt. 20:20-28.) This is the story that we should
remember from 1 Samuel. The Story of Jonah
and the Great Fish. This
is such an interesting story that it is easy to emphasize the sensational part
of the missionary getting swallowed by a big fish! Children love to hear it
repeated in Bible classes and VBS. It has a good ending; the fish did not have
Jonah for lunch. He was spit out on dry land and went his way to preach to the
Ninevites. But there is something else in this message; something for adults as
well. There is a real story often hidden and overlooked. The real story is
that the Gentiles were never left our of God’s view or care. He had not
abandoned the Gentiles; the Jews acted superior and better than the Gentiles,
but it was not so. Romans 1-2 show that there is no real difference between the
two groups—both sinned against God and were in need of the justification that
comes by faith. Peter said at the The real story is
the story of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Jesus said to some in his
day, No sign shall be given to you except the sign of Jonah the prophet. As
Jonah was three days and nights in the belly of the fish so must the Son of Man
be three days and nights in the heart of the earth, then he will rise again. (Matt.
12:39-41.) Jesus condemned those of his day for seeking after signs and
spectacular things. It is wrong to spend so much time on the amazing miraculous
event of the swallowing of Jonah and miss the real message! Just as some doubt
the truthfulness of the story of Jonah and the fish, some also question the
resurrection of Jesus from the dead. We are justified by our faith in the
resurrected Son of God. “Who (Jesus) was delivered for our offences and raised
again for our justification.” ( The Miracles of
Jesus. People are
attracted to the spectacular and the unusual. Onlookers demanded of Jesus more
signs. Paul wrote, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom
knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe. For the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we
preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock and unto the Greeks
foolishness.” (1 Cor. 1:21-23.) A nobleman from When Jesus was on
trial, Pilate sent over to Herod who was in The real story
behind the miracles of Jesus—calming the storm on Galilee, walking on water,
healing the blind, raising the dead—is not to satisfy or appease the childish
desires of men, but rather to demonstrate that Jesus had power over nature,
over diseases and even over death. It was to prove that he was the Christ, the
Son of God, so that men might be saved. That is the real story. “How shall we
escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken
by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him, God also bearing
them witness with signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy
Spirit, according to his own will?” (Heb. 2:3-4.) “And they went
forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them and confirming the
word with signs following.” (Mark 16:20.) “And many other signs truly did Jesus
in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but these
are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that believing you might have life through his name.” (John 20:30-31.) This
is the real story about the miracles of Jesus. Philemon,
Onesimus and Paul. There
is a little letter in the New Testament, only 25 verses, sandwiched between
Titus and Hebrews. It is about a runaway slave who lived at Colossea whose
master was a Christian. Paul met him in Is this the whole
story? This would have fit well in Luke’s conversion accounts in Acts. Many
have recognized that there may be more to this story than just the conversion
of one man. We are the runaway; the sinner. We have sinned against our Master
in heaven. Jesus has converted us and sent us back to the Father with a letter;
the letter of the Gospel of Christ. In the letter, it says to the Father,
“Whatever they owe, put it on my account. I will pay it in full.” On our way
back to the Father, we go cautiously and reluctantly because we know what we
have done and we read the letter often on the way home. What if the Father
rejects us and judges us guilty? But Jesus wrote, “Receive him as myself.”
(Verse 17.) Would the Father reject the Son? No, then he will not reject us.
The Father counts us as if we were Jesus His Son. “If you count me as a
partner, receive him as myself.” That is the real story of Philemon. Conclusion. During the trials of Jesus, Pilate tried
to avoid condemning Jesus to death. He reminded them that it was his custom to
release a prisoner of the Jews each year. He wanted to release Jesus and spare
him, but the crowd rejected the offer. They wanted a noted criminal released
and Jesus crucified. Barabbas was released; and Jesus went to the cross. (Mark
15:1-14.) This really happened; but there may be more to the story than just
the release of one prisoner and sinner. Bible names often signify deeper
meanings. His name, Barabbas, means the son of a father; a very general name; a
rather strange name except that it could refer to all of us. Jesus went to the
cross so that we might be released. That is the real story of the release of
Barabbas. |