God's Story

Back in eighth or ninth grade my classmates and I studied the novel. We were told that there is a list of elements that describe important aspects of any novel. The elements are characters, plot, setting, theme and style - though back in the day 'style' was labelled 'tone'. Characters is who's involved. Plot is what is happening. Setting is where it's all happening. Theme is the point that the author is trying to make. And style is how the author expresses himself. In the high school class that I teach for Sunday school we are using those elements to understand the Gospel of Mark. I realize that the Mark isn't a novel, but it is literature and it is a story. This list of elements has proven helpful as our class has worked our way through a bit of Mark's account of the ministry of Jesus. I'd like to do that sort of thing this morning, applying that list to John 18. As I read the chapter, think about those elements: characters, plot, setting, theme and style. Listen as I read John 18.

The setting is not complicated, though it moves around a bit. It starts in that garden, moves to the house of Caiaphas and then to Pilate's headquarters. And the plot is clear. This part of the story is about Jesus being arrested and charged. And if we took the time we could figure out some things about God's style of writing His story. That leaves two elements: characters and theme.

We have quite a few characters here. Some are quite prominent, while others aren't. But they all have a role to play. So, there are the soldiers who arrest Jesus. They are very much in the background when it comes to the development of the plot. But then, there's that unnamed servant girl. She has a much more important role. What is ironic is that in the minds of most of the folk of that day, any soldier would be much more significant than any servant girl. But not in our story. Her simple question to Peter really is crucial to one aspect of the plot. Let's not forget Malchus who lost an ear - and then didn't. He is interesting to me because something bad happened to him. Peter cut off his ear. But out of this evil something very good occurred. Malchus experienced a miracle. Jesus healed him. While he is not crucial to the plot - God could have left him out of the story and still have the plot make sense - he has a role in expressing something of the theme which we will see in a bit.

Now, let's consider the more significant characters. There's Caiaphas, the high priest. It was his decision that makes this part of the plot happen. Next, there's the officer who struck Jesus. He was motivated by the honor of the office of the high priest of God. Good motivation, but poorly applied. Barabbas gets a mention. He was a murderer who was rescued from death. Jesus died instead of him. Again, this points to the theme. Pilate comes off as a weak politician. But he has an interesting conversation with Jesus that we'll consider at another time. And then there are the twelve, with special emphasis on Judas, Peter and 'another disciple' who was probably John. Judas and Peter started well, but both fell. By grace Peter was raised from that. Finally, we have Jesus, the main character of the story. Those are the characters. And while there are some large differences between some of them, they are all people living another day, doing this and that, but doing it all in God's story.

We'll not worry about style except to say that God does have a style to His writing. And just as quality authors can be known by their style of writing, God's style can be known too. That will become important later.

Now, it's time to talk a bit about the theme. This is the point of any story. If it's good literature, this is the idea that the author wants to press home. This is what has driven him to write his story. So, think about A Tale of Two Cities or Les Miserable or even Harry Potter. These books had noteworthy ideas that their authors wanted their readers to get. The authors wanted their readers to be moved by the theme of their stories. You might say that the theme is why an author writes. So, what is the theme in John 18? What happened here is only a part of the whole story. What you need to do is ask that question of the whole Bible. What's the theme of God's story? The theme is the love of God rescuing a dying humanity, something that He accomplishes by coming among us. That's the idea that God, the author, wants the readers of His story to get.

Now, we're ready for a question. When is this story over? When is God finished writing? This is a plot question. Some might say that it's all over when Jesus is resurrected. I don't think so. That would be the climax. After a story's climax there are still things to sort out. We're still sorting things out after Jesus' resurrection. Others would say the story is over once we get to the end of the book of Revelation. This misses the mark also. I rather think that Jesus' return is the end of the story. That's when the plot is completed and the theme can be fully appreciated. After that comes the sequel, a new story with a different plot and a different theme.

Now, the fact that God's story is not yet finished is actually a big deal. If the story isn't finished until Jesus returns that means that God is still writing. Jesus' arrest was one chapter of the story. But there were other chapters of the story written after Jesus' arrest. Actually, another chapter is being written right now. God is not done with His story. So, we can still talk about characters, plot, setting, theme and style. This means that you part of the cast of characters, living out the same plot in different settings, expressing the same theme, and doing that according to God's style of writing. I've just described your life.

If you can look at your life in these terms it will affect how you understand who you are and what's going on. You are in a story, a very important story, God's story. Every situation you find yourself in - whether that has to do with school or home or job or whatever - every situation is another setting for this story that God is writing. In every situation, the plot moves forward and the theme is being expressed.

It's so very important that you realize some things about this story. It's not just about you or even primarily about you. It's about something much bigger than you. The story is about the love of God rescuing a dying humanity, something that He accomplishes by coming among us. You most definitely have a role in this story. But you aren't the main character. Not even close. Jesus is still the main character. In fact, you just might be as unnoticed by so many people during your days as that servant girl was by so many people during her days. But just as she had some important things to do to advance the plot and express the theme, so do you. So, play your role well. And you do that being motivated by the honor of God's High Priest, Jesus. But apply that motivation wisely. Play your role well.

But how do you do that? There is no script with lines to read and directions to follow. This is where the Author's style comes in. You can play your role well if you understand how the Author has written the previous parts of the plot. You can play your role well if you understand His style. Here's one aspect of His style. Most of the time He uses ordinary people doing ordinary things. Oh, there are some extraordinary characters, like Peter. But for every extraordinary Peter with his extraordinary role there are uncountable ordinary people who have their very ordinary roles. So, be who you are. Be the ordinary person who has a role to play that no one will remember in the not that distant future. Be the ordinary person whom God has written into His story with lines to speak and directions to follow. Advance the plot and establish the theme by being who you are.

Now, consider other people. Everyone you know has a role in God's story. Some, sadly, refuse to play their assigned roles. They think that they aren't in God's story. They think that they are in a different story where they are the main character and the theme is about their great success, however they define it. But they are wrong. And their refusal to play their role in God's story will not frustrate the Author. In ways that I don't understand their refusal to play their assigned roles is the role that has been assigned to them. But it is sad. A life of fighting the Author of the story never works well. And more and more of these rebellious actors are realizing that. So, they conclude that there is no story. Life makes no sense. The best that you can do is try not to think about it. If you do think about it, you will do stupid things to yourself. And then there are those who do think about it and do stupid things to themselves. Maybe they can be persuaded to give up their refusal and rather submit to the Author and fulfill the roles He has for them. What do you think?

As you read good literature you find yourself being pulled into the story and asking yourself questions. What is the author up to? What's going to happen next? How will He resolve the tension in this part of the plot? You consider the different settings that the author uses and the twists and turns in the plot. And if you get familiar with one author's style you can see what's important to this author or how he usually resolves conflicts. Is it any different with God as an author? You're in the middle of His story. And it really is good literature. You've already read about some of the twists in the plot and have even experienced some of them. You know the theme of His story. And you have an advantage. You've been told some spoilers. You know how it ends. And so you can ask, 'What is the Author up to? What might He do next?' And you can get at least part of an answer to that. And that can help you play your role well. It can help you to broadcast the theme of the story, the love of God rescuing a dying humanity, something that He accomplishes by coming among us. Seeing yourself in the story can be very helpful to understanding what's going on and what will be going on.

So, what have I done? Well, I've preached a rather odd sermon. This is not exactly my normal style. But understand why I did it this way. I put familiar ideas into a different framework. I am hoping that this gives you a different way of looking at your life, a different way of relating yourself to the bigger story that sometimes is forgotten. I did this by trying to connect you to the events in the Bible so that you wouldn't fall into the trap of thinking, 'That was then. This is now.' No. It's the same story, and it's still being written. And if you can get a handle on that I'm hoping that you will understand life a little better, that you can understand God a little better. And with that understanding you can work with the Author as He moves His story to the last chapter.