Greatest Story Ever Told

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

The Bible was written over a 1600 year period by about 40 men from 1500 BC to AD 100. There are more than 168,000 Bibles either sold or given away per day in the United States. The Bible is the most sold book of all time and has been translated into more than 1,200 languages. There are more than 3,200 verses with prophecy fulfilled either within the Bible itself or since the Bible was written. But there are still more than 3,100 verses with yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecies. All that’s pretty impressive, pretty great, but it’s not why this is the greatest story every told.

It’s the greatest love story every written. Jesus, its central character, is the greatest lover in history. All the verses in all the books of the Bible point to Him. There are lots of subplots, heroes and villains. There is lots of history, philosophy, theology and poetry. It’s still all about Jesus. If I had to give up all but one book up, (which I really wouldn’t want to do) the book I would keep is the Gospel of John, because in a love story, it was written by one we are told Jesus loved. I figure John must know the most about the love this story is about. If I had to survive on just one verse, it would be John 3:16 which tells us why the greatest lover performed the greatest act of love ever. There is a reason folks put this verse on signs that they hold up at sporting events or write on their faces.

In a book this big, in a story this huge, it’s possible to get distracted and to chase rabbits into holes. We can disagree over subplots and fine points and esoteric meanings. We can choose to reject the whole story or pick the parts we like and reject the rest. We can strain our brains and  try to make it the story we would have written. We can take verses out of context and polish them up and base our life philosophy on them.  If we do that we rob ourselves of the wonder and miracle of the entire story, just as written.

It’s the greatest story because it’s a true story. It’s the greatest story because it isn’t over. The end is glorious but the details are just cloudy enough to keep us in suspense until the greatest lover rules as the greatest king, the King of Kings.

It’s the greatest story, because it’s more than a story. It’s a guide for the relationship we were all created to have, made possible by the sacrificial death of its hero. If we treat it as anything less, we cheat ourselves.