Acts 13:46-49

How Does It All Fit Together?

A Question of Story

Acts 13:34-39

How Does It All Fit Together?

A Question of Story

Throughout the gospels, we read stories of a few people who are raised from the dead. The cold fact is that those people did not live forever and died again. As our verses for today read, David, a man after God’s own heart, died and was buried like everyone else. People are born, live life, and die. This is the simple fact of life.

But this is not the story of Jesus. Because Jesus was man and God, once he rose from the dead, he did not die again. Jesus ascended into heaven and took the seat at the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19). This is extraordinarily important for the story of the world. Our salvation relies on Jesus conquering death. If Jesus resurrected just to die again, then he did not actually beat death. This is not what happened. Jesus conquered death once and for all.

Because of Jesus’ story, each of us can defeat death as well. Yes, we will die, but our dying leads to eternal life with God in heaven. Because of Jesus’ actions on the cross and his defeating of the grave, we can proclaim with a loud voice, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:55). Praise God that Jesus’ victory over death can be our story!

Acts 13:26-33

How Does It All Fit Together?

A Question of Story

From 2008 until his death in 2018, you could count on Stan Lee to make a cameo in every Marvel movie. Stan Lee was the co-creator of almost every Marvel superhero, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, and the Hulk, to name a few. And it was a Marvel movie staple for Stan Lee to make a cameo as some minor character. From Iron Man in 2008 to Avengers: Endgame in 2019, months after his death, Stan Lee appeared in 22 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For that decade, it wasn’t a Marvel movie unless Stan Lee showed up. 

The movie of your life is not complete unless it includes the story of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. In Paul’s sermon to Pisidian Antioch, he spends the early part of the sermon sharing about Israel’s history in order to lead to the moment that he can share about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. The story of Jesus’ life on earth is what puts everything together. As we ask the question, “How do all the pieces fit?”, the story of Jesus is the piece of the puzzle which connects all the other pieces. Your puzzle, your story, is incomplete without Jesus. The story of God’s love for Israel and the world is incomplete without Jesus.

Is Jesus part of your story? Is Jesus part of your neighbor’s story? Praise God if Jesus is part of your story. Then, go and share with your neighbor how he/she can make sense of the world. Your story is not complete without Jesus. Make sure the people around you know that truth as well.