Context

We’re always talking about understanding scripture in context.

That means the context in which it relates to the verses and chapters leading up to and following a particular verse. It also means understanding scripture in the context of other scriptures. We can look at Genesis and see a connection in Psalms and Matthew. They seem like pretty different parts of the bible, don’t they? They are…but yet they aren’t.

There are scriptures that if read in isolation make God look unforgiving or angry. There are scriptures that if read alone, show us only the hopelessness of the human spirit. There are scriptures that if read in only the context of themselves seem to have no restorative nature what so ever. Many times, we avoid these parts of the bible.

Genesis is one of those places we tend to not go back to all that often. The story of how humankind messed up. We don’t like to rehash that. We like the gospels with the love of Jesus. We like the Sermon on the Mount and the Feeding of the five thousand. They’re wonderful scriptures. They’re fantastic examples of the love of Jesus; but if we look at Jesus’ love simply in a stand along context, it loses so much.

Jesus’ love needs to be looked at in the context of redemption. If you’re not following me so far let me ask a question. Have you ever heard someone’s Christian testimony? Maybe you’ve read about it or someone shared with you personally. How does it start? Usually, it starts with something negative. Not everyone’s testimony is about how they were pulled from the depths of Hell, sometimes people are simply lost or empty. Either way, as they tell their story we see transformation and redemption.

I am presently watching a series called “The Chosen” which is a story about the life of Christ. They have a quote that they’ve put on some t-shirts that speaks into the testimony of God in our lives.

"I was one way... and now I am completely different. And the thing that happened in between... was Him."

That’s an abbreviated testimony, but a testimony either way! What makes it powerful is the transformative power of it. Something or someone was one way…. Now things are different….and the defining factor to that change was…God.

So, getting back to our scriptural context. Sometimes we read scriptures that are only part of that statement. “I was one way”…..and we walk away without the power of the testimony.

I was reading Genesis 1-2 the other day. We see the perfection that God had planned for His people in Genesis. We get a glimpse into the beautiful story of creation. We see the perfect world God created. Then we see sin and how it broke Gods plan for humanity. I then took a look at Psalm I. This Psalm was written at a much later date, but in a still fallen world that has been taken over by sin. Had I walked away at that point I might have only felt discouragement. But, then I went to Matthew 1. Matthew is the beginning of God redeeming His people by sending His son as one of us. We see in Matthew 1 that Jesus’ ancestors include redeemed sinners and pagans like Rahab, Judah, Tamar, Ruth and even Bathsheba with the adulterous David.

What we start to see in this contextual connection is that God is in the business of redeeming sinners and showing His power through the unlikely and the weak.

“They were one way…and then they were different….and the thing that happened in between was Him.”

The power of scripture comes in the context of the testimony of Gods people.

When we look at Genesis and then at Matthew, we see God use everything from dust to broken people to do and create miracles.

Feeling unlikely or weak? You’re exactly what God loves to use to show His great power and love to the world.

When we look at all the names leading up to Jesus, we see broken people with broken lives. It’s through those very people that God sent a Savior. Just as God made the Earth from dust; God used the dust and ashes of peoples lives to bring a Savior.  

Taken out of context or standing alone these scriptures only paint part of the beautiful story of our incredible God. There are people that dismiss the Old Testament because they think the New Testament replaced it. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. If we don’t understand why Jesus was graciously sent to us in the first place then we no longer understand Gods redemptive forgiveness and Grace. If we don’t understand where we came from, we’ll never appreciate where we are or the promise of what’s to come.

"We were one way…Now we’re different…and the thing that happened in between was Him."

This doesn’t mean we’re suddenly perfect, but that we strive to live lives for Christ each day. It doesn’t mean we always get it right, but that we align ourselves to live a life worthy of Gods plan for us. We can only do this by knowing the whole story. The whole bible. The whole truth. The whole context. This is how we see the incredible testimony of humanity in front of us.

When you let God “happen” in your life by knowing the full context of His story, you’ll never be the same.