Have you ever tried to articulate the metanarrative or big story of the Bible? Last night at SUMO, the emerging leaders group that I’m running at Nene Family Church, we did just that. I asked the guys to try and articulate in a few sentences what the Bible was all about.

Here’s my attempt at summing up the metanarrative of the Bible:

The overall metanarrative of the Bible is of a missionary God, so committed to the rescue of sinful and hostile enemies that He was willing to incarnate that passion in human flesh and have cruel nails driven through His hands and a spear driven into His side to create a beachhead for his grace and salvation to be unleashed in enemy territory. Ephesians 2 is a classic example; hostile but enslaved enemies being released by God’s sovereign rescuing activity.

Following Christ’s resurrection and ascension; speaking as ‘the’ great missionary or pioneer to those who would follow after him in his footsteps, He said, “as the father has sent me, even so I am sending you” (John 20:21, ESV). Suddenly this metanarrative takes on a new surge of energy as the Spirit of mission is poured out upon the church so that we get caught up in Christ’s great rescue mission!