One of the questions I get often is how to find Christ in the Text. The follow up question is always then how to apply Christ through that Text into our lives. Even from the last blog, I’ve gotten many questions about how I came to this understanding of Jesus being the “end” of Psalm 119. Over the next four weeks, I’ll walk through a method that I use to help Jesus become more clearly visible.

At The Well, we practice a method called E.F.A.P.: Example, Fulfillment, Atonement, Power. Jesus is the example, the fulfillment, the atonement, and the power of everything in Scripture.

When we read the Scriptures, we often look for ourselves in the story of Scripture, usually as the protagonist – the main character. However, in reality, we’re either minor characters in the story, or worse–we are represented by the antagonist!

Though we can have positive attributes and these stories are examples of godly men and women that we can and should model, the Bible ultimately is a book about God, and we should see it as such! Every story and character in Scripture points beyond themselves to One who is greater – Jesus Christ. Many symbols, analogies, objects, people, places, and events foreshadow Christ. He is the true and better example and the only one who can reconcile us to the Father. When you read the Bible Christologically (seeing Scripture in light of the Gospel and through the lens of Christ) your heart will be drawn to worship God as you see how the entire Bible testifies about Him (John 5:39-40).

Each week, we’ll walk through a letter to show how we do this at The Well. Additionally, each week we’ll draw on two passages—one the same and one different—to show how to apply this.

EXAMPLE

JESUS IS OUR EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW, HE SHOWS US HOW

“13 You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. 16 Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.” (Jn. 13:13-16)

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” (1 Pet. 2:21)

When reading a story it is right to ask, is there something or someone described that reminds you of the person or work of Jesus and stands as an example of Him in which you should follow? This doesn’t have to be limited to the actual person of Jesus, but often the characteristics of other people or objects that point to Christ.

Every command Christ completes to perfection. Every strong character quality Christ has in full. Every warning against sin Christ never does. Christ is the complete and perfect example for us.

BIBLICAL PASSAGE (We’ll Study this Passage Each Week)

We’ll look at a common story from 1 Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath, each week as our model story. Familiarize yourself with the story if this is helpful. Additionally, each week I’ll only pick out some of the examples that I see. I’ll leave some of the “easier” and some of the “harder” ones in case you want to practice this exercise as well.

1 Samuel 17:14-15 “David was the youngest…went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep…”

1 Samuel 17:19-19 “Take for your brothers… parched grain…ten loaves…ten cheeses…”

1 Samuel 17:32 “… ‘your servant will go and fight.’..”

1 Samuel 17:37 “…’The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me…’”

David was tasked with keeping watch of his father’s sheep as a shepherd (v. 14) and as the youngest, delivering provisions to his brothers in Saul’s army (v. 15, 18-19). He was ready and willing no matter the ask, even if it meant fighting the feared Philistine, Goliath, for Israel (v. 32). He had seen the provision and power of God in his own life (v. 37) and therefore trusted and acted in obedience.

David, like Christ, was a servant willing to go. Jesus, too, has seen the Father’s work throughout eternity and trusted in His plan. He obediently carried out the work set before him, even unto His death. We, too, must trust our God and be willing servants who will go and do the work He calls us to.

What else can you see in the story? There’s about 30 examples that we’ve seen in a class that I’ve taught over the years!

ADDITIONAL BIBLICAL PASSAGE

This week at church, we walked through 1 Corinthians 9:19-27. Notice a string of this section in verses 19-23:

“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.”

I mean… come on! Paul was a great example, but think of Jesus. Jesus was literally “free from all” yet became a “servant to all.” While Paul was a great example, he wasn’t actually a servant to literally everyone. Jesus was. Jesus literally “became a Jew” so that He might “win the Jews.” Jesus was placed “under the law” though being the very law of God Himself! He reached those “outside of the law” often being accused by the Pharisees of doing this very thing, not following the law, although, like Paul, he was not “outside of the law of God.” That word “weak” can be translated even deeper, as the word sick. To the sick, Jesus literally became sick with sin, weak, and broken. Jesus became all things to all people that by all means He might win some. Why? That He might share with us in the gospel’s blessing!

Paul was great, no doubt. But Jesus was better! He was the example of doing whatever it takes that we should follow. He was the ultimate example that Paul followed in order to write this passage!

Jesus is our example in all of the Scriptures. If and as we see this, our life and Scripture reading will flourish.