Discovering Christ in the Pattern of Every Life & Every Tale
Why Every Movie Feels Like the Gospel
Every movie follows a familiar pattern. At the beginning, characters are introduced, a story is set up, and a hopeful outcome is placed before us. But as the movie develops, something goes wrong—a fatal flaw emerges. The characters, or the world they live in, become threatened by something that could ruin everything.
As the story unfolds, the tension builds. It begins to seem like all is lost. But then comes the moment of resolution—some gift or intervention that puts things right. And after that, we get the joy of a good ending.
A Pattern Arising from Human Life
The reason why that’s the pattern of every movie is because it’s the pattern of human life. And even more so, it’s the pattern of the Gospel.
From the beginning, God created humanity in love. Adam and Eve were formed from the dust and the breath of God (cf. Genesis 2:7). God placed them in a garden and gave them the dignity of relationship, the gift of mission, and the promise of divine life. His words could be summed up like this: “Live. Have life. I give you My own breath.”
But then came the fatal flaw: sin. That original goodness, that joyful trajectory, was interrupted. And as a result, Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden—the very place of peace in which we no longer live.
From that moment, the people of Israel tried to make it right. Through the prophets, the kings, the Temple, and the Law, they sought to restore what had been broken. But no matter how hard they tried, it wasn’t enough. Like Humpty Dumpty, once the fall happened, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put it back together again.
God Steps In
So God Himself came to us.
Jesus Christ entered the story not simply as another prophet or king, but as God-made-man. And because He is both fully divine and fully human, He could resolve the fatal flaw. He could set right what sin had made wrong.
But not everyone accepted Him. The Gospel of John says:
“He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him” (John 1:11, NABRE).
The Pharisees and Sadducees resisted Him. They questioned His identity. “You, a man, claim to be God?” And yet, through His miracles, His mercy, His endurance—even to the Cross—Jesus proved that He was not only man, but God in the flesh.
What It Means to Be Christian
So what does it mean to be Christian?
To be Christian means that I believe Jesus Christ is God and man, that He has revealed the love of the Father, and that He has given us the Holy Spirit as a strength in a broken world.
To be Christian means to live out that love—to be a son or daughter of the Father who loves us infinitely. It means trusting that even in a broken world, Jesus sets it right.
Jesus shows us what it looks like to be truly human. He shows us what a happy life is, even when life is hard. If life were easy, homework would never be difficult. But even in difficulty, Jesus reveals the beauty, the goodness, and the truth that are worth fighting for.
To be Christian means to carry the cross, because we know where the cross leads: to resurrection.
It also means living in hope—the hope that life has a happy ending. That heaven is real, and it stands before us. It means living by faith—trusting that God has spoken definitively in Jesus Christ, and because He has spoken, we now know how to live. It also means walking in love—the love of the Holy Spirit, who unites us into one Body, who helps us hold our tongues, serve one another, and live in the strength that God provides.
This Story Is Our Story
Our lives are not movies—but they do follow a divine pattern. We experience joy, brokenness, tension, and—if we accept it—the grace of resolution in Christ. That’s why the Gospel feels familiar. It’s not fiction—it’s our story.
During Lent, we know how the story ends. They tried to crucify Him. They did crucify Him. But He rose from the dead. Because we know His story, when we live as Christians, it becomes our story.
That’s why we are Christians. Because the story of salvation… is our story. We who believe in Jesus… live in that hope.
Father Jarrod Lies, Pastor