So claims Russell Moore in an insightful article titled “Beyond a Veggie Tales Gospel: Why We Must Preach Christ from Every Text.”
Here’s his explanation:
“…the Veggie Tales episodes we’ve all seen are bloodless. They take biblical stories, and biblical characters, but they mine the narrative for abstractions–timeless moral truths that can help children to be kinder, gentler, and more honest. There’s almost nothing in any episode that isn’t true. But what’s missing is Jesus.”
He then explains that, since all of the promises of God find their Yes in him (2 Cor. 1:20), we must understand and teach all of Scripture as being ultimately about Jesus. He writes:
“Why is this so important? Why can’t I simply say true things from the Scripture without showing how it fits together in Christ? It is because, apart from Christ, there are no promises of God. In the temptations, Satan quotes Scripture to Jesus, and doesn’t misquote the promises. God wants to children to eat bread, not to starve before stones. God will protect His anointed One with the angels of heaven. God will give His Messiah all the kingdoms of the earth. All this is true. What is satanic about all of this, though, is that Satan wanted our Lord to grasp these things apart from the Cross and the empty tomb. These promises could not be abstracted from the Gospel.”
If you have time, I’d encourage you to read the whole thing. It is very well-written and soul-strengthening.
1 comment
Comments feed for this article
May 27, 2008 at 10:00 am
Tricia
Hi. I would just like to point out that VeggieTales hasn’t overlooked Jesus. Sure, a large portion of VeggieTales stories are old testament stories, and the VeggieTales characters do not really explain all of the pictures of Christ in the old testament stories. However, Here are the lyrics from a song from the episode, “Easter Carol”:
There’s a story that started on Christmas
When a baby was born in the night
And those who came far, who followed the star
Were seeing a heavenly sight …
a heavenly sight.
Well the years hurried by, and the boy, now a man
Could make the blind see with a touch of his hand
He was born to be King — he was Rabbi and Priest
But the best that he had, he gave to the least …
He gave to the least.
He was born and he died, almost 2,000 years ago
He laughed and he cried, he felt all the fears we know
But what does it matter? A story so strange …
Even if it is true, what does it change?
What does it change?
Well he spoke like a prophet — like no one they’d heard
This simple young carpenter — crowds hung on every word
He hated injustice — He taught what is right
He said “I’m the way, and the truth, and the light.”
His friends soon believed that truly he was the one.
The Savior, Messiah, God’s one and only son.
But others, they doubted, they did not agree
So they took him, they tried him,
He died on a tree …
He died on a tree.
God has made a way
for all who mourn and grieve
Death will never be the end
if you just believe.
There is nothing left to fear
nothing Heaven knows
For he died for us to give us life
and to give us hope He rose
He died for us to give us life
And to give us hope He rose.