Thought for the Week

Summer is traditionally the season of the cinema blockbuster and this summer has certainly maintained that tradition – and then some!

First to come along was The Incredibles 2, followed relatively quickly by Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, and most recently Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

All of these are sequels, or in the case of Mission Impossible, part of a long-running franchise. We’ve become so used to sequels and franchises that it seems a waste of time to complain about lack of originality etc.

But what is the relationship between a sequel and an original? They usually have characters in common and pick up at least some of the threads of the plot of the original. There has to be a recognisable relationship to what went before to qualify as a sequel or part of the franchise.

The relationship between the New Testament and the Old Testament in the Bible is one which has caused debate amongst Christians, and indeed those who have little interest in the church.

The idea of the sequel doesn’t do justice to this relationship but is of some help. The Old Testament is recognised to be more difficult while the New Testament focuses explicitly on Jesus.

Therefore most people would advise that if you want to find out about Jesus the New Testament is the obvious place to start. However, the New Testament makes more sense in the light of the Old Testament so we can’t ignore the place of the latter.

My advice when it comes to finding out about Jesus – and I believe He’s worth finding out about – is to start with the New Testament.

But for the “plot” to make sense, at some point you will want to engage with the Old Testament. Put the two together and you have the ultimate blockbuster.