The goldwork embroidery in The Apocalypse Tapestry still shimmers 700 years after its creation. The actual gold metal wound into the threads evokes the splendor of this scene from Revelation 4. In Christian art, gold is the color of God’s glory, representing the hue through which God reveals his heavenly brilliance to earthbound creatures. Thus, this panel from the medieval French tapestry still elevates viewers into wonder. John beholds the Almighty One on the throne and the redeeming Lamb next to him. God is the shining reality underlying all creation. All things come from God and all things return to him. The golden threads stitch a bright home throughout the whole weaving.

 

We could also say that there are golden threads of phrases and word pictures running through Scripture from Genesis through Revelation that stitch the whole story together with glory. These golden threads reveal the deep underlying unity in the Bible and take us to the heart of God’s glorious narrative of redemption.

This Lent we will lift out six of these golden threads and spend a week exploring each: 

 

1. Creation

2. The Lamb of God

3. God Will Dwell with Us

4. I Will Be Your God

5. Fear God

6. Fear Not

 

Test of a Golden Thread

 

As I chose which golden threads to pick out for this study, I used these criteria. First, the phrase, image or theme had to appear in at least five key locations: 1) Genesis, 2) the history of God’s people Israel, 3) the poetry of the psalms or prophets, 4) the story of Jesus (gospels or epistles), and 5) Revelation. Then, tracing one of these golden threads had to be a way to tell the gospel. That is, the thread had to connect to God’s overarching story of love which climaxed in Jesus. A golden thread has to invite us to participate in Scripture’s grand narrative of creation, fall, redemption, mission and recreation. 

 

How to Use This Study in Twenty Minutes a Day

 

Jeremiah 31 Every Day: Don’t Skip This!

 

I invite you to pray aloud each day from the magnificent 31st chapter of Jeremiah. This passage takes us to the very heart of the Bible’s revelation. It contains the central golden thread which stitches together the whole story. We can look at any part of the Bible through the lens of this passage and watch it start to shimmer with God’s glory. Therefore, it’s spiritually formative for us to say this passage so often that we come to know it by heart and so possess it as a great treasure. Please do read it aloud every day at least once. 

 

Daily Scripture

 

We’ll read a selection of texts that contain the week’s golden thread. Take your time. You might want to read these once silently and once aloud. As the week progresses make note of how the thread appears in different historical events and poetic reflections. Try to stay aware of how this golden thread ties together the Bible’s whole revelation. 

 

Picking Up the Thread

 

These golden threads occur in a variety of places and forms in the Bible, so in this section, we will unpack the different contexts of each golden thread. Over a week, we might explore how the thread relates to the very early accounts of Genesis or how it appears in the teaching and events of the life of Jesus and the way the apostles reflected on Christ. We might consider what the thread means as it is presented in the poetry of a psalm or a promise in the prophets. Or we might contemplate what it means that this thread still shimmers with meaning in the Bible’s final book.  

 

Stitching It In

 

In this section, we will invite the Spirit to weave this golden thread into our daily lives. We’ll consider what the truth of the key phrases and/or images means for our growth in Christ and our carrying out his mission in the world.

 

Praying Along the Pattern

 

This is where we strive to internalize what we learn through this golden thread by praying it back to God. I’ve offered words through which you can press close to Jesus as you encounter him in these Scriptures. Of course, this is only a springboard for you to continue with your own prayers! 

 

Many centuries ago, a church father who became known as Gregory the Great realized that “Scripture grows with the reader.” This conveys that the Bible’s storyline is simple enough to teach to a child, but the depths of this narrative will occupy us throughout eternity. A lifetime of close and prayerful study reveals there is always more to find. The more we explore, the more we discover how profoundly the Bible holds together. Though written by more than 35 authors across a timespan of at least 1,500 years, Scripture tells a single story of the God who loves us enough to become one of us forever. I pray that daily tracing these golden threads will make your hearts glow from the brilliance of God’s priceless revelation to us.

 

Acknowledgments

 

It’s a pleasure to write with you in mind beloved congregation! Your thirst for God’s Word inspires me continually. Together, we’ve followed the Spirit’s leading to press further into the beauty of Christ. I’m also so grateful to work with such a skilled and dedicated team of staff members. In particular, this is the 14th Lent study Katie Robinson and I have worked on together. Her layout and design skills make the words so much more effective. And this marks Dr. Jean Rohloff’s third year editing the book for clarity and readability. Laura Shaw and others sacrifice their eyes for proofreading. And it’s such a treat to work with Lauren Honea, Scott Graham and Jacob Struppeck on the podcasts. One more time, then, let’s take 42 days to quest for more of Christ as we prepare to celebrate his resurrection.