In Luke 24, the first two sermons Jesus gave His followers on the day of His resurrection explained the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures. Throughout the book of Acts, this content was preached 12 times by seven different people.
Knowing how the Old Testament Scriptures foretell a coming Messiah and how Jesus is the fulfillment is powerful in building one's faith. Often, the most rigid unbelievers find it to be the convincing proof that turns them from unbelief to followers of Jesus Christ.
Regrettably, the teaching of this fundamental aspect of our faith, the understanding of Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures, is a rarity in today's church. This lack of knowledge among many Christians is a pressing issue. The LUKE 24 Project is dedicated to addressing this gap and reviving this crucial understanding among Christians and those exploring the faith.
Pursuing Scripture Engagement
Our heart is to communicate the Gospel and to help people grow in their Christian faith. Since the Bible is not the easiest of reads, many refuse to give it a chance; however, they will pick up a quality graphic novel. The graphic novel format conveys large amounts of information in a short time, so a reader quickly discovers the primary themes and stories of the Bible.
Educators are deeply concerned about the steep decline in literacy, with multiple studies reporting that over 50% of U.S. adults have reading comprehension skills below a 6th-grade level. Over the past 20 years, social media has trained society to ingest small portions of text alongside graphic depictions. This format has caused a severe decrease in reading comprehension among children and adults alike. The decline in reading skills contributes to increased Bible disengagement, especially among youth.
We have designed the Footsteps of Christ graphic novels to introduce readers to Jesus through the fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies and to communicate major theological doctrines and the grand narrative of God's plan. The graphic novel format helps change perceptions of the Bible from an obscure and elusive book to a comprehensible story about Jesus the Messiah from beginning to end that is understandable, exciting, and life-altering.
The following are a few ways the graphic novel format helps overcome Biblical illiteracy, promote Biblical engagement, and communicate God's redemptive truth.
Scientific studies, such as those based on the Dual Coding Theory of Cognition, have provided concrete evidence of the effectiveness of graphic novels in learning. These studies show that our brains process text and images in different areas, and pairing an image with text enhances memory retention for both. This scientific backing instills confidence in the use of graphic novels as a powerful educational tool.
Though Scripture-based graphic novels were originally designed to engage youth in the critical 10 to 14 age window, many testimonies of graphic Bibles bring parents back to the faith and set solid frameworks of Biblical understanding in children as young as five. The graphical adaption of Scripture provides reference verses at the bottom of each page so the reader can find the passage in the Bible for further engagement.
Graphic media has proven highly effective for teaching content in primary subjects such as science, math, and social studies. Slow, reluctant readers and those with learning disabilities gravitate to graphic materials. Graphic novels and comics add an enjoyment factor to education.
Libraries are increasingly purchasing graphic novels to re-engage the next generation of readers. Even schools and elite colleges are growing utilizers of graphic novels, with West Point military academy requiring graphic novels for reading that effectively stimulate the imagination and provoke conversations around possible scenarios of future threats and warfare.
Intricate and well-designed graphic novel art is a compelling format for an unchurched or non-religious person to pick up and peruse. The Bible, containing difficult words, sayings, and events in far-removed cultural contexts, can be intimidating to a novice seeker of religion. The graphic adaptation of the Scriptures provides an enticing gateway to the gospel and Biblical understanding while offering an attractive medium for personal and social media sharing.
When seeking to help a culture understand a message, it is best to present it in familiar forms. The mediums of graphic novels and film are highly transcultural. Every day, billions of people worldwide read and understand the visual story medium historically known as “comics” in the Western world. In other countries and cultures, they are called manga, manwha, komika, tabeos, foto novella, and many others. No matter the term, the comic/graphic novel format is one of the most widely read and popular forms of literature.
Wycliffe reports that of the 7,378 languages worldwide, only 717 have a completed Bible. This leaves around 6,000 living languages without a complete Bible translation in their heart language. The graphical and animated explanations of the Holy Scriptures fast-track the delivery and dissemination of a holistic overview of God's Word from Genesis to Revelation in languages without the Scriptures. One Bible translator described the Scripture-based graphic novels as "the most comprehensive evangelism tract ever." Missionaries can use graphic Bibles to set a framework of Biblical understanding for a people group and the mother-tongue translators as the Scriptures are translated into their heart language.
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Additionally, we would love to hear about how the materials have impacted your understanding of the Scriptures.
