M o v i e C l i p B i b l e S t u d y

Clip Summary and Set-up: Les Miserables is a film in which an ambitious police officer (Javert) is trying to capture a criminal (Jean Val jean) who in his previous life had escaped from prison but has now repented of that life (due to favor from a priest shown to him right after his escape) and has successfully started over and is

a city leader and righteous politician. Javert is the newly appointed deputy of the city recognizes Jean Val Jean from his ealier life and tries to capture and sentence him for the criminal activites of his former life. The movie shows the subsequent chase between the justice-loving Javert and the newly redeemed Jean Val Jean. The movie

depicts a number of scenes that show the distinction between law and grace and forgiveness versus justice motifs. Scene one depicts his jail break and his subsequent life change by the good treatment of the town priest.

Les Miserable

WORD: GRACE

MOVIE: LES MISERABLE, 2000

CLIP: SCENE 1

VERSE: EPHESIANS 1:7

DIAGRAM: CROSS

BIBLICAL PARALLELS - P. 2 DIAGRAM - P. 3 DISCUSSION - P. 4

GRACEEphesians 1:7

Picking the Topic

FInd a word that communicates the subject matter most concisely, clearly, and

comprehensively. Think about the needs of your audience as you select your topic and make sure that your topic is biblically accurate and gospel-centered. The basics

of Christianity are the most misunderstood, yet most precious topics and one should look to start here. Usually

defining what a word is and what it is not is a good way to start and will give the audience a good reference point.

“WITH THIS SILVER, I BOUGHT YOUR SOUL, RANSOMED YOU FROM FEAR AND HATRED AND NOW HAVE GIVEN YOU BACK TO GOD” ~BISHOP

The MovieSet the Clip up with a movie context/summary and a lead in question. It is always helpful to fill people in where the scene falls in the stage of the movie (Only

give them the details that are needed to get the point you are trying to make.) Also, give your audience a lead in question.

This will tell them what to look for in the clip. Finally, look to make as many connections as you can from the clip with

reality - this will provide your transition to the verse.

Incorporating the BibleFind a Scripture that captures the truth you are looking to communicated clearly

and accurately. Try to find one that contains the word that you are focusing on for the study. This is the ground for

everything we are trying to communicate up until this point and we will build the discussion questions off of it.

BIBLIC AL PARALLELS

INTRODUCTION

TOPIC: GRACE, MERCY

DEFINE: GRACE - GETTING WHAT YOU DO NOT DESERVE

! MERCY - NOT GETTING WHAT YOU DO DESERVE

EXAMPLE: (WHEN HAVE YOU BEEN TREATED BETTER THAN YOU DESERVE)

CLIP

LEAD-IN QUESTION:

WHAT WAS SURPRISING ABOUT HOW THE PRIEST TREATED JEAN VAL

JEAN? SHOW AN EXAMPLE OF MERCY AND GRACE FROM THE CLIP.

TRANSITION QUESTION:

HOW IS THIS A COMPARISION/CONTRAST OF HOW GOD DEALS WITH US?

CONNECTIONS:

WhAT WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR JEAN VAL JEANS LIFE CHANGE? - YOU CAN SEE

A DISTINCT CONTRAST BETWEEN HOW HIS FEAR (HIS DREAM) AND LOVE

(THE BISHOP) MOTIVATED JEAN VAL JEANS ACTIONS.

• BISHOP - CHRIST FIGURE

• CANDLESTICKS - CHRIST FIGURE

• JEAN VAL JEAN - HUMANITY

• JEAN VAL JEANS THEFT - OUR SIN

SCRIPTURE

"IN HIM WE HAVE REDEMTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF

OUR TRESPASSES ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE.” ~

EPHESIANS 1:7

IF GOD IS GRACIOUS, THEN HE WANTS TO FORGIVE. YET FORGIVENESS IS

NOT FREE, BUT COSTLY. THEREFORE THE PRICE GOD PAYS FOR OUR

FORGIVENESS IS THE REDEMPTION PAID BY CHRIST’S BLOOD.

DiagramsPREPARATION!

1. HAVE A WHITE BOARD READY

2. DRAW IT CLEARLY, LEGIBLY

3. SPEAK AS YOU DRAW AND DRAW IT IN ORDER OF YOUR ARGUMENT.

4. MAKE SURE THE AUDIENCE

IS CLEAR ON HOW THE DIAGRAM ANSWERS THE QUESTION OR DESCRIBES THE TOPIC.

5. ASK THEM TO IDENTIFY WITH ONE OF TWO SCENARIOS

A PICTURE OF GOD’S MERCY AND GRACE IN ACTION

!

DIAGRAM

Diagrams are often very helpful because most people are visual learners. Anytime you can find a picture to reinforce words or biblical truth it almost always clarifies, sharpens, and clears up misunderstanding. Pictures can speak a thousand

words.

Look for drawings or ideas that are simple but capture a lot of meaning. A good test of simplicity is its reproducibility. Could the audience replicate this after one try? They need not be exhaustive, but are used to campture one main point.

The Cross DiagramThis diagram serves to answer the question, “How does God both do away with our just punishment and give us His righteousness?” In other words, How does God use mercy to keep us from getting what we do deserve and grace to grant us

what we do not deserve. The diagram starts with placing in “God” and the “man icon” apart from each other and drawing a line from God to man signifying his wrath poured out on us because of our sin. But, God absorbs that wrath by Himself through the cross of His Son and it is signified by a horizontal line drawn

across the vertical line. Thus, the cross absorbs God’s wrath meant for us and shows God’s mercy to us (not giving us what we do deserve). Then, the completed horizontal line highlights the cross as God’s new way of relating to us

in grace (giving us what we do not deserve) by giving us the perfection of Christ’s righteousness. Therefore, Christ gets the punishment and we get the perfection!

1. Wrath: God’s just punishment of Humanity because of our sin

3. Grace: God giving us what we don’t deserve - Christ righteousness

2. Mercy: God absorbing what we deserve-His wrath, by the cross of Christ.

DISCUSSION ? ’STopic  –  Grace                Verse  –  Ephesians  1:7

“In  him  we  have  redemption  through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins,  according  to  the  riches  of  his  grace.”

1. Clarify/De3ine:  Redemption,  Forgiveness,  Grace.

2. In  your  opinion,  what  is  the  main  point  of  Eph.  1:7?    

3. What  is  the  relationship  between  God’s  grace,  God’s  forgiveness,  and  God’s  redemption?

4. What  is  central  to  God’s  character  that  motivates  his  forgiveness?    Does  this  change  how  you  view  God?

5. What  did  forgiveness  cost  God?    Why?

Further  Study  –  Ephesians  2:4-­9

Topic  –  Grace                Verse  –  Ephesians  1:7

“In  him  we  have  redemption  through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins,  according  to  the  riches  of  his  grace.”

1. Clarify/De3ine:  Redemption,  Forgiveness,  Grace.

2. In  your  opinion,  what  is  the  main  point  of  Eph.  1:7?    

3. What  is  the  relationship  between  God’s  grace,  God’s  forgiveness,  and  God’s  redemption?

4. What  is  central  to  God’s  character  that  motivates  his  forgiveness?    Does  this  change  how  you  view  God?

5. What  did  forgiveness  cost  God?    Why?

Further  Study  –  Ephesians  2:4-­9

Topic  –  Grace                Verse  –  Ephesians  1:7

“In  him  we  have  redemption  through  his  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins,  according  to  the  riches  of  his  grace.”

1. Clarify/De3ine:  Redemption,  Forgiveness,  Grace.

2. In  your  opinion,  what  is  the  main  point  of  Eph.  1:7?    

3. What  is  the  relationship  between  God’s  grace,  God’s  forgiveness,  and  God’s  redemption?

4. What  is  central  to  God’s  character  that  motivates  his  forgiveness?    Does  this  change  how  you  view  God?

5. What  did  forgiveness  cost  God?    Why?

Further  Study  –  Ephesians  2:4-­9