The Bible tells one grand, overarching story of God’s plan to redeem and restore humanity and all of creation. Though composed of 66 books written over 1500 years, the Bible contains one unified message that focuses on God’s salvation through Jesus Christ. By understanding this overarching story, we gain insight into the meaning and purpose of our lives.
God’s Original Intent for Humanity
In the opening chapters of Genesis, God creates the heavens, the earth, and all living creatures. His crowning act of creation is humanity, made uniquely in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27).
God places the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, in the garden of Eden and commissions them to multiply, fill the earth, and cultivate it as His representatives. Humans are made for intimate relationship with God and partnership with Him in stewarding creation.
However, Adam and Eve are tempted to rebel against God’s design. Seeking autonomy, they eat the forbidden fruit in an attempt to make themselves the rulers of creation apart from God. As a result, humanity becomes enslaved to sin and death (Genesis 3).
God’s Plan to Rescue Humanity
The rest of the Bible tells the story of God’s plan to deal with the problem of human sin and restore His loving rule on earth.
In Genesis 12, God chooses a man named Abraham and promises to bless all peoples on earth through his offspring. Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, are meant to model renewed humanity living in covenant relationship with God.
Yet the people of Israel fail in their mission and fall into idolatry and unfaithfulness. The Old Testament prophets warn that Israel’s disobedience will lead to exile under foreign powers. But there is hope of a coming Messiah who will bring salvation.
Jesus the Messiah Fulfills God’s Promise
The New Testament opens with the arrival of Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Messiah. Jesus is the true faithful Israelite and the perfect human image of God come to deliver humanity.
Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus teaches about God’s kingdom and demonstrates its values through his loving words and actions. He lays down his life on the cross to free humanity from the power of sin. And he rises victoriously over death, accomplishing salvation for all who believe.
Before ascending back to the Father, Jesus commissions his followers to make disciples of all nations through the empowering of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts shows the gospel spreading rapidly in fulfillment of this mission.
The Church Continues Christ’s Redemptive Mission
The New Testament letters, written by apostles like Paul, instruct the newly planted churches on how to live faithfully in light of Christ’s salvation. They encourage believers to reject worldly values and live according to God’s coming kingdom.
In the climactic book of Revelation, the glorified Jesus is depicted as completing his triumph over all evil, sin, and death itself. God restores the cosmos to its original perfection to live face-to-face with redeemed humanity.
The Grand Biblical Storyline
Here is an overview of the major movements that make up the one grand story of the Bible:
- Creation – God makes the heavens, the earth, and good human beings in His image
- Fall – Adam and Eve rebel, bringing sin, death, and alienation from God
- Israel – God chooses Israel and gives them the law and the promised land
- Prophets – The OT prophets warn Israel of judgment but promise future salvation
- Jesus – The Gospels present Jesus as the fulfillment of OT hopes as Savior and Lord
- Church – The book of Acts shows the gospel spreading from Jerusalem to Rome
- Letters – NT letters instruct churches in living faithfully for Christ
- New Creation – Revelation depicts Christ’s second coming and the restoration of creation
Seeing the Unified Message
Understanding how each biblical book fits into this overarching story allows us to see the unified message that runs from Genesis to Revelation. God is on a mission to redeem humanity and defeat evil in order to live with us forever in a renewed creation.
No matter what book we read, we should see how it reveals the character and plans of God through the person and work of Jesus Christ. This approach helps us apply all of Scripture to our lives today.
The Significance of the Grand Story
Reflecting on the Bible’s overarching story highlights several key truths:
- Our purpose is found in representing God’s loving rule over creation
- Our fundamental problem is rebelling against God’s intent for our lives
- Through Christ, God has solved the problem of sin and is restoring humanity’s purpose
- All of history is moving towards its final goal – the new creation in Christ
- The Bible invites us to understand our place in God’s redemptive drama
Conclusion
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible reveals the story of God’s redemption. By sending Jesus to save humanity from the consequences of our sin, God has defeated evil and is restoring humanity’s purpose of partnering with Him in caring for creation. When we place our faith in Christ, we become part of God’s redemptive plan as we await the glorious climax of His eternal kingdom.
Key Verses
- “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”” Genesis 1:26
- “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
- “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
- “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”” Revelation 21:4-5a
Summary
The Bible tells one story of God’s redemption from creation to new creation accomplished through Jesus Christ.
