I just finished teaching the first of what looks
to be many bible survey classes here at Tanalian Leadership Center and I can
tell you it is one of the most life changing experiences piecing the story of
the Bible together and stepping back to admire the complete picture. Because
the process impacted me so deeply, I thought I would share my attempt at
painting the picture for you in a few paragraphs. Of course it won’t come
anywhere near the picture we have painted here over the last three months on
several hundred feet of butcher paper, but it is the same story after all.
There were two trees that had names in the garden, The Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil and The Tree of Life. Man, being the brilliant creature
that he is, chose the Tree of Knowledge and was off from the Tree of Life and
found himself face to face with death. Yet even as God is dealing out the
consequences, he is also hinting at a plan for restoration. The offspring of
Eve will crush Satan’s head.[1]
As the reader walks down the rest of the Old Testament road, he
finds that this is only the first of many road signs all pointing to something
ahead; something that brings hope.[2]
In Noah and Babel, we see God’s forbearance and mercy toward people
who seem to be hopelessly sinful[3] and a
promise not to wipe them out again.[4] In Abraham
we see a man who was considered righteous because of his faith[5] and a
promise to make him a blessing to all nations.[6] In Joseph
we see forgiveness[7], in the
Passover we see redemption by the blood of a lamb[8], in Moses
we see communion with God,[9] in the Law
we see the holiness of God[10] and a
promise of blessing for obedience, cursing for disobedience,[11] and restoration
for repentance.[12] In David
we see glimpses of a godly king,[13] yet he too
is taken by sin and dies,[14] but not before
the promise of a king to rule in his house forever[15].
Then the prophets paint for us ugly pictures of sin and judgment
contrasted with beautiful pictures of restoration and a promise that the coming
king from David’s house will be the deliverer. Through suffering,[16] he will
give us new hearts, hearts of flesh in place of stone[17], hearts with
the law written on them.[18]
Yet at the end of the Old Testament, we see persistent sin,[19] Chaos, partial
restoration, but a devastated people still looking and waiting for this
promised messiah.[20]
Then silence for 400 years…
And the story picks up again with some very strange circumstances.
In Luke, it’s the announcement of the birth of a herald. A specially anointed
man who would prepare the way for the Messiah. Then the Messiah himself is
announced.[21] Yet instead
of a mighty warrior riding in and taking over, he comes in the least expected
way, a child born in a stable to common folk. Raised in a humble town in a
simple family.[22] Then we
begin to see why when he quotes Isaiah and claims the words as his own.
"The spirit of the Lord
is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the year of the
Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18, Is 61:1-2)
Consistent with this, he lives a life of humility and compassion and
when he does finally ride into Jerusalem to set her free, it’s on a donkey and
it’s with tears over the impending rejection of her king.[23] Sure
enough, it wasn’t long before the words of the prophets were fulfilled.[24]
"Surely he
has borne our grief’s and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him
stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our
transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the
chastisement that brought us peace and with his stripes we are healed."
In this we see that his death was not in vain, but it was actually
in our place. Looking back at the history into which his life and death speaks,
we see that he was the substitute
ram,[25] he was the lamb who’s blood was shed,[26] he was the forgiver of sins,[27] he was the righteousness of God,[28] he was the coming king.[29] History
begins to make sense at the foot of the cross. And suddenly we have a choice to
make. We are all thieves nailed to our doom by the blood on our hands,[30] yet the
promise from Deuteronomy still stands, whispering in our ear, restoration for repentance.[31] Yet some
still scoff.
“he was” is a depressing
term though. What is a dead king to a hurting nation? That’s why he didn’t stay
dead. The women come to the tomb only to be met with a pile of empty grave
clothes and a question, “why do you look
for the living among the dead?[32]
A few days later two disciples are walking lonely road to Emmaus,
trying to make sense of everything that has happened, not sure what to believe.
A man appears and in a seven-mile long conversation he hands them the keys to
unlock history and prophesy.[33]
"you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the
ends of the earth."[34]
And they watched him ascend to heaven leaving the promise to send a
helper.[35]
Then at the harvest feast, the helper comes and the Church is born
with Spirit and fire. Thus God has returned to dwell among us, but these hands
and feet aren’t pierced by nails, rather they bear a striking resemblance to
our own.[36] The Spirit
dwells in us and suddenly we find ourselves caught up in the story, no longer
as casual observers but as active participants. A crucial component of God’s
plan to bring light to the nations.[37]
Through the painful rejection of their messiah, Israel slammed the
door in the face of God and the door to the gentiles is opened.[38] Now the
gospel goes out unchecked by even the worst of persecutions.[39] In the
hands of the formerly poor, imprisoned, blind and oppressed, the good news goes
out to the same.[40] And we
work with an urgency, knowing only that he
is coming soon,[41] and when
he comes, he brings judgment for the wicked[42] but for
those who’s names are in the book of life, the story ends back where it started,
with the Tree of Life. But then, instead of standing alone in the garden with
only two souls to nourish, it will stand in the midst of a huge city bringing
healing to all the nations who will have been restored to it’s life by the
blood of the lamb who was slain and is worthy to receive all the glory. [43]
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord
God Almighty
[1]
Genesis 2-3
[2]
Luke 24:27
[3]
Gen 8-11
[4]
Gen 8:21-22
[5]
Gen 15:6
[6]
Gen 17:5, 26:4
[7]
Gen 45
[8]
Exodus 12
[9]
Exod 33:11
[10]
Leviticus 11:44
[11]
Deuteronomy 28
[12]
Deut 30
[13] I
Samuel 13:14
[14]
II Samuel 11
[15]
II Samuel 7
[16]
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
[17]
Ezekiel 36:26
[18]
Jeremiah 31:33
[19]
Ezra 9-10
[20]
Luke 2:22-38
[21]
Luke 1-2
[22]
Luke 2:1-21
[23]
Luke 19:28-44
[24]
Luke 22:37
[25]
Gen 22
[26]
Exodus 12
[27]
Deut 30
[28]
Hebrews 4:15
[29]
Luke 23:3
[30]
Luke 23:39-43
[31]
Deut 30
[32]
Luke 24:5
[33]
Luke 24:13-35
[34]
Acts 1:8
[35]
Acts 1:6-10
[36]
Acts 2
[37]
Acts 26:23, Isa 42:6, Isa 49:6, Luke 2:32, Gen 26:4
[38]
Acts 28:23-28
[39]
Acts 8:4
[40]
Luke 4:18, Is 61:1-2, II Cor 4:1-6
[41]
Revelation 3:11, 22:7, 12, 20
[42]
Revelation 20:15
[43]
Revelation 22:1-5
[44]
Revelation 4:8
