Have you ever wondered, “Why Jesus?” Like, who is this guy named Jesus. What’s the big deal with him anyway? What’s the deal with this whole idea of him being a savior and dying for peoples sins? What does any of this mean anyway?
Well, to understand the answers to these questions, we must take it back. Waaay back. Back into time. Lol
We need to understand a little something I like to call, “The Fall of Man.”
To help lay the foundation for this study, I'd like to introduce you to an awesome video put together by the guys of The Bible Project.
Go ahead and dive right in!
Genesis 1:1-6
God is the Creator of all things, and, as we will find as we continue to read the Bible, He is also the Ruler, Judge, and Redeemer of all things.
How does the earth begin? Would this be a good place to live? Why do you say so?
What changes this situation?
God brings order to an otherwise uninhabitable earth.
Genesis 1:26-28
Humans are made in God’s image. They are made to reflect God’s glory.
What is God’s first action toward human beings? He blesses them. God intends for humans to be blessed.
God wills that human beings would fill the earth and rule over it.
Genesis 2:7-9, 15-17
God allows the humans to eat from the “tree of life,” but they are not allowed to eat from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”
God knows what is good for humans. Should human beings trust God?
By obeying God humans will live, but disobedience will bring about death.
Genesis 3:1-24
The humans decide to listen to the serpent rather than God. In so doing they cease to reflect God’s glory.
Humans once lived in the garden with God, but because of disobedience they are exiled from God’s presence. In other words, heaven and earth have been driven apart.
God prevents them from eating from the “tree of life.” Death becomes a reality.
These verses teach us that God has a plan for His creation. He intends to bless human beings, and He wills that they would flourish in His good creation. Humans however have turned away from God’s plan, and as a result have been banished from His presence. Genesis 1-2 describe God’s good creation, but Genesis 3-11 show us a world in disarray. A fallen world. A world in desperate need of repair.
Genesis 12:1-3
God calls a man named Abram (Abram is later re-named Abraham).
God promises to bless Abram, and through him bless all people.
Abram is God’s solution to the problems found in Genesis 3-11.
God has a plan to redeem and restore humanity through Abraham.
The rest of the Bible focuses on God’s promise to bring blessing to the world through Abraham’s family (Israel).
Matthew 1:1
The New Testament begins by telling us that Jesus Christ is one of Abraham’s descendants.
In other words, God is faithful to His plan. God promised to bring blessing to all people through Abraham, and in Jesus Christ He has fulfilled His promise.
Jesus is the climax of the biblical story .
Jesus Christ was God’s Son (John 3:16-18). He died on a cross, and was resurrected so that human sin could be forgiven (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Your sin. My sin.
2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Jesus brings about new creation. Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.
Through Christ God is reconciling the world to Himself. Through faith in Jesus Christ all may participate in God’s plan for His creation.
God is still reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus Christ. God wants all people to participate in His new creation. That includes you and me.
Revelation 21:1-4; 22:1-5
Through Jesus Christ, one of Abraham’s descendants, all creation will be renewed.
God will dwell with humans, just as he always desired. God’s presence among human beings will be restored.
Humans will again have access to the tree of life.
Instead of two humans in a garden, the Bible ends by showing us a city full of people, just as God intended (compare to Gen 1:28).
Heaven and earth will brought back together (Rev 21:1).
Discussion
What is God’s plan? What is God up to in our world?
God wants to bless all people, and that includes you (see Acts 17:24-28)!
God seeks to live among us.
God has given His Son so that we might participate in His plan.
How will you respond?
What is your next step?
God calls His creation “good” (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). What is good about it?
That's All Folks!
I hope that this study has helped to lay a basic foundation and understanding as to what the Bible is about.
You should have a basic understanding of God's initial plan for mankind, how we failed miserably, and how God devised a plan to save us from ourselves.
You should have a basic understanding of WHY we need a savior, and as we continue with these studies, we will learn more about WHO this savior is.