From Beginning to Forever: A Study of the Grand Narrative of ScriptureSample

In our Bibles, as we turn the page from Malachi to Matthew, it’s easy to forget that there are over four hundred years of history between these two books.

As they waited, the Jews prayed, learned the Law (the Torah), celebrated their religious festivals, and gathered at their places of worship (aka synagogues) to remind themselves of the covenant they had made with God. Salvation would come when the king arrived. So, they waited in hope.

And then one day, Hope came.

Read Luke 2:1-7.

When Jesus was born, only His parents and maybe a few animals were there to welcome Him. That’s it. The moment of His introduction into the world is not what we would expect for the birth of a King. Rather than coming in power and grandeur, the promised King was born in humility and poverty.

The biblical authors didn’t tell us much about Jesus’s childhood. Other than one situation when His parents mistakenly left Him behind in Jerusalem and found Him in the temple “sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46), they skipped over His younger years and picked up at the point when He began His ministry.

The ministry of Jesus is kingdom restoration. He brings life, healing, and peace into a world ravaged by sin. During His ministry, Jesus gave people glimpses of the kingdom.

Remember, sin is an intruder. It was never intended to be a part of God’s creation. Through His miracles, Jesus gives humanity a quick picture of a world that is devoid of sin.

Read Matthew 4:17.

Jesus’s model of discipleship required His followers to commit to Him and the standard of kingdom living He required.

Throughout His ministry, Jesus experienced opposition to His message. By declaring Himself as Lord and King, Jesus made a bold claim that did not sit well with the Jewish religious leaders. But their attempts to silence the King of creation actually did the opposite. As a part of God’s divine plan, Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection serve as His enthronement, confirming Him as King and claiming final victory for the kingdom of God.

Read Luke 23:32-49 and Luke 24:1-8.

When Jesus died, darkness covered the land, a physical representation of the sorrow and pain that filled this moment.

Crucifixion was a cruel and terrible mode of death in the Roman Empire. But in Jesus’s resurrection, this humiliation resulted in His glorification. With this one sacrificial act, Jesus accomplished His kingdom mission. In Genesis 3:15, God had promised He would fix what Adam and Eve’s sinful decision destroyed. Through Jesus we see this promise fulfilled!

The King has risen, and His rule has begun.

Hallelujah!