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The Story Of The Bible: The Grand Narrative

The Story of the Bible

You Can Be God's Friend

Hi! My name is Robbie, and today I am going to tell you the story of the Bible, the big story that’s behind all the others, the story of God’s unrelenting mission to give you an incredible life full of love, innocence, purpose, and honor.

Long ago, back before the world was created, before the universe was made, before time as we know it began. Before everything, for eternity past, there was God.

God was the source of Life, the essence of all existence: His name, Yahweh, means the One who Was and Is and Is to Come: the I AM. He was perfectly Good and filled with Love.

Yahweh said to Himself, “You know what? I want to create something. And what I want to create is a world full of people who are like Me, each one free to do as he wishes, all of them living together with Me in love, goodness, honor, and purpose.” So it was that, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now, the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness He called “night.” And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

In similar fashion, God created the oceans, the land, and every kind of plant; the sky and the heavens, the sun, moon, and stars; all the fish of the sea all the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves on the ground, from the smallest insect to the behemoth brontosaurus. God created it all, and He saw that it was good.

Then God took dust from the ground and formed a man, and He breathed into his nose the breath of life, and he became a living being. God put him in a beautiful garden, to take care of it, and He said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will create a helper who is just right for Him.” God made a woman and brought her to the man, and they were married. So God created human beings, male and female, both of them in the image and likeness of God, reflecting His personality and His character.

And God gave them authority to rule with goodness and honor over all of Creation, to love and take care of it, to live in friendship with Him.

Now, God created human beings to be like Himself, and so He gave you free will, the freedom and ability to choose to act as you wish. Soon they had to decide: should they obey and trust God, or should they decide was right for them? God warned them that if they chose themselves over God, which is called sin, they would die, because sin destroys the relationship between human beings and God. Sin is the direct opposite of God’s flawless character. Only he who is flawless can be in union with God, for anyone who is not destroys that perfection. Even the smallest sin permanently breaks that union. It’s like putting a drop of grape juice in water: the water can never be perfectly pure again. In the same way, even the smallest sin permanently mars the one who commits it: you can never be perfectly good again. So separation from God can never be mended, and because God is the only source of life, separation from Him causes death, forever.

Nevertheless, the first man and woman failed to recognize that all which was good and valuable in them was only so because of God. They chose their own way. They turned their backs on God and chose to decide what was right for themselves, their own truth. They decided their own wisdom was better than God’s. In that moment, the relationship between humankind and God was broken. The sin which man and woman had committed brought a curse and death on them and on everything under their authority, on all Creation: they had abandoned God, and the world suffered.

From that point on, even up to today, every human being has decided the same thing: to choose his or her own way over God’s way. Each one has been separated from God, cut off from God’s Life, not only destined to die physically, but also to suffer forever apart from God: to experience spiritual death forever. But God promised that He would make a way for you to be reunited with Him.

For many years, humans thought nothing of God, living and dying, growing ever more evil and dishonorable. God sought to remove their disgrace from the earth, so He sent a flood to cover the whole world. But there was one good and honorable man, and God preserved him and his family. So humanity was destroyed and begun anew, but while this man was good, he was not perfect. He continued the same sin as his ancestors, and so sin and shame continued to fill the earth.

Again, God found another man who honored him, and he said to this man, “Go, leave your family and follow Me to the land I will show you,” and God made a covenant with him, saying, “On My life, through your offspring all the peoples of the world will be blessed.” In faith, the man obeyed, and even while his wife was unable to have children, he trusted God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. Wherever he went, he brought honor to God, and he was called God’s friend. Then, when he was one hundred years old and his wife was ninety, God gave them a son, just as He had promised.

His descendants grew into a great nation, but they were all enslaved in Egypt while God patiently waited for many nations to turn to Him, and after four hundred years, God sent a man to deliver them. Through many signs and wonders, they were set free. God chose them to be His people, and they marched off to the promised land. God promised them that if they obeyed and followed Him, He would forgive them for their sins, and they would be saved from eternal death. But they did not obey. God’s people abandoned Him yet again, and not for the last time. He formed another covenant with them, but they broke it. Then He promised a king, a man after God’s own heart, that his descendant would sit on the throne forever. His sons turned away from God, violent and evil, bringing shame on God’s name. God sent prophets to warn them about their sin, but they shamefully treated the prophets and killed them. So God sent armies to capture them and take the people into captivity. God’s people were plundered.

But God loves His people: He always keeps His promises. God spoke through prophets who told of a coming Messiah, someone who would deliver the people from their captivity and reign as a Good King forever. Soon the empire that had captured God’s people fell, and some of them returned and rebuilt their homeland, but then the voice of the prophets ceased. The people were ruled by others, and they longed to be restored to the relationship they had forsaken so many centuries ago, and they waited for the promised king.

Every single time, every single person, they all eventually chose sin and were separated from God forever, destined for death. God knew that no ordinary human, nor any nation, could solve the problem of sin, brokenness, and shame. There was only one way: God had to become man.

One day, a virgin engaged to be married was astonished to see an angel from God enter the room. The angel said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly perplexed. The angel continued, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus, and He will be the Son of God Most High.”

She became pregnant and remained a virgin until after her son was born, and He was named Jesus. So the eternal God was born as a human baby: for the first time since man had sinned so many years ago, God Himself was with us.

Jesus grew in wisdom and stature until one day He began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Now, lots of people can preach, and some are worth listening to. But Jesus was no ordinary preacher. Not only did He preach with authority, but He also began to heal. Jesus was going all over the countryside, teaching and proclaiming the good news, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. The news about Him spread far and wide; and they brought to Him all who were sick, those suffering with various diseases and severe pain, people who were demon-possessed, people with epilepsy, and people who were paralyzed; and He healed them all. Large crowds followed Him. People walked for days, even weeks and months, to find Him.

And that was not all Jesus did. Once He was in a boat when a violent storm came up, but He was asleep. His friends were terrified. “We’re going to die!” They shook Jesus awake. “Don’t you care that we are dying?” Jesus stood up on that tossing boat, He reached out His hands, and He said, “Peace. Be still.” Immediately, the wind and rain stopped, and the sea was flat. His friends marveled. “Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey Him?”

Another time, they were in a boat, but Jesus was not with them. Again, a storm came up, and they looked, and they saw a figure coming toward them, walking on the water. “It’s a ghost!” they cried. But it was no ghost. It was Jesus. One of them said, “Jesus, if it is really You, ask me to come to You on the water.” Jesus said, “Come.” The man stepped out and walked on top of the water to Jesus, but when He looked down and saw the water swirling around him, he was frightened and began to sink. “Jesus, save me!” Jesus reached out His hand and pulled him up. “Why did you doubt?” They climbed into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the other side of the sea.

The religious leaders were jealous of Jesus’ crowds. When Jesus performed miracles and cast out demons, they said He had a demon. When Jesus forgave people of their sins, they said He was falsely claiming to be God. Then Jesus claimed to be God directly. They tried to kill Him then and there, but He eluded them. They brought to Him a woman caught sinning; He lifted her up and forgave her, telling her to go and sin no more. He welcomed every outcast, healed every unclean person, ate with those who were rejected, loved those who were unloved, and He offered them all eternal life.

And how they hated Him, those religious leaders. They sought for any way they could to end Him. They arrested Him on false charges and accused Him of trying to overthrow the government. The judge could see that He was innocent; in fact, He had never sinned in His whole life, not once. There was not one shameful thing Jesus ever did. But the leaders prevailed, and Jesus sat there quietly, letting them condemn Him. They beat Him. They flogged Him. They stripped Him naked and made Him walk through the streets of the city. Then they nailed Him to a wooden cross to die. They taunted Him. And He let them do it.

They killed Him.

The day Jesus died, the sun went dark, the earth shook, and the rocks were split apart, and seeing these things, the soldiers standing there proclaimed, “Truly this was the Son of God!” A rich man offered his tomb. They buried Jesus.

His friends ran. His friends cried. God had died.

The next day was the Sabbath. They huddled inside, terrified of what the religious leaders might do to them.

The day after that was Sunday. A few women went to Jesus’ tomb to anoint His body. “How will we roll away the stone?” they wondered, for there was a massive, heavy stone sealing the tomb, and there were soldiers guarding it. They approached the tomb.

What is this! The stone is rolled away! What is—What is that? Is that an angel? What is going on?

There was an angel, sitting on the stone which he had rolled away, the guards unconscious with fear, lying on the ground as though they were dead          .

The angel spoke: “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.”

One of the women was weeping, and as she turned away she saw Jesus, standing right in front of her, but she did not recognize him through her tears, but Jesus said to her, “Mary!” and hearing her name, she looked up and saw His face, and she clung to Him.

The women ran to find Jesus’ other friends, and told them what had happened. Immediately, some of them ran as fast as they could to the tomb to see for themselves. Jesus was gone! Jesus was alive! Where was Jesus now? They went home, evening came, and the doors were locked shut, because they still were scared of the religious leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was there, right there in the locked room. He showed them His wounds, His hands and feet, pierced from His death. They reached out and touched Him, and He ate food with them.

For forty days Jesus stayed among them, and He was seen by many people, even five hundred at once. Then one day, when they had come together, they began asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time that You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” But He said to them, “It is not for you to know the time, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses as far as the remotest part of the earth.”

And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were watching, and a cloud took Him up, out of their sight. And while they were gazing intently at the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them, and they said, “Why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

Then one day, while they were praying, a wind rushed into the room. The Holy Spirit fell, and filled them with boldness, giving them power to work miracles and speak in languages they did not know. The Holy Spirit will also come to live with you when you choose to give your life to Jesus Christ, and He will empower you to share this good news, this story of what Jesus has done. And what has Jesus done?

Jesus, God Most High, lowered Himself to be born as a human baby. He was born in poverty, in a feeding trough for animals, far away from His mom’s home: there was no room for them in the inn. His mom was single when she became pregnant. He was adopted by his earthly dad. And then His dad died not too long into His life, probably when He was a teenager or when He was in His twenties. Jesus gave up all the glory and honor of being King of the universe to become nothing, so that He could be like you, so that He could restore His relationship with you, so that He can take your sin, and set you free.

On that cross, Jesus, who had never sinned, the only person who was full of Life and would live forever—Jesus took all of your sin, your guilt, your shame, and your fear upon Himself. He died in your place. Then He rose from the dead, defeating sin and death forever. He offers you freedom from sin, guilt, fear, and shame if you believe in Him, and not only freedom but eternal life as an adopted child of God the King. You can have this freedom and life right now by giving Jesus your allegiance, and you will be filled with the Holy Spirit who will be with you forever. Not only will He free you from your sin, but He will give you an abundant life. He will you restore you to your true identity, and He will empower to go forth with life and meaning and purpose, with a clear destiny in mind, and on an adventure of lifelong, eternal discovery laid out before you. Yahweh, God will be your Father, and He will give you His name.

And one day, on a day we do not expect, Jesus will come back again. When He returns, He will destroy evil and eliminate sin and shame forever. Then this Creation will be restored, replaced with a new creation, and Jesus will reign as King forever and ever. All who love Him and believe in Him will live with Him. You can live with Him and be reconciled to Him and made new, forever,  filled with life, love, innocence, honor, identity, destiny, creativity, purpose, adventure—with eternal life, just as God always intended. God knew from the beginning that things would go this way. He always knew what would happen. And He knew that one day, He would win, and we would be His, reunited with Him, filled with Life, Honor, Goodness, and Love, Forever.

Wrap Up

Thank you for joining me for this story from the Bible, the story of how God, from eternity past, sought to have you as His friend, to be united with you in life and love and purpose and meaning, identity and destiny, filled every good thing He has planned for you and me. And when we were broken and separated from Him, entirely because we messed it up ourselves, He made a way. Jesus sacrificed His own life to rescue us from mortal danger, from dying eternally, so that instead we can live with Him.

You can meet God for yourself right now. You can hear His voice, and you can experience the fullness of life that God has planned for you. All you have to do is admit that you have messed up: admit that you have sinned, and repent from your sins, which means, decide right now to turn away from sin and start obeying God, and pledge your lifelong allegiance to Jesus the King. And immediately, He will come into your life and begin to transform you, not changing your personality but taking all of the good in you and making it infinitely better. He’ll do it right now, and forever. Do you want to experience God for yourself right now? Just talk to Him, out loud or within your own heart and mind, and He will hear you. He’s God: He can hear you! He sees you, and He knows you, and He wants to be with you. He wants to be your friend, and He wants you to be free, to live with Him now and forever. Then come, contact me, come to our church, leave a comment on this video, reach out in some way and let us know so that we can help you grow to know God better and better, to hear His voice and experience all of the amazing things He has planned for you. Thank you for joining me. I hope you yourself experience God today. Farewell.

This story was brought to you by Trailblazers Church, a church dedicated to bringing the good news of Jesus Christ to the farthest reaches of heaven and earth. Thank you for joining us. Please, like this video, subscribe to our channel, visit our website at tblz.org, and come join us in person so that we can get to know you. We believe that God is alive and active in our lives here today. In fact, every Sunday when we gather together we help each other hear God’s voice for ourselves. You can know God personally, and you can experience Him for yourself. He sees you, and He knows you, and He wants to be your closest friend. Come, meet God with us. We hope to see you there soon. Farewell.

Summary

Why is the world broken? Who messed it all up? Is there any hope for humanity? Who is God? Does God love me? Is Christianity for real? What *really* happened back in the beginning? What does the Bible say? Who is Jesus? How can I know Him?

This is the big story of the Bible, the grand narrative that runs throughout the whole book, from the stories of Creation, Adam and Eve, and the Fall into sin, to the stories of Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, the prophets, the coming Messiah; Jesus’ birth, healing, miracles, calming the storm, walking on water, forgiving, freeing, dying, and rising from the dead. This is the big story that covers it all.