The greatest evidence that God is personal, knowable, immeasurable, and good is the life and ministry of His Son Jesus Christ. And nothing is more important to knowing God through the whole Bible than to see the way God has come to us in the person of His eternal Son.
Those who follow and accept the storyline of the 66 books of the Bible are led to the conclusion that Jesus Christ is the Bible's central character and theme. What was written before He was born into the world looks forward to Him; what was written after His ascension to heaven looks back to Him. The Bible predicts His coming, tells the story of His life, describes the power of His message, traces His impact on His first-century followers, and promises His return.
Jesus Himself knew that He was at the heart of God's revelation, for He said to the Jewish leaders, "You search the Scriptures, . . . and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39). After the resurrection He walked the road to Emmaus with two of His disciples. They were slow to understand Him because they were not familiar with the Scriptures; so He rebuked them, and "beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself" (Luke 24:27). Then a little later He said to His disciples:
These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me (Luke 24:44).
The Law of Moses. When Jesus spoke of "the Law of Moses," He was speaking of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. Genesis speaks prophetically of Christ as the seed of woman (3:15), the seed of Abraham (12:3), and the descendant of Judah who would one day rule Israel (49:10). The book of Deuteronomy speaks of Christ when it foretells the coming of a Prophet who would be greater than Moses (18:15-18). And we are told that the Law, given in Exodus and explained in Leviticus, was given to show man his sinfulness and bring him to Christ (Gal. 3:23-24).
The Psalms. The poetry section of the Old Testament, which Jesus referred to as "the Psalms" (Job through Song of Solomon), contains numerous references to Christ. Some of the psalms are called messianic because they contain specific passages that the New Testament tells us refer to the Lord Jesus. The author of Hebrews, for example, quoted Psalm 8:4-6 and Psalm 110:1 to speak of Christ (Heb. 1:13; 2:6-8). And the Lord Jesus quoted from Psalm 22 while He was on the cross.
The Prophets. The prophetic books of the Old Testament are filled with specific predictions about Christ. We are told in the "former prophets" (Joshua through 2 Chronicles) about a kingdom to be established in Israel that would be fulfilled in the future reign of Jesus Christ. We know from the book of 2 Samuel, for example, that His throne will last forever (7:8-17).
The "latter prophets" (Isaiah through Malachi), also referred to as the major and minor prophets, speak often and specifically of the coming Messiah. They give amazingly accurate details about His birth, His public ministry, His death, and His second coming. Micah, for example, predicted His birth in Bethlehem (5:2). Isaiah foretold His virgin birth (7:14), His reign on David's throne in righteousness (9:6-7), and His suffering for our sins (53:5-6).
The story of Jesus Christ is also told in the New Testament. The first four books, the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are biographical accounts of Jesus' life written by four men who knew Him or knew someone close to Him. The book of Acts tells of the impact of His gospel on His followers and of the spread of His church throughout the world. The Epistles, letters written to churches or individuals, give instruction to the church, the body of believers of which Christ is the Head. And the book of Revelation envisions Him in heaven and gives details about His coming again.
Some students of the Scriptures have even said that Christ is on every page of the Bible. And because the New Testament shows that Christ is the Creator, Sustainer, Provider, Savior, Lord, and Judge of the universe, that is not an exaggeration (John 5:21-23; 8:56-58; 1 Cor. 10:1-4; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 1:3).
THE BIBLE'S STORYLINE
The whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation shows how God has responded to people who have a problem with Him. The 66 books of the Bible tell one story of God's wisdom, His power, His love, His patience, and His anger. The 39 books of the Old Testament together with the 27 books of the New Testament record not only the countless expressions of God's love, but also the terrible losses of people who stubbornly refused to trust God until He finally turned them over to their enemies.
The whole Bible is one ongoing story, but it is important to see the differing timespans of Old and New Testament history. The ratio between Old and New Testament timespans is at least 40 to one. From creation to Abraham there was a minimum of 20 centuries. From Abraham to Christ there was an additional 20 centuries. The whole New Testament was written in less than 1 century. The actual time covered in the Gospels and the book of Acts spans about 70 years.
This time comparison is important because it explains much of the difference that seems to exist between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New. Since the Old Testament seems to contain far more bloodshed and judgment than the New, it is often assumed that the God of the New Testament is more loving and peaceful than that of the Old. In fact, the New Testament doesn't cover enough time to show the ongoing trouble that comes to those who resist the grace of God.
In AD 70, just a short time after the writing of Acts, God allowed the Romans to destroy Jerusalem and her temple. Twenty years later, the exiled apostle John received a revelation of the endtimes that makes Old Testament prophecies of judgment look mild by comparison. Although John has been known as the apostle of love, his Revelation describes a future time of violence and bloodshed worse than the world has ever known.
More important, the New Testament records the worst act of violence found anywhere in Scripture. Nowhere in the 40 plus centuries of the Old Testament is there an act of violence so terrible as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
The main storyline of the Bible and its history can be traced through certain books of the Old and New Testaments. The history of the Old Testament is told in 12 of 39 books. The history of the New Testament time period can be read from any one of the four Gospels, plus the book of Acts. All other books, letters, and prophecies of both Old and New Testaments parallel and complement these 14 books.
The following is a brief overview of the storyline of the whole Bible taken from 12 Old Testament books, along with one of the Gospels and the book of Acts.
Genesis 1-11
*God creates the world out of nothing.
*God creates man out of the ground.
*God creates woman out of man.
*Man disobeys God.
*Man's children disobey God.
*God judges the world with a flood.
*God starts over with Noah's family.
*God confuses the world with many languages.
Genesis 12-50
*God calls Abram to follow Him.
*God promises to bless the world through Abram.
*God judges Sodom and Gomorrah.
*Abram fathers Ishmael and Isaac.
*Isaac fathers Jacob and Esau.
*Jacob fathers 12 sons including Joseph.
*Jacob's sons sell Joseph to Midianite traders.
*Joseph through many trials rises to power in Egypt.
*Jacob's brothers go to Egypt for food during famine.
*Joseph provides for his reunited family.
Exodus
*Jacob's descendants fall into 400 years of bondage.
*Moses is prepared for 80 years to deliver His people.
*God delivers His people with supernatural plagues.
*God gives His people the Law.
*God judges His people for their idolatry.
*God gives His people a tabernacle of worship.
Numbers
*God leads His people by a cloud and pillar of fire.
*God offers His people a land of promise.
*God's people are afraid to take possession of it.
*God gives Israel's military a stunning defeat.
*God provides for 40 years in the wilderness.
*God gives Israel victory east of the Jordan.
Deuteronomy
*God prepares Israel for the Promised Land.
*Moses rehearses Israel's history and law.
*Moses offers a blessing and a curse.
*Moses predicts Israel's spiritual failure.
*Moses predicts Israel's judgment and scattering.
*Moses predicts Israel's restoration.
*Moses dies and is buried by God.
Joshua
*God gives Joshua leadership of Israel.
*God gives Israel a series of military victories.
*God gives Israel possession of the Promised Land.
Judges
*Israel experiences cycles of spiritual failure.
*The people of Israel become a law to themselves.
*God rescues His people when they repent.
1 Samuel
*Israel's priesthood becomes corrupt.
*God judges the house of Eli (the high priest).
*God's people demand a king.
*God gives them a king (Saul).
*Saul forfeits his kingdom by disobedience.
*God picks David as Saul's successor.
*Saul tries to kill David until he himself dies.
2 Samuel
*David is confirmed as king of Israel.
*David leads Israel in godliness.
*David sins with Bathsheba.
*David suffers many problems.
1 Kings
*David dies.
*Solomon assumes the throne.
*Solomon experiences God's blessing.
*Solomon falls into spiritual decline.
*The kingdom is divided by Solomon's sons.
*The North (Israel) has a series of wicked kings.
*The North succumbs to the Assyrians in 722 bc.
*Elijah calls down fire from heaven.
2 Kings
*Elijah passes his mantle to Elisha.
*The South (Judah) has a series of good and bad kings.
*Judah succumbs to Babylon in 606 and 586 bc.
*Babylon destroys the temple and deports the Jews.
*The people of God languish in exile for 70 years.
Ezra and Nehemiah
*Teams of Jews return to Jerusalem to rebuild temple.
*Teams of Jews rebuild Jerusalem.
*God allows Jews to return to their city.
Through spiritual failure and unfaithfulness, Israel lost sovereignty over her own land. Jerusalem was conquered by one invading army after another. After the book of Malachi, God was silent for 400 long, violent years. Israel longed for her Messiah.
The Gospels
*John the Baptist announces the coming of Messiah.
*Jesus of Nazareth develops a large following.
*Jesus distinguishes Himself from the other rabbis.
*Jesus gains a reputation as a miracle worker.
*Jewish leaders envy Jesus' spiritual influence.
*After 3 years, Jesus goes to Jerusalem for the Passover.
*Jesus is arrested for blasphemy and political sedition.
*Jesus' followers abandon and one denies Him.
*Jesus is mocked, beaten, whipped, and crucified.
*Jesus is buried in a borrowed tomb.
*Three days later, Jesus' tomb is empty.
*Witnesses confirm that Jesus is alive.
*Jesus promises His return.
The Acts of the Apostles
*At the Jewish feast of Pentecost the church is born.
*God accepts and unites into one body people of every nation who accept the gospel of Christ.
*Saul of Tarsus is transformed from a persecutor of the church into the church's chief advocate.
*Paul joins fellow apostles in writing letters of
encouragement and instruction which become guidelines for a new community in Christ.
THE LAND OF THE BIBLE
Most of the events of the Bible took place in the Middle East, that part of the world that continues to be so much in the news today. The Garden of Eden was located near the Euphrates River. The land promised by God to Israel, the land of Palestine, is positioned at the juncture of three continents - Europe, Asia, and Africa. Trade routes between those areas went through Palestine, giving it great strategic importance and causing it to be the battleground for numerous wars. The major Old Testament civilizations were located in Mesopotamia (modern Iran and Iraq), Egypt, and Asia Minor (Turkey).
One small piece of land symbolizes all that God is to Israel and the world.
Palestine, the site of most of the events of the Bible, is a good land - a land described as "flowing with milk and honey" (Ex. 3:8). It is bounded by the Mediterranean Sea on the west, the Arabian Desert on the east, the Sinai Peninsula on the south, and Syria on the north. Palestine may be divided north to south into four natural regions: (1) a flat coastal plain along the Mediterranean, (2) the central highlands, (3) the Jordan River valley, including the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, and (4) the high ground east of the Jordan.
THE TIMES OF THE BIBLE
No one can pinpoint the date of creation, and we can only guess about any dates before Abraham. So here are some approximate dates of a few important biblical people and events from Abraham onward.
Date / Person or Event
2000 BC / Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, slavery in Egypt
1500 BC / Moses, exodus from Egypt, wilderness wanderings, giving of Ten Commandments, Joshua, entrance into Promised Land, Gideon, Ruth, Samson, Samuel
1000 BC / Saul, David, Solomon, the Kingdom divided, Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Hosea, Isaiah, the Kingdoms captured and exiled, Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah
500 BC / Jews return from exile, the temple built, Zechariah, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, Malachi
5 BC / Birth of Jesus Christ
AD 27-30 / Public ministry of Christ
AD 30 / Crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ; the birth of the church and coming of the Holy Spirit
AD 33 / Conversion of Paul
AD 47-56 / Paul's missionary journeys
AD 64 / Burning of Rome; Nero's persecution
AD 67 / Paul's execution
AD 70 / Destruction of Jerusalem
AD 95 / Revelation written and N.T. complete
AD 100 / John's death
WHO CAN SEE GOD IN THE BIBLE?
We began saying that the Bible is a book about people who have a problem with God. The whole Bible is a book about people who have a hard time seeing eye to eye with a God who says, "'My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts'" (Is. 55:8-9).
We have also seen that it is just as true that the Bible is also about a God who has a problem with people. The whole Bible is about a God who will not always protect those who refuse to trust Him. When God barred Adam and Eve from their garden home, when He sent a flood to destroy all but Noah and his family, when He allowed the Assyrians to defeat the Northern Tribes and the Babylonians to defeat Judah, God made it clear that there is a limit to His patience.
God's promises are not given to all, but to everyone who is willing to seek and trust Him. Isaiah reminds us that God is willing to be found by those who are willing to seek Him on His terms. Just before saying, "My thoughts are not your thoughts," Isaiah quoted God as saying, "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon" (Is. 55:6-7).
The whole Bible makes it clear that God promises to be found only by those who are willing to surrender to Him.
This important condition of surrender is what Jesus taught when He said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). He said this immediately after saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . . Blessed are those who mourn . . . . Blessed are the meek . . . . Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness . . . . Blessed are the merciful" (vv.3-7).
Each of these conditions reflects the need for a surrendered heart as a condition to receive the blessing of God.
God cannot be found by just anyone. Because He is Spirit, He is seen only by those to whom He chooses to reveal Himself. This is also true of the Bible. While the Scriptures have been given to lead us to God, they remain a closed book to those who are trying to find God on their own terms. God will be found in the pages of His book by those who desire to obey Him, or He will not be found at all.
Jesus said of God and of Himself, "If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority" (John 7:17).
Salvation itself is a gift. Forgiveness and eternal life come to us only by grace and through faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8-9). But seeing God in the Bible requires a willingness to do the will of God. Only in surrender do we have the assurance that God will let us see the truth about Christ in our present circumstances. Only in submission can we see the Father and His Son on every page of Scripture.
