Scripture Snapshots:
A BIRD'S EYE VIEW-part 4
Series 1 Lesson 6
We have been working our way through the Bible using 13 key words … only 3 more words left.
By the end of the last Bible lesson, we had covered the words:
Creation
Cleansing
Confusion
Call
Commandments
Conquest
Compromise
Crowns
Corruption
Captivity
These words brought us to the end of the Old Testament. At this time there was 400 years of silence when God did not speak with the people in any way.
BUT finally, the silence was broken! BIG things were happening …
CHRIST (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
Excitement must have been high in heaven. Jesus, God’s Son was preparing to leave His throne in Heaven and become a man on Earth. Just like now, good news needs to be shared. So, God first sent the angel Gabriel to a godly priest named Zacharias. The angel told Zacharias that he would have a son, even though he and his wife Elizabeth were very old. This son would be the prophet who would prepare the way for the promised Messiah. His name was John … he was later nicknamed John the Baptist. He was also the earthly cousin of Jesus.
Several months after this first announcement, the angel Gabriel appeared to a young, engaged woman named Mary. Mary was a virgin, but God had chosen her to be the mother of the Son of God. So, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus was placed within Mary’s womb, and He began to grow as a tiny baby. God also sent the angel to speak to Mary’s fiancée, Joseph, so that he would understand.
Jesus was then born in Bethlehem, just as the Old Testament prophet Micah had predicted about 700 years earlier. Jesus grew up as the son of a carpenter. The people around Him did not understand that He was the Son of God. Jesus began His public ministry at age 30. He did many miracles and taught God’s truth.
However, when Jesus was 33 years old, Jewish leaders, who were jealous of Jesus and hated Him, had Him killed on the cross. This was all according to God’s plan to save us. Jesus was perfect and He took the punishment for all of the sins of the world by dying on the cross. This was foretold in Genesis 3:15 and predicted throughout the Old Testament. In fact, there were over 300 prophecies about Jesus. Jesus even told His disciples that this terrible, yet wonderful thing would happen in Matthew 20:17-19. This was really good news even though the disciples did not understand.
CHURCH (Acts & the Epistles)
More good news! Jesus did not stay dead, but He came back to life again on the third day. He then stayed on Earth for 40 days and was seen by hundreds of people. This was to show His followers that He was truly alive (I Corinthians 15:3-8). After He went back up to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to live within all Christians. Since that time, all those who receive Jesus as their Savior also have the Holy Spirit living in them and they also are part of the “Church”.
While we think of a church as just being a building, the Bible calls “the Church” a body, made up of many members or parts. God’s Spirit lives within each believer and gives them special abilities to serve and honor God. The Bible also calls the Church the “Bride of Christ”.
COMING AGAIN (Revelation)
The good news continues … One day Jesus will come for His “Bride”. He wants those who love and follow Him to be with Him in heaven. This desire for a relationship with people goes all the way back to Creation and the Garden of Eden. God created us to fellowship with Him and to enjoy His presence. The reason Jesus hasn’t come back already is that He wants to give unbelievers as much time as possible to believe, repent, and turn to the truth. (2 Peter 3:9)
It will be an amazing day when Jesus comes. He will stop at the clouds and all those believing Christians who have died will come out of their graves and meet Him in the air. They will get a new body that is perfectly equipped to live in heaven. Christians who are living at that time will join them in the air and get news bodies too. This will all happen in the “twinkling of an eye”. You can find this in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52. The unsaved will be left behind and suffer God’s judgment.
And that’s it … a Bird’s Eye View of the Bible … a brief overview to give you and me a better understanding of the Bible.
The BIBLE is the one Book that contains 66 books written by 40 different authors over a period of 1600 years … totally inspired by God and written for the benefit of you and me.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God (means any Believer) may be perfect (means mature), thoroughly furnished (means equipped) unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The BIBLE is the one Book that tells you and me everything that God wants us to know about people and events from Creation until the Coming Again of Jesus. The Bible is Truth.
… these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name. John 20:31
… thy Word is Truth. John 17:17b
The BIBLE is the one Book that has one main theme from the beginning to the very end … God’s plan to send His only Son Jesus to be the Savior of the world.
… God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. I John 4:9b
…the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. I John 4:14b
The BIBLE is the one Book written so that you can have a life-changing relationship with Jesus.
Jesus said, I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10
Question to think about …
How is your relationship with Jesus?