Every story of Israel, including 353 Old Testament prophecies, have pointed to this day of Jesus’ birth. His ministry is announced by John the Baptist, who proclaims that he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. John thus makes the connection that the Passover lamb who saved the...

The ministry of Jesus is now in full motion. Jesus’ teachings give people a glimpse of God’s kingdom and vision for the life he intended them to have. Jesus’ healing ministry not only shows mercy to the recipients but also authenticates his identity. Yet the people do not understand what kind of ...

All hope in Jesus being the promised Messiah now seems to be lost. In the lower story, when Jesus is crucified, it looks like Jesus is finished. But in the upper story, he has actually finished what God sent him to accomplish. The plan set in motion back in the Garden of Eden is complete, and sal...

Jesus came into our lower story world to represent us by taking on a perishable body. During his thirty-three years on earth, he resisted every temptation and, unlike Adam in the Garden of Eden, came out sinless. His perishable body died, but three days later he rose from the dead to conquer deat...

God creates a new community called “the church” to reveal his plan and to point all people to the second coming of Christ. Believers form the body of Christ and collectively extend Jesus’ presence and purpose earth. God, the Spirit, who in the Old Testament previously existed behind the thick cur...

God selects Paul to be the primary catalyst of his promise to Abraham that all peoples on earth would be blessed through him, and directs him to take the message of Jesus to the Gentiles. Paul responds to that call and is responsible for planting many Gentile churches, strengthening numerous othe...

Paul reminds believers in Christ that they are now part of a unified body and that each member has a specific part, purpose, and function to perform. Paul knows that his time on earth is short, so he calls on co-workers like Timothy and Titus to continue this mission of spreading the gospel to th...

The last two chapters of the Bible read almost the same as the first two chapters in the Bible. God is creating a new heaven and a new earth. The tree of life is at the center of the garden. A community of people will be there with new bodies that are not infected with sin. This is not really the...