The Good News

God, who has always existed in community as the Godhead (Father, Son, Spirit), added to God’s family by creating the first humans:

Genesis 1:26–27 (NIV) — 26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created humankind in God’s own image, in the image of God, God created them; male and female he created them.

An enemy of God (whose origin is alluded to throughout the Hebrew Scriptures) convinced the first humans to distrust God, reject God’s instructions, and go their own way:

Genesis 3:1–7 (NIV) — 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

After pronouncing a curse on God’s enemy, God unveiled a plan to restore the broken relationship with human beings and destroy the adversary who had convinced them to rebel in the first place: 

Genesis 3:15 (NIV) — 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

The first humans’ rejection of God affected all of the human experience. Injustice reigned throughout the world. People groups treated each other with malice and violence. Nature was disrespected and destroyed. And interpersonal and communal relationships were broken. The Hebrew Scriptures describe the destructive results of the original human decision to reject God. But, crucially, they also describe God’s work–sometimes dramatic but often subtle–of working toward the restoration and healing of the world. This story reached its climax in the arrival of the long anticipated Messiah. Jesus’ birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension fulfilled the Messianc promise presented throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. He is the one who fulfilled the prediction of Genesis 3:15. He is the Messiah, the Christ long anticipated since the original human rebellion. 

Despite the first humans' rejection of God’s instructions at the beginning. God’s disposition toward humanity remains one of enduring love. Therefore God did not give up on humanity but rather demonstrated his love for the world by initiating a plan to rescue his human children through the actions of Jesus:

John 3:16 (NIV) — 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

It is God’s desire and intention that the death of Jesus would compel humans to choose to enter back into a restored relationship with God, a relationship that is provided by Him. This restored relationship is not coerced but rather is one that requires human consent. 

John 12:32 (NIV) — 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

At Jesus' death, a preview of God’s plan for full restoration of the human race was revealed, when the tombs were broken open and “many holy people who had died were raised to life”:

Matthew 27:51–54 (NIV) — 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Jesus Himself was resurrected from the dead, after three days in the grave, by the other members of the Godhead:

1 Corinthians 15:3–8 (NIV) — 3 . . . Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, every human being has the opportunity to be made alive again both in the flesh, and in the spirit: 

Colossians 2:13–15 (NIV) — 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Every human can share in this resurrected life by confessing faith in what God accomplished and is accomplishing through Jesus’s life, death, resurrection, ascension, and present intervention on our behalf:

Romans 10:9–13 (NIV) — 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

God promises that because of what Jesus accomplished, ultimate restoration of human relationships and the broken world will take place after Jesus’ return to earth: 

Revelation 21:2–4 (NIV) — 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

But this restoration isn’t only for the future. Jesus established his kingdom when he arrived the first time, and those who confess faith in the work of God through Jesus can now presently participate as members of his kingdom, seeking justice, mercy, and love in this present age: 

2 Corinthians 5:17–19 (NIV) — 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

This work of reconciliation and restoration is not dependent on any human work yet does require our consent to be enabled in our individual lives.

Ephesians 2:4–10 (NIV) — 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

God’s work of final and complete restoration is imminent, but the delay in its arrival is rooted in God’s compassion:

2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) — 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.