God’s Story of Promise

Luke 1; John 1

The Bible is God’s story, and to understand his story, you must start at the beginning. It is an understatement to say that to know God’s story, it is necessary to grasp the book of Genesis. 

To this point in our study of Genesis, we have been introduced to Yahweh Elohim—the powerful and personal Creator who spoke the world into existence and stooped down to breathe the breath of life into man. This one God, who exists in three Persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—made us in his own image and gave us the responsibility to reign over his creation, multiply and fill the earth through marriage and family, and engage in meaningful work that brings personal satisfaction and honors God by providing for our family and community. 

A key purpose of this year’s study that I will highlight during our time together is how the events and stories of the Bible fit together from beginning to end. Theologian Edmund Clowney says, “Only God’s revelation can build a story where the end is anticipated from the beginning, and where the guiding principle is not chance or fate, but promise. Human authors may build fiction around a plot they devise, but only God can shape history to a real and ultimate purpose. The purpose of God from the beginning centers on His Son.”[1] 

We will continue moving through Genesis and the Old Testament to learn and apply God’s story as we see him interact with his people. However, today I want to point out that the story of God centers on Jesus from the beginning. We will start with the Gospel of Luke and work our way back to Genesis. I believe this sequence is fascinating.  

The Gospel writer Luke begins his account of God the Son by introducing a childless couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth, both past childbearing age. One day, an angel appeared to Zechariah, announcing that he would have a son. However, not just any son. This child would be filled with the Holy Spirit while in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15). He would be a prophet preparing the way for Jesus in the “spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). 

This prophet, whom we know as John the Baptist, would come in the “spirit and power of Elijah.” This description requires some background. The statement is significant because God had not spoken through a prophet for four hundred years! The last prophet of the Old Testament was Malachi, and here’s how Malachi’s prophecy and the last page of the Old Testament end. God said, “Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes” (Mal. 4:5). Now, hundreds of years later, the great and awesome day of Jesus has arrived! John the Baptist, in the “spirit and power of Elijah,” prepares the world for the Savior. 

Let’s continue with more background. After introducing us to John the Baptist and Jesus, Luke pauses to provide Jesus' legal genealogy in Luke 3 (Luke 3:23-38), confirming that Jesus' royal line traces back through David, Abraham, Noah, and Seth, “the son of Adam, the son of God.” 

Luke traces Jesus' lineage all the way back to Adam. But that’s not far enough. We need to go even further, and that’s what John does: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Jesus is the “Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev. 22:13). John begins his Gospel by taking us back to the very beginning, or “genesis” of the story. That’s why it’s so important to understand the book of Genesis and study the Old Testament. The Bible is God’s unfolding story of who he is and how he works through his people. 

Clowney says it like this:

Anyone who has had the Bible stories read to him as a child knows that there are great stories in the Bible. But it is possible to know Bible stories, yet miss the Bible story. . . The Bible has a storyline. It traces an unfolding drama. . . The story is God’s story. It describes His work to rescue rebels from their folly, guilt, and ruin. And in His rescue operation, God always takes the initiative.[2] 

Next time, we’ll see why God had to initiate a rescue operation. We’ll go back to the very beginning. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD 
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on Luke 1:13-17 and John 1:1-14. Don’t miss how these passages connect John the Baptist to the last book of the Old Testament and Jesus to the first book of the Bible.

Talking to God: What encourages you most about God keeping his promises even after long periods of silence or waiting?

Have questions? Please send your questions to our team. We're happy to assist as we explore God's Word together. Submit your question below, and we'll respond soon. If you're interested in learning more about a relationship with Jesus or seeking spiritual guidance, let us help you take the next step.

SAVE THE DATE: Bible Immersion trip to Israel: November 4-14, 2026.