Who is God? Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going? What am I to believe about myself and the world around me? Since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, more Americans are asking these questions. Research shows that 57% of Americans are asking “How can I find more meaning and purpose in my life?” (Lifeway Research, 2021). The answer to this question is found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Good News of Jesus Christ is recorded in the Holy Bible; shared between friends, family, and strangers; and seen in Broadway performances and theatres around the world. John Bolin, creator of The Thorn, has shared the story of Jesus Christ in this beautiful stage show since 1996. Through the efforts of John and countless others, the stage show production has impacted the lives of tens of thousands of people over the years by answering the question “what is the gospel?” The historical account of God and man is told in 4 events.
– the Creation, the Fall, the Redemption, and the Restoration.
CREATION
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” God created everything seen and unseen, from the stars to the sands, from the creatures of the sea to the animals in the jungle. There is not a thing in all the universe that was not made by God. This includes you and me.
God created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden. Then, because it was not good for the man to be alone, God created Eve, a woman. On the seventh day of creation God saw that everything He made was very good, and He rested from His work.
Genesis 1-2; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11; Hebrews 11:3; Psalm 139:13-14; Romans 1:20
FALL
“Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” Romans 5:12
After creation, Adam and Eve enjoyed intimate fellowship with God. But in the Garden was found one who deceived Adam and Eve, convincing them that they could become like God if they ate the fruit of a tree from which God had commanded them not to eat.
As a result, sin entered the world, and through sin came death. Adam and Eve’s relationship with God was fractured. This act of disobedience, sinning against God, brought about the just punishment that God had warned them about. For thousands of years, humans would strive for perfection, working to become their own gods, only to succumb to the bondage of sin and death. Men and women remain desperate for a Savior, someone who could release them from the penalty of sin – death!
Genesis 3:6; Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 5:12; Isaiah 53:6; Ecclesiastes 7:29; 2 Corinthians 11:
REDEMPTION
“The Gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Romans 1:16
Where Adam and Eve, as our first human ancestors, failed to live the perfect life, and as a result ushered sin and death into the world, another was sent to rescue humankind from the penalty of sin. God, in His infinite goodness and justice, came to earth Himself in the form of a man; His name is Jesus Christ. Many would reject Him as their Lord and Savior, resulting in eternal suffering and separation from God.
Jesus accomplished what others could not: He lived a perfect, sinless life, obeying God’s law on our behalf. Because of this, He was worthy to be the blameless sacrifice required to pay the cost of sin. Jesus would give His own life, bearing God’s full punishment for our sins, so that those who believe in Him would not perish but receive eternal life. In order to restore the intimate fellowship that Adam and Eve had with God before they sinned, God sacrificed His only Son.
Jesus was crucified, and the innocent blood He shed on the cross paid the penalty for our sins. He died and was buried, but He did not remain in the grave. After three days, He was resurrected, victorious over sin and death!
John 3:16; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 1:7; Galatians 1:4; Hebrews 9:15; Isaiah 44:22; 2 Peter 3:9
RESTORATION
“Behold, I am making everything new.” Revelation 21:5
Jesus’s resurrection was the central event in God’s process of restoring creation. One day, that restoration will be complete. Every person who has accepted Jesus as their Savior will enter His presence, free from their sin nature and clothed in the righteousness of Christ to enjoy perfect fellowship with Him forever. On that day, those who believe will receive new, glorified bodies, just as Christ received a glorified body when He emerged from the tomb. God’s process of restoring creation also includes a new heaven and new earth, which was promised through the prophets. This promise is for all who believe, but for those who will not receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord, only eternal condemnation awaits. The Good News of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection is proclaimed by those who follow Him in the hope that many would hear it and believe.
This glorious restoration is already in process! God invites us into a relationship with Him so that we might share the Good News with others and prepare for an eternity in His Kingdom, with Jesus on His rightful place on the throne forever.
Acts 3:21; Hosea 6:1; Isaiah 61:7; Jeremiah 17:14; Ephesians 1:20-23; Matthew 4:17; John 3:3
