God's Human Drama

Below is a presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ that is set within the Bible's grand story. It is called God's Human Drama. The drawing is sketched out when each section is explained. This presentation is designed to be "simplex," simple for people to understand but expandable when further explanation is necessary.

Bill, what comes to your mind when you turn on the news these days? …  Have you ever noticed how new programs begin with the worst in humans and end with the best? Why do you think people are wonderful and awful at the same time? … The Christian world-view in the Bible gives an answer. Can I show you on a piece of paper something called God’s Human Drama? It takes about twenty minutes to draw and explain. Do you think I can sketch the whole story of the Bible on a single sheet of paper? … Well, let me give it a try.

Sigmund Freud described humans as ego-centric (self-centered) creatures, something that the Bible said for centuries. This self-orientation has caused humans to betray one another and the Creator God. Our self-centeredness manifests in our actions that separate us from each other and God. In other words, things become “about us” rather than about loving others and loving God. The result is that our world is fractured by human betrayal. Have you ever been betrayed by someone? Felt abandoned? Disappointed in what others did or said? Me too! … Pretty awful feeling, huh? …

In the Bible’s grand story, this betrayal and separation led to death too; brother killing brother. In addition to murder came things like: jealousy, greed, bullying, oppression, racism, terrorism, and abuse. Pretty awful, huh? … But when it comes down to it, we’re all self-centered, even the most generous of us. This self-centered way of living causes separation between us and God—the death of a relationship.

Of course, this was not the way God intended things to be. Originally God designed us and all creation as good and pure—as wonderful. There was no pain, no death, no betrayal, no poverty, no corruption. Sounds like a great world, right? … This was a world of life and blessing! We were created in God’s image to reflect his pure and loving nature. In fact, this story began with humans living in harmony with God in his beautifully created world. Everything was wonderful until humans betrayed God and one another. At that moment human sin, evil, disharmony, and brokenness entered the story. But God did not give up on us. What did he do? He launched a plan to restore human beings. He didn’t leave us in our awful condition.

In this world of human rebels, God chose a man named Abraham to become a father of many people. God promised Abraham that through him and his offspring (Abraham's clan) all the peoples of the world would be blessed. What a promise! God followed through on this promise but sadly Abraham and his clan did not. They kept betraying God and other human beings and ended up living as slaves in Egypt.

One of Abraham's descendants was Moses, a type of redeemer who rescued Abraham’s clan out of slavery under the oppressor named Pharaoh of Egypt. Did you ever see the movie The Prince of Egypt?...  Another descendant of Abraham was David who became a king of Abraham’s clan. God promised to King David that one of his descendants would reign on a throne and that his kingdom would last forever. Of course, Abraham, Moses, and David were all flawed and like other wonderful-awful humans, they betrayed God too. Even David’s kingdom fell apart. Nevertheless, they all pointed to Someone greater in this story. The plot thickens!

If fact, the main person in God’s human story is God himself! As a solution to humanity’s dilemma, God became human. God intervened! The answer to human betrayal and human brokenness was God himself who entered human history. This is the Christmas story and the event that marks how we calculate the years! The ultimate solution to the problem of human betrayal was God taking on human flesh. This may be the most radical claim of any religion! God was born as a human into Abraham’s clan and came to bless all the peoples of the earth. He came as Redeemer to release us from slavery to our awful, sinful condition. He was bigger and better than Moses! When God became human, he came as a descendant of David, the promised Messiah-King whose name was Jesus of Nazareth. Let me ask you: What do you think would happen if God became human and lived on earth? …

Jesus came announcing the kingdom of God. As the promised Redeemer and King, he came with the mission to restore humans and creation to the way we were designed to be at the beginning. Jesus performed miracles, something that God-in-human-flesh can do! Uniquely, this kingdom of God (unlike the Roman Emperor’s) was not based on political power but upon Jesus’ death upon a Roman cross, and his resurrection, being raised from the dead. This is the Easter story. This may be difficult to comprehend but the Bible says that Jesus’ death and resurrection were necessary to rescue and restore human beings and his creation. Jesus, the King-Messiah, died for our crimes (sins) that we committed against God. He died so that our betrayal would die with him. He rose from the dead to beat death and its power over us.

It was through these acts of his death and resurrection that humans can be restored, beat death too, and have hope and life again in harmony with God.

But the story does not end here. Jesus said that fullness of his kingdom will bring judgment and perfect justice in the world. This will be a day when everything is set right, a day that will end betrayal, ego-centeredness, oppression, racism, and injustice. Do you long for perfect justice in the world? … What is the justice that you hope for?... Do you think everyone should be judged based on what they deserve? …

Of course, death and separation from God is still a real option. Let me draw a stick man here with the question: What about you? Bill, where do you stand in this story? Where do you see yourself? The question that Jesus presented to people was whether they would enter the kingdom of God or not. He never forced anyone to enter. When he presented the choice to people, some chose to enter his kingdom and others chose not to enter. To enter brings a reconciled relationship with God (forgiveness) and participation in his mission to restore humans and creation. And he empowers us to do so! To enter means following Jesus as a way of life now with the hope of the fullness of the kingdom of God, experiencing the promises of God’s blessings of hope and life now and forever! Of course, not entering means ongoing separation and death. We either choose to enter or continue on the current path.

Bill, what would your life look like five years from now if you choose to enter the kingdom of God? What would your life look like five years from now if you don’t? A person enters the kingdom of God by turning from our ego-centered ways and turning to God, believing he became human in Jesus Christ who died on the cross and was raised from the dead.

Is there any reason why you would not want to enter the kingdom of God? God offers you a choice. Would you like to enter the kingdom of God?