Living in Increase (Part 1) - Increase in Understandingনমুনা

Redemption

The third part of the metanarrative is redemption. Remember that the first part of the storyline of the Bible is creation, and the second part is the fall. After the fall of humankind, God tells the serpent that they will be enemies (Genesis 3:15).

I don’t know about you, but I am notorious for stumbling upon spoilers! I’m the person who watches a show and looks up all the characters and their family members, and because I’m already years behind, I always end up seeing a spoiler.

Well, the most significant spoiler known to man is found in Genesis 3. Although we are still seeing results of the fall in our broken world, hope shone through so soon after the most catastrophic event in history. Continuing in Genesis 3:15, after God tells the serpent that He will “cause hostility between [him] and the woman and between [his] offspring and her offspring,” He says that “He will strike [the serpent’s] head, and [the serpent] will strike His heel.” This verse alludes to the victory of Jesus, the offspring that will triumph over the enemy once and for all.

Jesus was not an afterthought. One of the struggles I often hear from growing believers is not knowing how to approach the Old Testament during studies. The world was longing for a Savior. His coming is embedded and prophesied throughout the Old Testament. We should approach our study of the Old Testament with the hope of a Savior to come. We can find Jesus on every page if we look for Him!

Isaiah 53:5 prophesied that through Jesus, we would be completely healed! As we study the Old Testament and Scripture as a whole, we see the story of redemption.

In Genesis, man was separated from God. We owed a debt that we could not pay. Jesus shed His blood as a ransom on our behalf. Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This verse shares the Good News! We can live a life of hope, joy, and peace through redemption in Christ, our hope eternal.

Ruby Washington

Action Step: Write down why you are thankful for Christ’s redemption and sacrifice on the cross.