The greatest extraterrestrial message

Astronomers have been searching for messages from extra-terrestrial (ET) beings for many years without success. And E. T. was a popular science fiction movie released in 1982. Meanwhile, two special messages from the greatest ET have been available for thousands of years.

This is a summary of God’s message to mankind in the Bible that has been adapted (see Appendix) from a book by David Helm (2014).

The Old Testament

1. The very good beginning (Genesis 1-2)

The Bible is God’s story, and it begins with these big words: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1NLT). God created everything simply by speaking words! Strong words. Powerful words. With words God created everything! He made the stars, the sun, and the moon. He made the animals, the fish, the trees, and flowers too. Everything! And He did it in just 6 days!

The other ET message is that, “The heavens declare the glory [power] of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands” (Ps. 19:1NIV). The goodness, beauty, size and complexity of the sun, moon and stars point to a powerful intelligent creator. They are a wordless message to everyone on earth. But they are not to be worshipped like in idolatry or pantheism (Dt. 4:19; Rom. 1:25). Creation and nature declare that there is a God, and tells us much about Him (Rom. 1:20).

On the sixth day God created people. God put Adam (the first man) and Eve (the first woman) in the garden of Eden. They were made on the image of God. They were to be rulers of God’s place. Adam and Eve were very special to God. And you are also very special to God because you are made in His image too. Being created in the image of God must have made Adam and Eve very happy.

God was happy too. He was pleased with His world and His people because He saw that they were very good. Nothing was wrong. Nothing was bad. Nobody disobeyed God. In the very good beginning, everything and everyone knew how good God was.

God gave Adam and Eve good words to obey. He told them not to eat from a special tree. God was teaching them that He was their king, that people were to obey God’s word. God also said that if Adam and Eve disobeyed His word, they would surely die.

So God’s people, Adam and Eve, lived in God’s place, the garden of Eden. They ruled God’s world by obeying His good word.

2. A very sad day (Genesis 3)

Satan crept into God’s beautiful garden looking like a snake. Satan hated God. Satan wanted to be God. Satan tempted God’s people to eat from the tree. He told them to doubt God’s goodness. He tempted them to disobey God’s word. He told them, “You won’t die!” (Gen. 3:4).

Now Adam and Eve had a choice to make. They could obey God’s word, or they could listen to Satan. Adam and Eve chose to doubt God’s goodness. They choose to disobey God’s word. They did not let God be king over them. They ate some fruit from the tree. They listened to the voice of Satan instead of the word of God. What a very sad day.

God was very angry about this. God cursed the snake. God punished Eve. And God punished Adam too. God punished them because they disobeyed God’s word, which was meant to rule over His place and His people.

But some good news came on this sad day too. God gave Adam and Eve a hint that He would not always be angry with them. God promised that one day someone would come and crush Satan’s power over people. But that day was a long way off. On this very sad day, God made Adam and Eve leave the garden.

3. Life outside the garden (Genesis 4-11)

God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden because they disobeyed Him and rejected Him as king. And everything God had warned them about disobeying His word came true.

Adam and Eve were now separated from God and began having difficulty with each other. Raising children was hard. Finding food was even harder. And their coming death was now beginning to make their bodies grow older. Life outside the garden was terrible.

Now Adam and Eve ruled the world in evil ways. And they had children who did just the same. Their children, and grandchildren, and great- grandchildren all turned away from God. Outside the garden everyone doubted how good God was. Outside the garden everyone disobeyed God’s word. Outside the garden everyone ruled the world in evil ways.

This made God very sad. All the peoples of the earth had rejected Him as king. So God decided to judge all the peoples of the earth. He decided to send a big flood on the place He had made.

But there was one man, named Noah, who listened to God. God told Noah to build a great big boat (like a barge). God brought many animals to Noah and told him to put them on the boat. God told Noah to bring his family on the boat. And Noah did what God said. Then God judged the world. God sent a big flood of water. Everything that lived on land died. But Noah, his family, and the animals on the boat were saved.

The flood teaches us that God will judge every single person who rejects Him as king. And God’s judgment teaches us that every single person needs God’s blessing. And that’s what God promised next.

After the big flood God caused people to scatter across the earth by causing different groups to have different languages. Before this everyone had the same language.

4. God’s big promise (Genesis 12-20)

Many years after the big flood God made a big promise. He said that to a man named Abraham. “Go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation … All the families on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen. 12:1-3). And “I will give the entire land of Canaan … to you and your descendants. … it will be their possession forever, and I will be their God” (Gen. 17:8).

Wow! That was good news. God told Abraham to go to a new place, because God was going to make a new people in a new land, so that God’s blessing would spread to all people. What a big promise God made to Abraham! Abraham listened to God’s word, and then he did what God said. Abraham went to the land God showed him. It was called Canaan.

But Abraham wasn’t sure how God would keep His promise. After all, he and his wife, Sarah, were too old to have children. How could he have many descendants if he didn’t have even one child? And how could he become a blessing to all peoples without children and grandchildren of his own?

“Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, ‘Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!’” (Gen. 15:5). Abraham believed God’s word. That made God very happy. His promise was very big, and Abraham’s faith in God’s promise was very big too.

5. God’s people grow (Genesis 21-45)

Abraham believed God’s word. That made God very happy. His promise was very big, and Abraham’s faith in God’s promise was very big too.

At last it happened. God kept his promise to Abraham and gave him a son, Isaac. God’s promise of a new people was beginning to grow! And so God’s promise passed on from Abraham to Isaac. When Isaac grew up, God gave him a son, Jacob. God’s promise was beginning to grow and grow! And so God’s promise passed on from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob.

When Jacob grew up God gave him 12 sons! And he named them Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Isaachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin. God’s promise was beginning to grow and grow and grow! But while God’s people were growing in number, they were also growing apart.

Jacob’s many sons hated their younger brother Joseph. They did an evil thing. They put him in a pit and then sold him to be a slave in a faraway place. But Joseph was not alone in faraway Egypt. God was with him. And God was going to use this evil thing that happened to Joseph for good!

God showed Joseph that in a few years there wouldn’t be enough food for all the hungry people in the land. Joseph believed God. And Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, believed Joseph. He put Joseph in charge of the kingdom, and Joseph helped him by storing up food.

Then the famine came, just as God had said. People came from distant lands to buy the stored food. They were hungry and about to die. When Joseph’s father Jacob heard that there was food in Egypt, he told his sons to go and buy some. So they went. And Joseph, now a very powerful man, recognized them. But his brothers did not recognize Joseph.

After all these years, Joseph could have gotten even with them. Joseph could have sold them as slaves. Joseph could have killed them. But instead Joseph gave them food. Joseph forgave them. He told them not to worry. He told them that God had been with him in Egypt. He told them that God had sent him ahead to Egypt so that God’s people would not die. Soon Jacob’s family would begin to grow in Egypt.

6. God’s people become great (Genesis 46 – Exodus 10)

Jacob moved his growing household to Egypt. All his descendants and their families and their belongings travelled to Egypt. Seventy people moved to Egypt. By now God’s promise of a great people was really growing!

And God’s promise kept growing long after Jacob and his sons died. After 400 years in Egypt, God’s people had grown into a great nation named Israel. Israel had so many people that the land was filled with them.

Pharaoh, the king of the land, hated the people of Israel. Pharaoh hated Israel’s God too. So he treated God’s people like slaves. He made them work very hard. He was so evil that he even killed some of God’s people.

God’s people were in trouble. They cried out to God for help, and God heard them. God’s answer to the people’s cry for help was a baby boy who was rescued from the river Nile. His name was Moses and one day he would rescue God’s people.

When Moses grew up, God spoke to him and Moses listened and did what God told him to do. He went to Pharaoh and said God’s words: “Let my people go!” (Ex. 7:16). But the king said no.  He did not listen to God.

Moses told pharaoh that if he disobeyed God’s word, terrible things (“plagues”) would happen to the Egyptians. But Pharaoh still refused to let God’s people go. So God made the river Nile turn to blood. The entire land swarmed with frogs, and dust turned into gnats. But Pharaoh still refused to let God’s people go. So God made the houses full of lies. The animals of Egypt got sick and died, and the people got painful sores (“festering boils”). But Pharaoh still refused to let God’s people go. So God made hail fall from the sky. Locusts covered the ground, and darkness spread out over the land for three days. But Pharaoh still refused to let God’s people go.

What would it take for Pharaoh to let God’s people go?

7. God’s great sign (Exodus 11 – Deuteronomy 34)

God gave Moses a message for His people. Moses told God’s people to take lambs and sacrifice them. He told them to put the blood over their front doors. The blood of the lamb was God’s great sign.

That night the Lord took the lives of the firstborn in homes that did not have God’s great sign. Many Egyptians died that night. But the Lord did not take the lives of the firstborn in homes that had blood over their doors. God “passed over” the families of Israel. At last Pharaoh stropped pretending to be God and told God’s people, “Go!”.

God kept His promise to Abraham! He did make his descendants into a great nation. When God’s people left Egypt, there were about two million of them! God used a miracle to help his people escape from Egypt via the Red Sea.

Then God gave this great nation His good word. Moses went up on a mountaintop to meet with God. The mountain shook, and lightning flashed. God spoke to Moses, and then Moses told the people all that God had said. Moses told them how to love God. Moses told them how to love others. Moses told them how to live as God’s people. And to make sure that no-one would forget, Moses had God’s words written down in God’s holy book (the Old Testament).

Then something sad happened. God’s people still forgot God’s word. Many of them doubted that God’s Word was good. Many of them disobeyed God’s Word. Many of them did not let God be king over them.

So God punished His people. He made them live in the desert for a long, long time. But after 40 years, God was ready to keep another part of His promise. God was ready to bring His people into their own place (the land of Canaan).

8. Going into God’s place (Joshua 1 – 2 Samuel 6)

God’s special place was called Canaan. And God choose a man named Joshua to lead His people into it. But there was a problem. Other people already lived in Canaan. They lived in cities like Jericho with big, strong walls around them. The cities were filled with people who did not listen to God.

God told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous” (Dt. 1:6-9). God told Joshua to have the priests and the army march around Jericho once for six days in a row. Then on the seventh day they marched around seven times. When the trumpets sounded and the army shouted God kept His promise and the walls came tumbling down! God drove out their enemies. Then God’s people lived in the land He had promised them.

When Joshua was an old man, he reminded the people to obey God’s Word. “Choose today whom you will serve … But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15). And the people said, “We, too, will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:18). Now that they were a great nation in a new land, some of God’s good promises were fulfilled. Israel promised to be God’s people. Israel promised to obey God’s Word. If they kept their promises, they would always live in God’s promised place.

But after Joshua died, Israel disobeyed God’s Word and rejected God from being king over them. So God punished Israel. He let their enemies rule over them. During this time the Philistines ruled God’s people. One of the Philistines was so big and strong that not one of God’s people would fight him. Goliath was a giant. He stood about 3 meters (9 feet 9 inches) tall. Goliath hated God’s people. All the men of Israel were afraid of him. All except one.

David was from the little town of Bethlehem. David’s belief in God was big. David’s trust in God’s Word was strong. So David decided to fight Goliath. He took his sling and a few stones and ran out to attack the giant. The first stone that flew from David’s sling hit Goliath in the forehead. David killed Goliath and rescued Israel from the Philistines. God kept His promise to rescue His people!

God was with David. And God gave David victory over his enemies in other battles. David, the mighty warrior, became king over God’s people. David ruled over God’s special place (Canaan). Now that God’s people were in God’s place, it seemed that soon they would become a blessing to all the peoples of the earth.

9. God’s blessings grow (2 Samuel 7 – 1 Kings 10)

David was amazed at how good God was. David wanted to do something nice for God. David decided to build God a house (the temple). But one night God sent word to David. He didn’t want David to build Him a house. God said that David’s son (Solomon) would build the house instead.

Then God surprised David. God promised to build David a royal dynasty that will endure forever. Someone from David’s descendants would live forever as God’s king. There will be complete rest in the promised land. This forever ruler (the Jewish Messiah) would be the promised one who would bring God’s blessing to all the peoples of the earth (2 Sam. 7:1-17). God’s surprising promise made David very happy! He thanked God, and the promise was written in God’s holy book (the Old Testament).

After David died, his son Solomon became king over Israel. With stone, wood and gold he built God a great house. It was a beautiful place called a temple. This temple was where the people made blood sacrifices for their sins. When God saw that great sign, He would forgive, or pass over, the sins of His people.

After the temple was finished, God came down in a cloud. The people were happy and gave thanks to the Lord saying, “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” (2 Chron. 5:13).

The queen of Sheba came to see king Solomon, his palace, and the temple he had built. She asked him lots of questions, and God gave Solomon wisdom for them all. The queen was amazed and greatly helped by all he said and was blessed by God for having come.

God was keeping His promises to Abraham. He had made Abraham’s descendants into a great nation. And He had given Israel the land of Canaan. And now God’s king (a descendant of David) was bringing God’s blessing to other peoples of the earth.

Could Solomon be God’s forever king? Could he be the promised one to bring God’s blessings to everyone?

10. Another very sad day (1 Kings 11 – 2 Chronicles 36)

King Solomon turned away from God. God’s people turned away from God too. They doubted that God was good. They rejected God as their king. Before Solomon died, God told him that someday his kingdom would be torn apart. After Solomon died, God’s Word came true. The kingdom was divided into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah.

God was angry. He sent prophets to warn God’s kings and people to stop disobeying God’s Word. One of those prophets was Elijah. At that time the ruler over Israel was king Ahab. Elijah challenged Ahab’s prophets to a contest. He told the prophets to ask their god to send down fire on an altar. King Ahab’s prophets asked and asked, but fire never came. Then Elijah built an altar. He told the people to pour four big jars of water on his altar. Then he told them to do it again and again!  Twelve jars of water soaked Elijah’s altar. Only then did Elijah pray, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel … Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” (1 Ki. 18:16-17).

God answered Elijah’s prayer! Fire fell from the sky and burned up Elijah’s sacrifice. God’s fire burned up the stones, the soil, and all the water that had soaked the altar. The people were amazed! But they didn’t return to God. They continued to disobey God’s Word.

God punished Israel by sending a ruler from far away (Assyria) to make war on them. Many of them were killed or taken away.

Later king Zedekiah ruled over Judah. He did many evil things, and still he did not think that God would punish him. He thought to himself, didn’t God promise us this land forever? So God sent the prophet Jeremiah to say to the king, “No”. But Zedekiah refused to listen. So God punished Judah (like He did for Israel) by sending s another king to make war on them.

King Nebuchadnezzar came all the way from Babylon, and he destroyed Jerusalem. He burned Solomon’s temple to the ground and took the people of Judah far away from their land. This was another very sad day.

God’s people had to leave God’s place (Canaan) because they would not have God for their king. Do you remember when God sent Adam and Eve away from Him out of the garden? Well, God was doing it again. He was sending His people out of His place because of their sin.

11. God’s promise remains (Isaiah – Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah)

Even though the Jews (Judeans) were far from home, God still spoke to them. God sent more prophets. They spoke all His words and wrote them down in God’s holy book (the Old Testament).

The prophet Ezekiel wrote that one day God would raise up the temple and cause the Jews to be obedient rather than disobedient. They would be unified (and not two kingdoms) and would flourish and live in peace in Palestine. Isaiah reminded them that God’s forever king (the Jewish Messiah) would be a descendant of David. He will bring worldwide peace, abundance, healing and joy (Isa. 11, 35). The prophet Jeremiah was hopeful too. He said that the Jews would return home again in 70 years. Seventy years passed, and the prophet Daniel prayed to God. He asked God to remember His promise, and God heard Daniel’s prayer. Daniel described the major kingdoms on earth that will be replaced with God’ s eternal kingdom (Isa. 2:44-45). This caused the Jews to look for their forever king (Messiah) to come and bring His (messianic) kingdom on earth.

Finally the Jews went home to Jerusalem. They returned to Palestine. But they had a lot of work to do. Jerusalem and the temple were ruined. They worked very hard rebuilding the city walls and the temple. When the foundation of the temple was finished, the people celebrated! All the people shouted loud praises to God. They were happy. With trumpets and cymbals they sang to God: “He is so good! His faithful love for Israel endures forever!” (Ezra 3:11). But many of the older men cried because they remembered Solomon’s beautiful temple and knew that Israel could never completely rebuild God’s place.

The New Testament

12. Many silent years (between the Old and New Testaments)

Years passed without a single word from God. And the years turned into many years, and the many years turned into hundreds of years., and the great promises of God seemed to fade away.

Israel became less important in the world. Other nations became great – strong nations, powerful nations, whose kings ruled over the Jews. One such king was Caesar Augustus. This Roman ruler thought he was very important. He decided to count all the people under his rule to show the world how great he was.

What Caesar did not know was that God, the world’s true ruler, the king of the universe was getting ready to show everyone how great He was. God was going to end His many years of silence. God was going to keep His promise of a forever king (the Jewish Messiah). And God was not going to do this like Ceasar who proudly counted all his people. He was going to do it humbly by becoming one of His people. In the power of His Spirit, God would bring His forever king (the Jewish Messiah) into the world as a baby!

13. God’s promised one is born (Matthew 1-2; Luke 1-2)

Joseph and Mary travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to be counted. Mary soon was going to have a baby. God had told them that their baby was the one promised long ago. He would rescue God’s people, give God’s place back to them, and bless all the peoples of the earth.

But in this crowded town, where would this special baby be born? Not in a nice, big home or a clean hotel because these were filled up with people. God’s forever king was born in a stable, a place for animals. His parents named him Jesus. They wrapped him up warmly and laid him in a feeding trough for animals. What a strange place for the Promised One!

While Caesar, the king of the Roman world, was showing everyone how great he was by counting all of his people. God, the king of the universe, was showing the world how great He was by sending His Son into the world as one of His people. What a very big day! What God had promised Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David had arrived in the birth of Jesus! And news of His great arrival was about to spread.

14. God’s promised one is announced (Luke 2)

On the night that Jesus was born, out on the rolling hills of Bethlehem, some shepherds were enjoying the cool air. It was dark. It was quiet. And then suddenly God surprised the shepherds. A bright light shine in the night sky. An angel made a big announcement to the shepherds: “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! … You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger” (Lk. 2:10-12). The shepherds were amazed!

And then there was another surprise. More and more and more angels came, until the night sky was filled with wonder and brightness. Together they sang, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased” (Lk.2:14).

Then the shepherds ran to Bethlehem as fast as they could. They wanted to see the long-awaited promise of God lying in a feeding trough. And when they got there, they saw the baby Jesus. They knew that everything the angels had told them was true! Jesus, God’s forever king (the Jewish Messiah) had been born!

15. Jesus calls twelve disciples (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)

Thirty years passed, and Jesus grew from a baby into a man. Thirty years passed, and the world still had not heard the message the angels had sung to the shepherds. Thirty years passed, and so far no one had become a follower of Jesus. This time God used a man instead of angels to tell people how to follow His Son. This man was already teaching people about God’s kingdom. He lived in the desert and His name was John the Baptist.

John did not dress like most of God’s people. John did not eat like most of God’s people. John did not speak like most of God’s people. But that did not keep God’s people from coming out into the desert to listen to John.

John was baptizing people to get them ready for the coming kingdom of God. People came from hills and valleys. They came from big cities and small towns. “Everyone was expecting the Messiah to come soon, and they were eager to know whether John might be the Messiah” (Lk. 3:15). They expected that God’s forever king (the Jewish Messiah) would rescue them. And give them God’s place back (Canaan). And bless all the people of the earth.

John told them, that he wasn’t God’s forever king (the Jewish Messiah). The Messiah would come soon and be more powerful than John and be able to take away the sin of the world (Lk. 3:16); Jn. 1:29).

And then one day when John was baptizing people in the Jordan river Jesus came to him and asked to be baptized. When John baptized Jesus, a dove flew down and rested on Jesus. A loud voice came from heaven: “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy” (Mk. 1:11). John told the people that Jesus was God’s promised king. He told them to follow Jesus because Jesus could take away their sin.

People began to listen to Jesus preach about the kingdom of God. And to some He said, “Follow me”. Jesus chose 12 followers to be His special disciples. They were Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot (Mt. 10:1-4).

16. Jesus restores God’s place (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)

One day Jesus was walking through the temple. This was the place where people went to meet with God. This temple wasn’t the one that Solomon built. And it wasn’t the one that the Jews rebuilt either. No, those temples had been destroyed hundreds of years before. King Herod had built this temple. The Romans had made Herod king. Herod was clever and tricky. He built this place to keep the Jews happy so they would obey him as king.

While walking through the temple, Jesus saw men selling cattle and sheep and doves. Jesus saw other greedy men sitting at tables trading money. Seeing all this made Jesus angry. The temple was supposed to be a holy place. This was the place where blood sacrifices for sin were made. Instead, the temple had become a wicked place. People came to look important and to put lots of money into their own pockets. People were sinning instead of coming to be forgiven.

What Jesus saw made Him so angry that He did something about it. He tipped over the tables of the money traders., and all the coins scattered. He made a whip and drove out the sheep and the cattle, and all the doves scattered. And while He was doing this Jesus demanded: “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!” (Jn. 2:16). That made the Jewish leaders angry, and they yelled back “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it” (Jn. 2:18). When Jesus heard this He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn. 2:19).

Then the Jewish leaders thought that Jesus was confused. They said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” (Jn. 2:19). They didn’t understand what He was saying about God’ special place. The stone temple wasn’t God’s place anymore. Jesus was God’s special place. His body was God’s holy temple. His blood (death) would pay for sins. He was better than the places built by Solomon, the Jews or Herod. But on that day no one understood Jesus, although there was one man who thought he did.

17. Jesus reveals God’s kingdom (John 3)

One night, a man walked along the streets of Jerusalem. The man’s name was Nicodemus. He was one of the Jewish leaders who liked Jesus. He thought that Jesus was a prophet who had been sent by God, so he wanted to know more about His message.

Nicodemus began, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you”. Jesus replied, “unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:2-3). Nicodemus was surprised. ““How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” (Jn. 3:4). Nicodemus did not understand.

The “kingdom of God” is God’s forever king’s (the Jewish Messiah’s) future kingdom on earth for Israel. A person who is not born again “cannot see the kingdom of God.” This is the kingdom of those who are born again. It is for those who will experience everlasting life in eternity. Nicodemus thought he was entitled to the kingdom of God because he was a descendant of Abraham. But Jesus said that a person must have a spiritual birth to enter eternal life. Only spiritual birth by God will allow us into His heaven. But all that Nicodemus knew was salvation by works.

Jesus then explained that the purpose of His death was to give eternal life to those who believe that He died for their sins. Belief in Christ consists in accepting something, not doing something. There is no other way to escape eternal death and separation from God except by believing in Jesus’ death for our sins.

Sad to say, Nicodemus, a teacher of God’s holy book (the Old Testament), did not yet understand. He went out again into the dark night confused. But some would understand. Others would not take long to believe that Jesus was sent from God. Others would see and be born again.

18. A blind man sees (John 9)

One day as Jesus walked along, He saw a man blind from birth – a man who could not see. Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” (Jn. 9:2). Jesus said there was a different reason this man was born blind. Jesus told them to watch and see the work God had sent Him to do.

So the disciples watched as Jesus walked over to the blind man and spat upon the ground. He made some mud with the spit and put it on the blind man’s eyes. Then Jesus said, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam (Siloam means ‘sent’)” (Jn. 9:7). So the man went. And the man washed, and when he opened his eyes, he could see! By this miracle God showed everyone that Jesus had been sent to do God’s work.

Now some of Jewish leaders listened to the man’s story, but they did not believe that Jesus had made him see. They said of Jesus, “This man Jesus is not from God” (Jn. 9:16). But the man who had been blind knew better. He told them that Jesus must have come from God. This made the leaders so angry that they threw the man out of the temple.

Later Jesus found the man. Jesus told him that God had sent Him into the world to make people see that He could rescue them from sin. The man now saw who Jesus really was, and he believed.

19. A dead man is raised to life (John 11)

A man named Lazarus was very sick. His sisters, Mary and Martha, knew that he was dying. They wanted Jesus to come and heal Lazarus. So they sent for Jesus. Jesus loved His friends, but when He heard Lazarus was sick, He did a surprising thing. He stayed where He was. He did not come right away. Jesus knew God was going to use Him to do something amazing. Jesus was going to show God’s power over death. So Jesus waited until Lazarus died, and then he went to be with His friends.

By the time Jesus got there, Lazarus had been in a tomb for four days. Martha met Him and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died” (Jn. 11:21). Jesus replied, “Your brother will rise again … I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying … Do you believe this, Martha?” (Jn. 11:25-26). Martha said yes. She believed that Jesus was God’s Son who was sent to bring life to the world.

Then Mary came to see Jesus, and Jesus saw her crying. He went with Mary to the tomb. And then Jesus cried too. Some who were there saw Jesus and said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t He have kept Lazarus from dying?” (Jn. 11:37). They didn’t know that Jesus was getting ready to show them that God had sent Him to rescue people from sin and death.

Jesus told them to open the tomb. Only then did Jesus step forward and pray, “Father, thank you for hearing me … I said it out loud … so that they will believe you sent me”.  Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” (Jn. 11:41-43). God answered Jesus’ prayer! Lazarus came out. He was alive. A dead man was now alive again. Jesus showed the people that God’s Spirit had power to bring new life.

Many people believed in Jesus on that day. They believed:
– Here is the one who will rescue God’s people.
– Here is the one who has become God’s place.
– Here in the one who even rules over death and can bring blessing to all peoples of the earth.
The people were ready to make Jesus their king! When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, the Jews thought that He was God’s forever king – the Jewish Messiah (Mt. 21:1-11).

But that made the Jewish leaders angry. They were jealous of Jesus. They hated Him and did not want Him as their king. They decided that the time had come. They would kill Him as soon as they could.

20. Jesus wears God’s kingly crown (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)

Jesus knew that His time has come. To get ready for this big moment, He prayed, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son” (Jn. 17:1). He wanted the world to know about His work on the cross, the resurrection, and the restoring of His coronation to eternal glory. Then Jesus prayed at Gethsemane but the disciples were tired and slept. When Jesus finished, He woke them up. He told them that His time had come.

Then some people who hated Jesus marched up to them. They brought soldiers with them too. These people didn’t believe Jesus was God’s forever king (Jewish Messiah). They tied up His hands and arrested Him. Jesus’ followers ran away. The soldiers and some leaders took Jesus to a place where they hit Him in the face. Then they led Him off to Pilate, a Roman ruler and said, “Jesus is trying to take over as king! A criminal like this should die. He should not be king. We would rather be ruled by Rome than by this pretend king” (paraphrase). “Crucify Him, Pilate”. Pilate talked to Jesus. He asked Him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”. Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom” (Jn. 18:33, 36).

Pilate did not think Jesus was trouble. Pilate did not think Jesus was a threat to Roman rule. He may have thought – If I can show the people that I am in control, then they will let Him go. So Pilate had Jesus beaten – the solders whipped Him many times. They laughed at the idea of Jesus as king. – they dressed Him in a purple robe. They made a crown of thorns and put it on His head. They punched Him and made fun of Him – “Hail, king of the Jews!” (Jn. 19:3).

Then Pilate tried to let Jesus go. But the people only shouted louder. They wanted to kill Jesus. They warned Pilate that the time had come. So Pilate decided to have Jesus killed. He looked out only for himself. So on a small hill outside the city of Jerusalem, Jesus was nailed to a cross and died. The sign on the cross said that He was “The king of the Jews” (Mt. 27:37).

21. Jesus’ followers are in the dark (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)

Darkness fell upon the land. Jesus was dead. He was buried in a tomb. A big stone was rolled in front of the entrance. For Jesus’ followers, that dark day was followed by a long night. The hours passed very slowly. Jesus’s friends cried. They thought He was the king of the Jews. But now they were filled with sorrow and fear.

“What happened?” “Why did Jesus have to die”? “Wasn’t Jesus God’s forever king (the Jewish Messiah)”? The questions kept coming until the next day turned into night. As Jesus’ followers tried to sleep, they thought, we will be sad forever. “Will God ever rescue His people from sin?” “Will we ever have our place with Him?” “Will God ever bring His blessings on all the people of the earth?”

22. A brand-new day (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)

It was the third day after Jesus had died on the cross. The sun was not yet up. Some woman got up very early while it was still dark and went to the tomb where Jesus was buried. As they came close, suddenly they grew anxious and afraid. The big stone that covered the entrance was gone. Jesus’ tomb was open and it was empty. Then they ran and told two of Jesus’ followers, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb” (Jn. 20:20). The followers ran off! They raced to the tomb. They looked around; they went inside, but Jesus was not there. As they walked back home, they wondered what had happened.

That evening some of Jesus’ followers were meeting together. They were afraid, and so they had locked the doors. Suddenly, Jesus came and stood among them! At first His followers were frightened, but then their fear turned into joy. The sadness thay had felt was gone. They were glad again.

Jesus was alive. Jesus was really alive. Jesus was risen from the dead. The Son had risen! It was a brand-new day.

23. God’s promise is explained (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)

Jesus’ followers could hardly believe it. “We have seen the Lord!”. They were full of joy, but they were not full of understanding. They could see Jesus with their eyes, but they could not see why He had to die and rise again. So Jesus opened up God’s holy book (the Old Testament) that had been written long ago. He started with the books of Moses and then the Prophets and the Psalms. He showed them everything that was written there about Him. In it were many word pictures and pattern prophecies that proved He must die to pay the penalty for sin. In it were many pictures that He would rise again.

Jesus’ followers were amazed as they listened and as they read. Before they had said “We have seen the Lord!” But now they could read God’s holy book (the Old Testament) and say, “Even here, especially here, we have seen the Lord!”

Jesus taught them carefully because He knew the day was coming when people would no longer see Him with their eyes. They would read of Him instead. He knew that God’s holy book (the Bible) would help others to believe and say, “We have seen the Lord!” And they too would be full of joy. Painted on the pages of Israel’s hard and happy history is the picture of God’s forever king (the Jewish Messiah).

24. The church is born (Acts)

For forty days after His resurrection Jesus taught about God’s kingdom. He told His chosen followers that they had kingdom work to do. He said that although He must go away for a while, they must wait for a gift He would send to help them do that work.

And then suddenly Jesus left them. He was lifted up into the sky. He took His throne in heaven and began His kingly rule. His followers went back to Jerusalem and waited. They waited and waited for the promised gift. Ten days passed, and then they heard something. There was aloud sound like the wind blowing. It came from heaven and filled the room. Then they saw something. Little flames of fire floated overhead and came to rest on each of them. Then they said something. They were praising God in languages they had never learned. The promised gift, the Holy Spirit, had come to them!

Other people also heard the wind and the voices. But they didn’t recognize the Holy Spirit. They wondered if Jesus’ followers were drunk. Peter raised his voice and spoke: “These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming” (Acts 2:15). He told them of the prophets who had said that God would send His Spirit. He told them of Jesus’ death and how God had raised Him to life again. He told them to repent and to believe in God’s forever king (the Jewish Messiah).

Many confessed their sins and believed. On that special day, God’s Spirit gave new life to about 3,000 people. God’s people were growing in number again! And as the good news about Jesus spread, still more people repented and believed. The good news spread and spread and spread! The good news about Jesus went out all across the land. It spread to people in Judea. It spread to Samaria too. Later the apostle Paul spread it as far away as Rome. Far and near, people from every nation were beginning to follow Jesus as their king.

Peter told the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah and if they repented their sins would be wiped out and they would enter the messianic kingdom that had been promised by the Old Testament prophets. This will be when “all the families on earth will be blessed” (Acts 3:17-26). But most of the Jews rejected this message. In particular, the Jewish religious leaders rejected the good news about Jesus. They were expecting God’s forever king (the Messiah) and thought that he would rescue them from Roman rule. As they didn’t think that Jesus was God’s forever king (the Messiah), the message about Jesus went out to the Gentiles. God gave the apostle Paul a revelation about God’s people in the church coming from all nations (Rom. 16:25-26; Eph. 3:6). This was different to the Old Testament times when God’s people were mainly descendants of Jacob (Israelites).

25. Letters to live by (1 Corinthians – Jude)

Men, women, boys and girls, young and old from many different nations, decided to follow Jesus. God’s people (the church) were growing in number. But how would they grow strong in their faith? They had not seen Jesus face to face. They had not talked with Him or heard Him teach. And those who had been with Jesus could not be with them all the time. How would God’s people (the church) know what to do?

God choose some of Jesus’ special followers to write letters to complete God’s holy book (the Bible). These letters told God’s people (the church): “Remember, hold on to the message about Jesus. Keep believing in Jesus. Love one another like a family. Forgive one another. Be careful! Don’t let evil people trick you. Run a way from sin. Endure hardship. And look for Jesus’ return.”

Everywhere that the good news about Jesus spread these letters could be found. They helped God’s people (the church) grow in faith. They made God’s young church grow strong.

26. The very good ending (Revelation)

When the apostle John was very old he couldn’t travel around and speak about Jesus anymore. And people who didn’t believe his message kept him as a prisoner on the island of Patmos. But God had a big surprise for John. There was one more place for him to go. One day, without warning, God gave John a peek into the future! He travelled to heaven in a vision. An angel showed John many things. John saw the holy room of God and the throne where Jesus sits.

He saw the place of hell for everyone who rejects the good news about Jesus. He even saw Satan crushed forever! He saw Jesus returning in glory to defeat His enemies and judge the remaining inhabitants of the earth. Then Jesus sets up an earthly kingdom for one thousand years when Satan will be bound. This is the messianic kingdom when all the peoples of the earth will be blessed and God’s promises to Abraham are fulfilled. Finally, there will be peace on earth (Isa. 9:6; Lk. 2:14).

And John also saw a new heaven and a new earth. And then something wonderful. A loud voice came from the throne saying, “Look, God’s home is now among His people! He will live with them, and they will be His people. God Himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever …  I am making everything new! … Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true” (Rev. 21:3-5).

After hearing this, John saw a garden inside a city. A river as clear as crystal was flowing from the throne, and on either side was the tree of life. And then John awoke from his vision. He knew that all God’s promises, all the things Jesus told him years ago, were true. He has seen the very good ending waiting for everyone who follows Jesus. God’s forever people will one day live in God’s forever place under God’s forever rule. Can you believe it? Amen, come Lord Jesus!

Conclusion

The greatest extraterrestrial message is in the Bible. The other extraterrestrial message is the goodness, beauty, size and complexity of the sun, moon and stars. Creation and nature declare that there is a God, and tells us much about Him (Rom. 1:20).

Acknowledgement

This post is an adaption of the book “The big picture story Bible” by D R Helm (2014), Crossway, Wheaton, Illinois.

Appendix: Changes made to the book by David Helm (2014)

– Added Scripture references
– Added that God’s creation took six days
– Stated that Adam was the first man and Eve the first woman
– Mention that God brought the animals to Noah to put on the big boat
– Added the dispersion of people across the world from Babel
– Made it clear that God’s promise to Abraham included the land of Canaan
– Changed the number of Israelites leaving Egypt from almost one million to about two million.
– Changed from covenant-amillennial theology to dispensational-millennial theology.

Posted, October 2023