This is part nine of my ongoing series about the Story of the Bible. So far, the posts have looked at creation, the fall, God’s promise to Abraham, his covenant with Israel, the consequences of a broken covenant, and a ray of hope for the future. This post will look at the way God began to bring that hope to fulfillment.
A Quick Review
As a consequence of their covenant disobedience, Israel found themselves in exile. But it was not the end. God held out hope for their future. That they would regain their land, that a king from the line of David would rule, and that a grand temple would be re-established.
They did return to their land, even enjoying a brief period of independence. And the temple had been rebuilt, maybe even better than before. But, as the Old Testament came to a close, the hope foretold by the prophets had still not been realized.
A People Living in Darkness
When the New Testament opened, the people of Israel were living under Roman rule. While they were living in their promised ancestral land, they were a subject people with limited self-rule. The temple had been restored, and the priests and Levites were again ministering and offering sacrifices.
But they were a people living in darkness (Matt. 4:16). Although they had some freedoms, they were not free. Although they had some local authority over their own affairs, those were subject to the whims of their Roman overlords. And the tax burden imposed by the Romans and those who collaborated with them was excessive.
But the words of the prophets remained a light at the end of what seemed like an endless tunnel. There was hope that God would fulfill the promises made through the prophets, restoring them to independence with their own powerful king.
Proclaiming the Kingdom of God
Amid the troubles of their day, the angel Gabriel appeared to a young virgin named Mary and told her that she would have a son and that “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Lk. 1:32-33). Was it time? Was their long-held hope about to be realized?
Jesus grew to manhood and began to travel about Judea and Galilee, proclaiming that the kingdom of God was near. His closest followers were convinced that he was the one promised who would restore the kingdom and sit on David’s throne. And many in the crowds that followed him also looked to him as one who would overthrow the Romans, reestablish the kingdom, and sit on David’s throne.
When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the crowd was filled with anticipation. Was this the time that Jesus would declare himself and lead a rebellion that would free the Jews from Roman domination (Matt. 21:9)?
A Bump in the Road?
The crowd seemed to have high expectations when Jesus rode into Jerusalem. But by the end of the week, he had been executed as a common criminal, and his closest followers were in hiding. What went wrong?
The surprising answer is that nothing went wrong. It was all going according to plan. And in the days and weeks to come, his followers would discover that the failure was in their expectations rather than in God’s plan.
Stay tuned for the unveiling of the mystery that had been hiding in the open for two thousand years.
- The Story of the Bible (2/8/2025) – This is an introductory post to a series on the story of the Bible. At least as I understand it. Each post will build on the previous posts.
- A Good Creation (2/15/2025) – God created a good, although not necessarily perfect, world. His creation included all that has been made, both physical and spiritual.
- Humanity (2/22/2025) – Humanity is described as the final work in God’s creation, created to be in God’s image, and given rule over the rest of the creation.
- The Fall and Death (3/1/2025) – How did God’s creation end up in the mess it’s in. Genesis tells us humanity rebelled against God, fell from our high place, and faced death.
- An Unconditional Promise (3/8/2025) – Abraham was promised land, descendants as numerous as the dust of the earth, and offspring who would be a blessing to all people.
- A Conditional Covenant (3/15/2025) – At Mt. Sinai, God entered into a conditional covenant relationship with Israel. They would be his people if they obeyed the covenant terms.
- Breaking the Covenant (3/22/2025) – Israel repeatedly broke their covenant with God and eventually faced exile. Was that the end? Or was there still hope for them?
- Holding Out Hope (3/29/2025) – The prophets held out hope, telling Israel God had plans for them despite their rebellion. The promise of land, king, and temple remained.
- A Bump in the Road (4/5/2025) – Expectations when Jesus rode into Jerusalem. But by the end of the week, he had been executed as a common criminal. What went wrong?
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