One Story, One Promise
Beginning with Moses
"Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures."
—Luke 24:27
Mustard plant growing from layered sandstone beneath blue sky, symbolizing faith beginning small and growing strong.
Have you ever started watching a movie halfway through?
You might recognize some of the characters. You can usually tell who the hero is and who the villain is. But there are moments that don't make much sense because you missed the beginning. Before long, you find yourself wondering, "How did we get here?"
Sometimes we read the Bible the same way.
Many Christians know the New Testament well. We know the stories of Jesus, His miracles, His death, and His resurrection. But because we aren't as familiar with the Scriptures Jesus taught from, some of His words seem to appear without a beginning.
Jesus knew the beginning.
He knew the story His Father had been telling from the very first pages of Scripture.
This is where the story becomes clearer.
Near the end of Luke's Gospel, two disciples were walking from Jerusalem to a village called Emmaus. Their hearts were heavy. Jesus had been crucified. The tomb had been found empty, but they didn't know what to believe. They had hoped He was the Messiah, yet nothing had happened the way they expected.
As they walked, a stranger joined them. They didn't recognize that it was Jesus.
He listened to their disappointment before gently saying:
“How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.”
—Luke 24:25–27, referring to Moses and all the Prophets
I have often wished I could have listened to that conversation.
Imagine walking beside Jesus as He opened the Scriptures. Imagine listening as He explained how promises made hundreds of years earlier had been pointing to Him all along. Luke doesn't tell us every passage Jesus discussed on the road to Emmaus. Perhaps that was intentional. Instead of giving us a transcript of the conversation, God gives us something even more valuable—an invitation to follow Jesus through those same Scriptures and discover, little by little, what He wanted His disciples to understand. That is exactly what we are going to do together.
One of the most beautiful things about the Bible is that, although it was written by many authors over many centuries, it tells one continuous story. It begins with a loving Father creating a world that was very good. It tells of humanity's decision to turn away from Him, then follows His patient work of calling people back to Himself generation after generation. Along the way, it points toward the coming of the Messiah and finally ends with God's promise to make all things new. There are many books, many authors, and many centuries—but one unfolding story and one faithful God guiding it from beginning to end.
Sometimes people think the Old Testament is mostly about laws, kings, battles, and family histories. Those things are certainly there, but they are not the destination. They are part of a much larger story.
A promise runs through them all.
A promise that God would not abandon His creation.
A promise that evil would not have the final word.
A promise that one day the Father would send the One who would reconcile the world to Himself.
Jesus understood that promise better than anyone.
That is why He could move so naturally from Moses to Isaiah, from the Psalms to Daniel, from Abraham to Jonah. He wasn't jumping from one disconnected story to another.
He was following one thread that His Father had been weaving from the beginning.
The Holy Spirit had inspired those Scriptures through faithful men over many centuries. Different personalities, different times, different circumstances—but one divine purpose. As we read the Bible today, that same Holy Spirit helps us see the unity that Jesus saw so clearly.
The more we recognize that unity, the less confusing the Bible becomes.
We stop asking, "Why is this story here?"
Instead, we begin asking,
"What part of God's plan does this reveal?"
That small change in perspective makes a remarkable difference. The Bible is no longer a collection of interesting lessons. It becomes the story of a faithful God who never gave up on His children.
As we continue this journey, we'll begin following Jesus into the very passages He chose to teach. We'll discover why He quoted them, what they meant to the people who first heard them, and what they still teach us today.
But before we turn the page, I'd like to leave you with one simple thought. The Bible is not sixty-six stories about people trying to find God. It is one story about God reaching out to His people.
Jesus knew that. That is why, wherever He opened the Scriptures, He always led people back to the Father.
And that is where we will begin our journey together.
