The
Emmaus
Project


Week
2
–
Redemptive
History



I. Introduction



A. The
Biblical
Writers
expected
to
be
understood:
this
is
called
Perspicuity.

B. The
Biblical
Writers
are
pointing
to
Christ:
the
Bible
is
Christo­centric

C. The
Bible
is
its
own
best
interpreter1

D. Unpack
the
Original
Meaning
of
the
text




 
 How
do
we
discover
the
meaning?
More
on
this
next
week!



E. Interpretation
in
the
context
of
the
Metanarrative





 
 “Like
Tolstoy’s
War
and
Peace,
with
its
many
plots
and
subplots,
the



 
 Bible
contains
many
stories,
all
woven
together
by
the
one
grand



 
 theme
of
God's
self‐revelation
to
the
world…
This
is
where
the
word



 
 metanarrative
comes
into
importance.
At
its
simplest,
the
word



 
 means
"Big
Story."
The
metanarrative
of
the
Bible
is
its
story
about



 
 God.”2




 
 What
is
the
Metanarrative
of
the
Bible?



II. Redemptive
History




 In
short,
the
Bible
could
be
summed
up
in
one


 word:
SALVATION!




 The
story
of
the
Bible
is
the
story
of


 REDEMPTION.




 And
because
the
Bible
covers
history
from


 beginning
and
end,
the
Bible
is
the

story
of


 Redemptive
History.





 "Redemptive
history
is
that
series
of
events
by


 which
God
redeems
his
people
from
sin,
a


 narrative
fulfilled
in
Christ.
It
is
the
principal


 subject‐matter
of
Scripture.

Redemptive
history


 constitutes
the
"mighty
acts
of
God"
that
he
performs
for
the
sake
of
his


 people,
those
acts
by
which
people
come
to
know
that
he
is
the
Lord.”
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 ‐
John
Frame,
monergism.com


























































1
McCartney
and
Clayton,
Let
the
Reader
Understand,
169‐171.

2
http://www.postmodernpreaching.net/metanarrative.htm


The
Emmaus
Project
 1

Spring
2011




“Redemptive
history
is,
simply
put,
the
history
of
redemption.
It
is
God’s
plan

for
history,
which
he
decreed
before
the
foundation
of
the
world.
It
is
what

God
has
done
in
the
past
to
redeem,
what
he
is
doing
in
now
to
redeem,
and

what
he
will
do
in
the
future
to
redeem.
“To
redeem
what?”
you
might
well

ask.
Well,
most
broadly
speaking,
to
redeem
creation;
more
narrowly,
to

redeem
creation
through
the
redemption
of
mankind;
and
more
narrowly

still,
to
redeem
mankind
through
an
elect
remnant,
and
to
redeem
creation

through
that
remnant.
This
redemption
of
mankind
and
creation
is
a

historical
process,
and
any
given
point
in
history
represents
a
certain
stage
of

that
process.”3



The
Bible
has
unity!

 

 
 Story
of
Redemption



“The
New
Testament
lies
hidden
in
the
Old,
and
the
Old
Testament
is

unveiled
in
the
New.”


 
 
 
 
 
‐
Augustine,
A.D.
354‐430




 “The
Bible
also
makes
it
clear
that
God
has
a
unified
plan
for
all
of
history.
His


 ultimate
purpose,
“a
plan
for
the
fullness
of
time,”
is
“to
unite
all
things
in
him


 [Christ],
things
in
heaven
and
things
on
earth”
(Eph.
1:10),
“to
the
praise
of


 his
glory”
(Eph.
1:12).
God
had
this
plan
even
from
the
beginning:
“remember


 the
former
things
of
old;
for
I
am
God,
and
there
is
no
other;
I
am
God,
and


 there
is
none
like
me,
declaring
the
end
from
the
beginning
and
from
ancient


 times
things
not
yet
done,
saying,
‘My
counsel
shall
stand,
and
I
will


 accomplish
all
my
purpose’”
(Isa.
46:9–10).
“When
the
fullness
of
time
had


 come,”
when
the
moment
was
appropriate
in
God's
plan,
“God
sent
forth
his


 Son,
born
of
woman,
born
under
the
law,
to
redeem
those
who
were
under
t

 he
law”
(Gal.
4:4–5).



 The
work
of
Christ
on
earth,
and
especially
his
crucifixion
and
resurrection,
is


 the
climax
of
history;
it
is
the
great
turning
point
at
which
God
actually


 accomplished
the
salvation
toward
which
history
had
been
moving


 throughout
the
OT.
The
present
era
looks
back
on
Christ's
completed
work


 but
also
looks
forward
to
the
consummation
of
his
work
when
Christ
will


 come
again
and
when
there
will
appear
“new
heavens
and
a
new
earth
in


 which
righteousness
dwells”
(2
Pet.
3:13;
see
Rev.
21:1–22:5).


The
unity
of
God's
plan
makes
it
appropriate
for
him
to
include
promises
and

predictions
at
earlier
points
in
time,
and
then
for
the
fulfillments
of
these
to

come
at
later
points.
Sometimes
the
promises
take
explicit
form,
as
when
God

promises
the
coming
of
the
Messiah,
the
great
Savior
whom
Israel
expected

(Isa.
9:6–7).
Sometimes
the
promises
take
symbolic
form,
as
when
God

commanded
animal
sacrifices
to
be
offered
as
a
symbol
for
the
forgiveness
of


























































3
Ra
McLaughlin,
Reformed
Perspectives,
October
2005.


The
Emmaus
Project
 2

Spring
2011

 sins
(Leviticus
4).
In
themselves,
the
animal
sacrifices
were
not
able
to

remove
sins
permanently
and
to
atone
for
them
permanently
(Heb.
10:1–18).

They
pointed
forward
to
Christ,
who
is
the
final
and
complete
sacrifice
for

sins.”4



OT
“shadows”

 
 
 
 NT
“realities”



Hebrews
10:1

1
The
law
is
only
a
shadow
of
the
good
things
that
are
coming—not
the

realities
themselves.



III. The
Bible
in
a
Sentence5



Craig
Blomberg:

God
is
in
the
process
of
recreating
the
universe
which
has
been
corrupted
by

sin
and
has
made
it
possible
for
all
those
and
only
those
who
follow
Jesus
to

be
a
part
of
the
magnificent,
eternal
community
that
will
result.


 


 Mark
Dever:


 God
has
made
promises
to
bring
His
people
to
Himself
and
He
is
fulfilling


 them
all
through
Christ.


 


 Kevin
DeYoung:


 A
holy
God
sends
his
righteous
Son
to
die
for
unrighteous
sinners
so
we
can


 be
holy
and
live
happily
with
God
forever.




 John
Frame:


 God
glorifies
himself
in
the
redemption
of
sinners.




 Leland
Ryken:


 The
message
of
the
Bible
is
twofold:
to
show
how
people
can
be
saved
from


 their
sins
through
faith
in
Christ's
atonement
AND
how
to
live
all
of
life
as
a


 follower
of
God.




 
 

IV. The
Bible
in
a
Picture




 What
is
the
Metanarrative
of
the
Bible?

































































4
ESV
Study
Bible,
“Overview
of
the
Bible”

5
http://dogmadoxa.blogspot.com/2011/01/whats‐message‐of‐bible‐in‐one‐

sentence.html

The
Emmaus
Project
 3

Spring
2011



A. REST





 



‐ Adam
and
Eve

‐ Israel

‐ Church

‐ New
Heavens
/
New
Earth



B. RESCUE






 



‐ Adam
and
Eve

‐ Israel

‐ Church

‐ New
Heavens
/
New
Earth







The
Emmaus
Project
 4

Spring
2011

 C. RULER





 



‐ Adam
and
Eve



Genesis
1:16‐18

16
God
made
two
great
lights—the
greater
light
to
govern
the
day
and

the
lesser
light
to
govern
the
night.
He
also
made
the
stars.
17
God
set

them
in
the
expanse
of
the
sky
to
give
light
on
the
earth,
18
to
govern
the

day
and
the
night,
and
to
separate
light
from
darkness.



Genesis
1:26‐28

26
Then
God
said,
"Let
us
make
man
in
our
image,
in
our
likeness,
and
let

them
rule
over
the
fish
of
the
sea
and
the
birds
of
the
air,
over
the

livestock,
*over
all
the
earth*,
and
over
all
the
creatures
that
move
along

the
ground."
27
So
God
created
man
in
his
own
image,
in
the
image
of
God

he
created
him;
male
and
female
he
created
them.
28
God
blessed
them

and
said
to
them,
"Be
fruitful
and
increase
in
number;
fill
the
earth
and

subdue
it.
Rule
over
the
fish
of
the
sea
and
the
birds
of
the
air
and
over

every
living
creature
that
moves
on
the
ground."


‐ Israel



Deuteronomy
17:14‐20

14
When
you
enter
the
land
the
LORD
your
God
is
giving
you
and
have

taken
possession
of
it
and
settled
in
it,
and
you
say,
“Let
us
set
a
king
over

us
like
all
the
nations
around
us,”
15
be
sure
to
appoint
over
you
a
king

the
LORD
your
God
chooses.
He
must
be
from
among
your
fellow

Israelites…
8
When
he
takes
the
throne
of
his
kingdom,
he
is
to
write
for

himself
on
a
scroll
a
copy
of
this
law,
taken
from
that
of
the
Levitical

priests.
19
It
is
to
be
with
him,
and
he
is
to
read
it
all
the
days
of
his
life
so

that
he
may
learn
to
revere
the
LORD
his
God
and
follow
carefully
all
the

words
of
this
law
and
these
decrees


The
Emmaus
Project
 5

Spring
2011



‐ Church



Matthew
2:2,6

After
Jesus
was
born
in
Bethlehem
in
Judea,
during
the
time
of
King

Herod,
Magi
from
the
east
came
to
Jerusalem
and
asked,
"Where
is
the

one
who
has
been
born
king
of
the
Jews?... “‘But
you,
Bethlehem,
in
the

land
of
Judah,
are
by
no
means
least
among
the
rulers
of
Judah;
for
out
of

you
will
come
a
ruler
who
will
shepherd
my
people
Israel.’



1
Timothy
5:17
(ESV)

17Let
the
elders
who
rule
well
be
considered
worthy
of
double
honor,

especially
those
who
labor
in
preaching
and
teaching.



‐ New
Heavens
/
New
Earth



Revelation
22:3‐5


The
throne
of
God
and
of
the
Lamb
will
be
in
the
city,
and
his
servants

will
serve
him.
4They
will
see
his
face,
and
his
name
will
be
on
their

foreheads.
5There
will
be
no
more
night.
They
will
not
need
the
light
of
a

lamp
or
the
light
of
the
sun,
for
the
Lord
God
will
give
them
light.
And

they
will
reign
forever
and
ever.



D. RELATIONSHIP





 



‐ Adam
and
Eve

‐ Israel

‐ Church

‐ New
Heavens
/
New
Earth



E. GARDEN



‐ Adam
and
Eve
(Eden)


 






The
Emmaus
Project
 6

Spring
2011

 Genesis
2:8‐10

8
Now
the
LORD
God
had
planted
a
garden
in
the
east,
in
Eden;
and
there

he
put
the
man
he
had
formed.
9
And
the
LORD
God
made
all
kinds
of

trees
grow
out
of
the
ground—trees
that
were
pleasing
to
the
eye
and

good
for
food.
In
the
middle
of
the
garden
were
the
tree
of
life
and
the

tree
of
the
knowledge
of
good
and
evil.10
A
river
watering
the
garden

flowed
from
Eden;
from
there
it
was
separated
into
four
headwaters.



Genesis
3:8

8
Then
the
man
and
his
wife
heard
the
sound
of
the
LORD
God
as
he
was

walking
in
the
garden
in
the
cool
of
the
day,



‐ Israel
(Canaan)



Exodus
3:8

So
I
have
come
down
to

rescue
them
from
the
hand
of
the
Egyptians
and

to
bring
them
up
out
of
that
land
into
a
good
and
spacious
land,
a
land

flowing
with
milk
and
honey—the
home
of
the
Canaanites…



Numbers
13:27

27
They
gave
Moses
this
account:
"We
went
into
the
land
to
which
you

sent
us,
and
it
does
flow
with
milk
and
honey!
Here
is
its
fruit.”



‐ Church
(Gethsemane)



John
15:1‐5

1
“I
am
the
true
vine,
and
my
Father
is
the
gardener.
2
He
cuts
off
every

branch
in
me
that
bears
no
fruit,
while
every
branch
that
does
bear
fruit

he
prunes
so
that
it
will
be
even
more
fruitful.
5"I
am
the
vine;
you
are
the

branches.
If
a
man
remains
in
me
and
I
in
him,
he
will
bear
much
fruit;

apart
from
me
you
can
do
nothing.



‐ New
Heavens
/
New
Earth
(Zion)



Revelation
22:1‐5


1Then
the
angel
showed
me
the
river

of
the
water
of
life,
as
clear
as
crystal,

flowing
from
the
throne
of
God
and
of

the
Lamb
2down
the
middle
of
the

great
street
of
the
city.
On
each
side
of

the
river
stood
the
tree
of
life,
bearing

twelve
crops
of
fruit,
yielding
its
fruit

every
month.
And
the
leaves
of
the
tree

are
for
the
healing
of
the
nations.
3No

longer
will
there
be
any
curse.
The
throne
of
God
and
of
the
Lamb
will
be

in
the
city,
and
his
servants
will
serve
him.
4They
will
see
his
face,
and
his

name
will
be
on
their
foreheads.


The
Emmaus
Project
 7

Spring
2011

 V. The
Four
Gardens











 


Eden







Canaan






Gethsemane







Zion





Alpha
 
 


















Old
Testament




























New
Testament



 



















Omega



(Genesis
1
–
11)
 (Genesis
12
–
Malachi
4)
 (Matthew
1
–
Revelation
20)









(Revelation
21‐22)






































 
 






 



 
 















 
 


 








The
Emmaus
Project
 8

Spring
2011

VI. Opportunities
for
Growth



‐ Read
Overview
of
the
Bible,
article
from
the
ESV
Study
Bible
(handout)

‐ Read
The
Storyline
of
the
Bible,
from
Graeme
Goldsworthy’s
book


“According
to
the
Plan”
(handout).

‐ Read
Redemptive
History,
article
by
Ra
McLaughlin
(handout)




The
Emmaus
Project
 9

Spring
2011