I think it’s fair to say that art can reach the inner person
quicker than an outline (though perhaps “art” is a strong word for my poem!).
That is the thrust behind this attempt to summarize the storyline of the Bible.
My goal was to produce something that would arrest the reader with the
brilliance and intricacy of the Scriptures by tying the major themes together.
I wanted the lifelong Sunday-school learner to come away with a fresh vision of
what God is doing in history and the privileged role that He has given to us.
Take a look, and see what you think.
(This poem is written in anapestic meter; each foot has two
unaccented syllables followed by an accented syllable. Each line (with a few
exceptions) contains nine syllables, three metric feet.)
In the beginning
there was nothing,
Nothing but God,
holy, unchanging.
Sharing one nature
in three persons,
Father, Son,
Spirit, never ending.
God needed nothing
for completion,
But for the
brilliance of his glory,
He chose to speak
into existence
A world to share
in His great story.
With three simple
yet powerful words
This great King
created a kingdom.
His world
reflected him perfectly,
To rule it all a
man named, Adam.
God gave man
everything to enjoy
And lived with man
in that special place.
God’s Word would
be the authority
Bringing blessing
and light from God’s face.
But like a dead
fly in the ointment
The old snake
invaded the Garden.
God’s enemy, using
deception,
Tempted man to
doubt God’s love for him.
Believing we would
be happier
Out from under
God’s authority,
Man listened to
the words of Satan
And ate, losing
sinless purity.
Shame instantly
haunted the couple,
So they hid from
God’s presence in fear.
Like a patient
who’s ripped out his lifeline,
Death entered the
picture from here.
Bound by what’s
right, God cursed the whole world
Because sin
corrupted everything.
But God promised
to crush the devil
To set the world
free from death’s sting.
Man’s evil
progressed from bad to worse.
Murder and deceit
ravished the earth.
So God wiped the
world clean with water,
But man’s heart
was still wicked from birth.
Move forward to
Genesis twelve now.
God chose to bless
one man, Abraham.
God promised him
people and a place.
This family will
be God’s new program.
God multiplied
Abram’s family;
In Egypt he saved
them from famine.
He promised a
ruler from Judah,
But an evil
Pharaoh enslaved them.
Israel cried out
for deliverance,
So God sent them
the savior, Moses.
God broke Pharaoh’s
back with His power.
Nothing could stop
Abraham’s promise.
God led them
through water and desert
Bringing them to
the mountain, Sinai.
Through Moses He
gave them His good Law,
But their hearts
were too hard for that rabbi.
God lived with his
people in a tent;
He guided them by
fire and cloud.
But most people
still wouldn’t listen.
Their stomachs
were growling too loud.
God provided rest
for His people
By placing them in
the Promised Land.
He lived with them
there in the temple.
David held Judah’s
scepter in hand.
But God’s people
still would not listen.
They rejected the
LORD, their True King.
The problem runs
deep on the inside,
So God promised
internal cleansing.
He would put his
Spirit inside us,
Which would make
us alive forever.
But this gift
would cost God everything;
God’s King would
be crushed for God’s pleasure.
God would send us
His Sinless Servant.
He’d live for the
needy and poor.
Then give up His
life as a ransom,
And rise from the
dead as the Savior.
But that was far
into their future.
First the Jews
would suffer God’s judgment.
God sent His
people to Babylon,
Barred from God’s
presence in punishment.
They cried out to God for deliverance,
And God remembered
His promise.
He brought his
people home to Canaan,
Where they waited
through years of silence…
…Heaven is about
to burst open.
It starts with an
angel and Mary.
He tells her
she’ll give birth to a Son.
God moves in
remembrance of mercy.
This one will be
Son of the Most High.
He’ll rule from
the throne of His Father.
He’ll bring the
best news for all people.
His name will be
Jesus, the Savior.
When her time for
delivery arrived,
She went to the
city of David.
She laid her
firstborn in a manger.
The Lord became
what He created.
The trickle from
heaven exploded
As thousands of
angels announced him.
“Great joy that
will be for all people;
The Lord Christ is
born in Bethlehem.”
Jesus grew in
wisdom and stature
Until John
appeared in the desert.
A voice crying in
the wilderness,
telling people,
“Turn from sin’s pleasure!”
Then one day He
made his appearance.
Jesus came to John
in the Jordan.
He was baptized
and filled with God’s Spirit.
Coming up the
heavens split open.
The Spirit brought
Him to be tempted.
In the desert He
faced the old snake.
But this Man is
what we all should be;
God’s commandments
He never would break.
He read from the
prophet Isaiah
That He came to
preach good news to man.
He healed the sick
and cast out demons.
He lived to
fulfill His Father’s plan.
He called twelve
to be His disciples,
And prepared them
for what would come next.
God’s people would
betray their Savior.
They’d ask Pilate
to put Him to death.
But this was His
purpose for coming,
So He rode into
Jerusalem.
He ate one last
meal with His brothers,
And sweat blood
through prayer in the garden.
Submitting His
will to the Father,
He went with the
guards to stand trial.
The religious
leaders blasphemed Him,
Not to mention
Peter’s denial.
Finally the high
priest simply asked Him,
“Are you the
Christ, Son of the Blessed?”
Then Jesus
responded from Daniel,
“I’ll come with
the angels of heaven.”
They dragged Him
to stand before Pilate
Demanding he
crucify Jesus,
So Pilate gave
into their wishes.
They beat Him; His
back torn from lashes.
They marched Jesus
out of the city
Where they pinned
Him to die on a tree.
They railed Him
with curses and cruelty
As He bled out for
you and for me.
The Father took
all of His anger
Pent up from the
filth of mankind.
He poured the
whole cup out on Jesus,
The payment of
your sins and mine.
They took His
corpse down that same Friday,
And buried Him in
a rich man’s tomb.
The women from
Galilee saw it;
They’d return when
the Sabbath was through.
As the first light
was dawning on Sunday,
Several women came
bringing spices.
They paused as
they noticed the entrance.
They entered…no
body inside it.
Then an angel
appeared in the tomb,
And told them that
they should not fear him.
“Did you come here
looking for Jesus?
The Lord is alive;
Christ is risen!”
The women could
hardly believe it!
They rushed back
to deliver the news.
But the twelve
thought this tale was idle.
To believe it
they’d need living proof.
That night the
group gathered in secret
Afraid of what
might happen to them.
Then Jesus
appeared behind locked doors.
Their Lord had
come back from the dead!
He opened their
minds to the Scriptures,
And taught them
for forty days longer.
He promised to
send them God’s Spirit.
The church would
be built by this Power.
Then Jesus sat
down by His Father.
Where He rules as
the judge of mankind.
While the twelve
returned to the city,
To be clothed with
this Power on High.
Later, when they
all met together
Tongues of fire
appeared on each one.
They shared the
great message of Jesus.
The church was
born and thousands were won.
The twelve started
in Jerusalem;
Then they reached
people in Judea.
The news was
growing and increasing
As they moved into
Samaria.
The gospel spread
all over the earth,
And the news is
still moving forward.
Jesus continues
building His church
As the
Cornerstone; we’re brick and mortar.
Then on the day
known by the Father,
King Jesus will
return in the sky.
He’ll come in
great power and glory.
At His word all
his enemies die.
He’ll rule as the
true Son of David
Over God’s kingdom
for one thousand years.
He’ll radically
transform creation.
The King of Kings
will wipe away tears.
At the end He’ll
forever damn Satan;
God’s enemy will
never return.
Then He’ll resurrect
every person,
And judge each
based on what he has earned.
Some will be
rescued from the fire,
Those who trusted
in Jesus alone.
He’ll welcome them
into God’s presence.
They’ll worship
the Lord on His throne.
God will make a
New Heaven and Earth
Where His people
will live forever.
He’ll restore the
Garden of Eden.
The story ends
happily ever after.
