LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
A Biblical Metanarrative Essay
Presented to
Mr. Aaron Gaston
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Course
THEO 104
Introduction to Theology
by
Joshua R. Webb
June 15th, 2021
Introduction
The purpose of this essay is to outline the Biblical Metanarrative’s associated with
both the Grace of God and the presentation of Christ. To tell the story of God’s
redemptive plan to save His people who are dead in their trespasses and sin and give
them new life through grace by the sacrifice of His one and only Son Jesus Christ. It
is my goal that through this essay I am able to clearly outline how both God’s Grace
and Christ’s coming in the flesh, his death, burial & resurrection is shown throughout
the Metanarrative of His Word from beginning to end
What is the Biblical Metanarrative?
The Biblical Metanarrative is just a fancy word for the overarching story The Bible is
trying to tell. The focus of the Story of The Bible is God. His purpose, plan, and
providence can be seen throughout the entire sixty-six books of the bible. From
beginning to end, Genesis to Revelation we see God’s ultimate plan being patiently
and persistently revealed to His people. From Genesis to Malachi, we see God raising
up His prophets who declare the coming of the Messiah who will Save His People
from their Sins. In the New Testament Gospels, we are introduced to that Christ and
read of his immaculate conception, life, death, burial, and resurrection in fulfillment
of those Old Testament prophecies. Upon His departure he provides us with this
promise in John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
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receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” After Christ’s
departure to heaven, we are given the direction and call by the apostles to lead and
grow Christ’s church and carry with us the hope and promise of our salvation through
His Spirit. In the final chapters of the New Testament, we see a glimpse of what is to
come, and the end is revealed. The battle is won. We will have victory. It is finished.
It has been said that the story of the Bible could be summarized with the word
redemption. From the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden as recorded in Genesis 3
to mankind spending eternity in the presence of God as recorded in Revelation 20-21,
the Bible is a story of God's redemption. One way to speak of the story is to look at
what theologians call the metanarrative. A metanarrative is the big picture—the
umbrella over the entire story of human history. This grand story of God can be
summed up with the four words: (1) Creation, (2) Fall, (3) Redemption, and (4)
Consummation.1
Grace
In Genesis 2:17 we see God’s first act of undeserved Grace. God tells Adam and Eve
clearly that they are permitted to eat fruit from any tree except for the fruit that comes
1 [Gabriel Etzel (2015). (p. 93). Theology Applied: A Living Faith, Revised Ed.. B&H Academic. Retrieved from
https://app.wordsearchbible.lifeway.com]
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from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or they will surely die. Both Adam
and Eve disobey God but do not die and are spared. Not only does God not end their
lives due to their disobedience but makes skins for them to cover their newly realized
nakedness. In that moment they deserved death, God graciously provided life and
comfort. This is the first sacrifice we have witness to in the Bible. Following their
disobedience Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden and we begin to see the
fallenness of mankind being revealed. While you could write an entire book on grace
(there are many) the most amazing act of Grace we see throughout the entire sixty-six
books of scripture is God’s gift of Jesus Christ. The sacrifice He made on the cross
though we did not earn it nor deserve it. “God has made a way of restoration, a way
of reconciliation, a way of redemption through the work of Jesus on the cross.”2
Christ
From beginning to end the bible reveals the glory of Jesus. Referred to as the “Last
Adam” Christ has fulfilled that which humanity itself could not. He was testified by
the prophets before he was ever born and fulfilled those specific prophecies making
his bold claim to divinity that much more certain. His life on earth was made witness
to many and clearly outlined throughout the New Testament gospels of the great and
many miracles he performed. He suffered and died for our salvation on the cross at
Golgotha.
2 [Gabriel Etzel (2015). (p. 93). Theology Applied: A Living Faith, Revised Ed.. B&H Academic. Retrieved from
https://app.wordsearchbible.lifeway.com]
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“The story continues with the redeeming work of Jesus Christ, ultimately costing Him
His very life so that you and I could experience an eternity with Him. Second Cor
5:19 says, "For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer
counting people's sins against them.”3
Summary
The Metanarrative of the bible is an amazing story of creation, fall, redemption, and
ultimate consummation. We get to see God’s story played out from beginning to end.
So where are we now in the story? We sit on the cusp of the end of the novel.
Anxiously awaiting the final days in which we get to meet out creator face to face and
what a day that will be! Until that day arrives, we are tasked with the responsibility to
go spread the good news of Gods Grace through Christ Jesus and the Salvation found
in Him. It is my hope that I will be a good steward of this grace God has so
generously given to me and that I may grow in my knowledge and relationship with
him so that other will see my life and ask what the reason for the hope within me is.
To which I can boldly claim. Jesus Christ. Him and Him alone.
3 [Gabriel Etzel (2015). (p. 93). Theology Applied: A Living Faith, Revised Ed.. B&H Academic. Retrieved
from https://app.wordsearchbible.lifeway.com]
