Just like the ancients, many of us first learned the Bible through story. The stories were often presented in a Bible class, which means you got a story a week during your formative years.

In such a presentation it can be hard to give continuity to what you are learning. One week you learn about creation...later you catch Noah...a bit later Abraham, etc. I don't need to explain this to you!

It is so important for our kids to know Bible stories. It is also important for them to know why these stories matter. Yes these stories had meaning in their original telling and setting in Genesis. AND. These stories have a profound meaning in light of Jesus.

If you really want to know why the good news (gospel) is good news it really does help to understand Genesis. This good news of the kingdom is what Jesus was preaching in Mark 1:14-15! John 1:1 and Colossians 1:16 tell us that Jesus was part of making the cosmos! The creation account has a profound implication on the incarnation of Jesus found in John 1:14. The creator became the created! Wow!

Or how about the story of Abraham? His story pivotal to the good news about Jesus...look no further than Matthew 1:1-2,17 - where Jesus' genealogy is given that specifically ties him to be a descendant of Abraham. Why is this important? Because the Messiah had to be a descendant of Abraham, of course...but it also goes deeper than that. The Messiah was the fulfillment of God's promises to Abraham - that through his seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed!

All of a sudden these seemingly disconnected stories that we taught moral principles from have cosmic implications and inform what makes the news about Jesus truly GOOD!