Jesus of Nazareth's life was cut short when he was executed by Roman crucifixion. But the Christian faith is built on the claim that the cross of Jesus, far from being a tragic defeat, was a momentous victory. To see this victory of Christ on the cross, we need to see it as the climax to the entire biblical story.

When Jesus began his public ministry, he proclaimed the arrival of the kingdom of God. What then would he say about who could be a citizen of the kingdom? By exposing the heart conditions that contradict kingdom values, Jesus shows that it is impossible to find the life of the kingdom apart from a devoted discipleship to him and his way.

God's plan to save his creation is carried out through a covenant he makes with his chosen people.

The biblical story begins by describing the creation of the world as the formation of a temple in which God would dwell in the midst of his creation. He entered into a covenant with human beings, made in his image, giving them dominion over his kingdom on earth. But when Adam broke the covenant, the effect on all creation was catastrophic. Still, God remained true to the covenant, promising salvation to the world he had made for his glory.

When Jacob left home, he encountered God at Bethel. Now, as he returns home, God urges him to return there and to set up a place for worship. Having arrived at Bethel under divine protection, Jacob is assured of his place in the patriarchal blessing. This assurance sustained him the rest of his life, a life that would continue to be a struggle as his children became responsible for carrying the promise of God forward into the next generation.

After returning home to Canaan, Jacob and his family suffer a great tragedy when his daughter, Dinah, is raped by a young Canaanite man. How they respond to this tragedy takes the story to an even darker level. How will the family of God be a blessing to the world when they are justifiably outraged by the sinfulness of the world around them?

As Jacob returns home, he must face the terrifying prospect of a confrontation with his brother, Esau. Jacob hopes that he can appease his brother with his gifts. But on the eve of the brothers' encounter, Jacob finds himself in a far greater struggle. He emerges with his life, but now walks with a limp, and carries with him a new name which will offer not just to himself but to the whole world the forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace that is desperately needed.

After 20 years of trouble and success, now comes the call of God for Jacob to return to Canaan. Many similarities are apparent between this return and the call to Abraham; between this flight and the exodus from Egypt. The passage focuses on God keeping his part of the covenant, Jacob’s faith in God, and Laban’s foolishness. God shows himself faithful once more.

Jacob arrives in Haran confident of God's presence with him. The next two decades of his life are spent in this foreign land, and they are anything but easy. Jacob is tricked and cheated by his uncle. Although Jacob starts a family, there is plenty of turmoil within his family, too. Still, God does not abandon him, and only because of the faithful presence of God with Jacob does Jacob receive everything that God had promised to him.

Rebekah and Jacob devised a scheme to trick Isaac into giving his deathbed blessing to Jacob rather than to Esau. The scheme succeeds, and Esau is furious, requiring Jacob to flee for his life. As Jacob is running away from Esau he unexpectedly encounters God for himself and is amazed at just how close God has been to him all along.