The Gospel in Creation: God's Design for Relationship
Imagine standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon for the first time. What's your first thought? It's probably not, "I wonder how this erosion happened" or "What geological processes formed this?" No—your first response is likely wonder. Awe. A sense that you're experiencing something magnificent that existed long before you arrived.
That's exactly how we should approach Genesis. The Bible doesn't begin with rules. It doesn't begin with sin. It doesn't even begin with humans. It begins with God creating a magnificent world—a world designed for relationship.
Welcome
Welcome to 66 Gospels. I'm Austin W. Duncan, and I'm thrilled you're joining us for this journey through the entire Bible, where we'll discover how every book points us to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Today, we're starting right at the beginning with Genesis 1-2, exploring "The Gospel in Creation: God's Design for Relationship." And I know what you might be thinking: "Wait, the Gospel in Genesis 1-2? But Jesus isn't even mentioned there! Isn't the Gospel about Jesus dying for our sins—and sin doesn't appear until Genesis 3?"
That's exactly why we need to start here. Because the Gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ—isn't just about solving the problem of sin. It's about restoring us to what we were created for in the first place: relationship with God. And to understand that relationship, we need to go back to the beginning.
1. The Gospel Starts with Relationship, Not Sin
So often when we talk about the Gospel, we start with sin. We say things like, "We've all sinned and fallen short of God's glory, so Jesus came to save us." And that's absolutely true! But it's not the whole story.
The first chapters of the Bible tell us something profound: Before there was a problem to solve, there was a relationship to enjoy.
What It Meant Then
Genesis opens with these simple yet profound words: "In the beginning, God created..." (Genesis 1:1). From verse 1, the focus is on God's creative action, culminating with humanity. After each day of creation, God declares what He's made to be "good." But after creating humans in His image, in Genesis 1:31, God steps back and declares everything "very good."
This isn't just casual approval. This is the Creator of the universe delighting in what He's made—especially in the creatures designed for relationship with Him.
T. Desmond Alexander, in his book "From Eden to the New Jerusalem," points out something fascinating about Genesis. He notes that these chapters don't just describe God making a world to rule over but creating a space where He can dwell with people. The creation account isn't mainly about how everything came to be—it's about why everything came to be: for relationship.
What It Reveals About God
Think about this: God didn't need us. The Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—existed in perfect harmony and love for all eternity past. God wasn't lonely. He wasn't bored. He was completely sufficient in Himself.
Yet He chose to create us. Not out of need, but out of want.
John Piper, in his sermon "God Created Man Male and Female," calls this a "grand thing." God's delight wasn't just in making stuff—it was in sharing His life with us. He wanted creatures who could know Him, enjoy Him, and reflect His character.
That tells us something profound about God's heart: He is relational to His core.
What It Means for Us Today
So what does this mean for us? It means life isn't about fixing our mistakes first—it's about knowing God.
Jesus Himself defined eternal life this way in John 17:3: "This is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." Notice Jesus doesn't define eternal life as "living forever" or even "going to heaven." He defines it as knowing God.
Jesus came on a relationship rescue mission. Sin is certainly the barrier that needed to be removed, but relationship is the goal. That changes everything about how we understand the Christian life.
Everyday Example
Think about it like this: Imagine a parent who doesn't just want obedient kids but genuinely enjoys their company. They don't just create rules to control behavior—they create a home where relationship can flourish.
That parent might say, "Yes, I want you to follow our family rules, but what I really want is to know you, to spend time with you, to share life with you." That's God's heart toward us, from the very beginning.
Simple Gospel Tie
Here's the beautiful truth: The Gospel isn't just about what we're saved from, but what we're saved for—relationship with God.
Sin interrupted that relationship, but it was never the main story. The main story is that God created us for Himself, and through Jesus, He's bringing us back to that original design.
2. Created in God's Image: Our Original Purpose
Now let's look more closely at how God made us. Genesis 1:26-27 contains some of the most important words ever written about human identity: "Then God said, 'Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness...' So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
This idea—that we are made in God's image—sets the foundation for our purpose.
What It Meant Then
What did it mean to be made "in God's image"? The Hebrew word used here is "tselem," which implies being a representative or reflection. Scholar Gordon Wenham explains that this refers to our capacity to reflect God's character—our ability to love, create, and relate to others and to God.
In the ancient Near East, kings would set up images or statues of themselves throughout their kingdoms to represent their rule in places they couldn't physically be. In a similar but much more profound way, humans were designed to be God's representatives on earth—living, breathing reflections of the Creator.
This made humans utterly unique in all creation. Nothing else in Genesis is described as bearing God's image. Only us.
What It Reveals About God
Think about how generous God is here. He's sharing His likeness with us! R.C. Sproul, in his "Themes from Genesis," emphasizes that this reflects God's desire for us to represent Him on earth.
It's like a parent passing on not just physical traits to their children, but character, values, and purpose. God wanted creatures who would participate in His nature and reflect His goodness in the world.
This reveals God's incredible humility and generosity. The all-powerful Creator of the universe chooses to share His image with creatures made from dust. It's mind-boggling when you really think about it.
What It Means for Us Today
If we're made in God's image, then our true purpose is found in mirroring His character. We find our meaning not in what the world tells us to value—success, appearance, wealth, power—but in reflecting God's love, creativity, and goodness.
Jesus, described in Colossians 1:15 as "the image of the invisible God," shows us what this looks like perfectly. He is the ultimate image-bearer, revealing God's character through His love, compassion, truth, and sacrifice.
When we look at Jesus, we see what humans were always meant to be—perfect reflections of God's heart. And through the Gospel, He's restoring that image in us. As 2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us, "We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another."
Everyday Example
It's like a child who naturally resembles their parents—not just in appearance but in mannerisms and character. Maybe you've heard someone say, "You laugh just like your mother" or "You have your father's sense of humor."
In the same way, we're meant to "look like" God in how we love, create, and relate to others. People should see something of God's character when they interact with us. That's what it means to be made in His image.
Simple Gospel Tie
Jesus didn't come just to forgive us, but to show us what it looks like to live as true image-bearers.
The Gospel is about Jesus restoring God's image in us, helping us become who we were always created to be.
3. The Garden: Where God and Humans Lived Together
After creating humans, God placed them in a garden. But Eden wasn't just any beautiful location—it was where God and humans shared space.
What It Meant Then
Genesis 2:8-15 describes this special garden that God planted and where He placed the humans He had formed. It was lush, beautiful, full of good things to eat, with rivers flowing through it. But most importantly, it was where God walked with Adam and Eve.
Genesis 3:8 tells us that Adam and Eve "heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day." This casual mention suggests this wasn't unusual—God regularly walked there with them! Can you imagine that kind of intimacy with the Creator?
T. Desmond Alexander, in his book "Heaven on Earth," describes Eden as essentially a "Temple"—a place where God's presence dwelled with humanity. The garden wasn't just a pretty place to live; it was sacred space, the meeting point between heaven and earth.
What It Reveals About God
This shows us that God longs to be near us. He's not a distant deity who winds up the universe and then walks away. He's not an impersonal force. He's a God who creates beautiful spaces to share with the creatures He loves.
The BibleProject's overview of Genesis highlights this as God's core design—He created a world where heaven and earth overlap, where He could be present with His people.
This reveals God's desire for closeness, for conversation, for walking together through the garden of life. He's a God who comes close.
What It Means for Us Today
We were built for God's presence. There's a garden-shaped hole in our hearts that nothing else can fill. As Augustine famously said, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in You."
Jesus fulfills this desire by becoming human—"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14). The Greek word for "made his dwelling" literally means "to tabernacle" or "to set up a tent"—it's temple language! Jesus became the place where God and humans meet.
And Revelation 21:3 promises that one day, God will dwell with us forever: "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them." The story that began in a garden will culminate in a city where God lives with His people permanently.
Everyday Example
It's like how we create special places in our homes to connect with loved ones. Maybe it's the dinner table where family gathers each night. Maybe it's the living room where you have deep conversations with friends. Maybe it's the porch swing where you and your spouse catch up at the end of the day.
Eden was God's special meeting place with humanity—the space He designed specifically for connection and relationship.
Simple Gospel Tie
The same God who walked with Adam and Eve in the garden became human to walk with us again.
The Gospel is about God restoring His presence among us—first through Jesus, then through His Spirit, and ultimately in the new creation.
4. Work and Rest: The Rhythm of Relationship
One of the surprises in Genesis 1-2 is that work and rest were part of God's design before sin entered the picture. Both were gifts, not burdens.
What It Meant Then
In Genesis 2:15, God gave Adam work to do: "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." This happened before sin made work difficult.
Gordon Wenham notes that this work was joyful, not stressful—it was fulfilling stewardship of God's creation. Adam wasn't working to survive; he was working to cultivate beauty and order as God's representative.
Genesis 2:2-3 shows God Himself resting after creation: "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done."
God set a rhythm—six days of creative work followed by refreshing rest. This pattern was woven into creation before sin distorted it.
What It Reveals About God
This shows us that God values both purpose and peace. He's not a taskmaster demanding endless toil, nor is He promoting idle laziness. He designed a beautiful rhythm of meaningful work and joyful rest.
John Piper points out that God's rest wasn't due to fatigue—it was a delight in completed work. God rested not because He needed to recover but because He wanted to enjoy what He had made. And He invites us into that same enjoyment.
This reveals God's wisdom in designing human flourishing. He knows we need both productive activity and restorative rest to thrive.
What It Means for Us Today
Our best life flows from doing what we're made for (meaningful work) and resting in God (rejuvenating rest). Sin has twisted work into drudgery and rest into either laziness or anxious distraction, but Jesus restores both to their proper place.
Jesus' finished work on the cross (John 19:30) gives us true rest—not just physical relaxation but soul-deep peace with God. As He said in Matthew 11:28-30: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
The Gospel frees us from working to earn God's favor and restores work to its proper purpose—participating in God's creative and redemptive purposes in the world.
Everyday Example
Think about work you love—maybe gardening, cooking, writing, teaching, building, or creating. When you're doing work that aligns with how God made you, it doesn't feel like a burden, even when it's challenging. There's joy in using your gifts for their intended purpose.
That's a glimpse of what work was meant to be from the beginning—not a necessary evil but a fulfilling expression of our God-given creativity and purpose.
Simple Gospel Tie
The rest that God modeled in creation is the same rest Jesus offers us through the Gospel.
Jesus restores both work and rest to their proper places—meaningful purpose without crushing burden, and refreshing peace without anxious distraction.
5. Trust and Choice: The Foundation of Love
In Genesis 2, we encounter something that might initially seem strange: a forbidden tree. Why would God place a tree in the garden and then tell Adam and Eve not to eat from it? Because real love requires real choice.
What It Meant Then
Genesis 2:16-17 presents both tremendous freedom and one clear boundary: "And the LORD God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.'"
Notice the generosity here—access to every tree but one! Enduring Word's commentary calls this a test of trust, not a trick or trap. God was giving Adam and Eve the opportunity to choose relationship with Him based on trust in His goodness and wisdom.
The tree wasn't there to tempt them to fail; it was there to invite them to trust. Without this choice, their love for God would have been programmed, not freely given.
What It Reveals About God
This shows us that God desires authentic relationship, not robotic obedience. He is a lover, not a dictator.
T. Desmond Alexander notes that this freedom demonstrates God's relational heart. He wanted Adam and Eve to choose Him not because they had to, but because they wanted to. That's the only kind of love that's really love.
Think about it: God took the risk of giving us free will because a forced relationship isn't a relationship at all. This reveals His desire for authentic connection, even when that meant humans could reject Him.
What It Means for Us Today
Real love still means choosing God. The essence of sin isn't just breaking rules—it's choosing to trust ourselves instead of God.
Jesus' sacrifice on the cross (Romans 5:8) gives us the freedom to trust God anew. The Gospel doesn't remove our ability to choose; it liberates us to make the right choice based on God's demonstrated love and faithfulness.
Every day, we face the same basic choice Adam and Eve faced: Will we trust God's way or our own? Will we believe He is good and His commands are for our flourishing, or will we doubt His heart and try to define good and evil for ourselves?
Everyday Example
It's like how trust works in any relationship. When you trust a friend, that trust deepens your bond. But when you constantly doubt them, questioning their motives and intentions, it creates distance and damages the relationship.
God wanted that trust from Adam and Eve from the beginning—not to control them but to deepen their relationship with Him. And He still desires that trust from us today.
Simple Gospel Tie
The tree in the garden presented a choice; the cross of Jesus presents us with the same choice—will we trust God's way or our own?
The Gospel invites us back to the trust that was broken in the garden, offering us a second chance to choose relationship with God.
6. God's Vision: From Garden to City
Genesis 1-2 isn't the end of the story—it's just the beginning. God always had a bigger vision in mind.
What It Meant Then
The creation account in Genesis 1-2 is a starting point for a much larger narrative. Adam was told to "be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it" (Genesis 1:28)—suggesting that the garden was meant to expand as humans extended God's loving rule throughout the world.
T. Desmond Alexander's book "From Eden to the New Jerusalem" traces this arc from the garden in Genesis to the city in Revelation. He shows how the Bible isn't a random collection of stories but a unified narrative with a clear destination.
The garden was never meant to be static—it was the seed of something meant to grow and develop as humans partnered with God to extend His presence throughout creation.
What It Reveals About God
This shows us that God's plans are big and forward-looking. He's a dreamer for us, with visions greater than we could imagine.
R.C. Sproul ties creation's purpose directly to redemption's goal—God was never surprised by sin or scrambling to come up with a fix. The Gospel was always the plan, and creation was always heading toward the glorious conclusion we see in Revelation.
This reveals God's sovereignty and wisdom. He doesn't just react to circumstances; He works through all things to accomplish His ultimate purpose of dwelling with a redeemed humanity in a renewed creation.
What It Means for Us Today
Our story isn't stuck in the past; it's headed somewhere glorious with Jesus. As He promised in John 14:2-3: "My Father's house has many rooms... I am going there to prepare a place for you... I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
The Gospel isn't just about getting back to the garden—it's about moving forward to the city God has been preparing since before time began. We're not just going back to Eden; we're heading to New Jerusalem.
This gives us tremendous hope. No matter how broken our world seems, God's vision is still unfolding, and He will bring it to completion through Christ.
Everyday Example
It's like planting a garden with the vision of it growing into something much bigger. A master gardener doesn't just plant seeds and hope for the best—they have a clear vision of what those seeds will become and work patiently toward that end.
God started with Eden, but He was always aiming for a thriving city where His presence would fill every corner and His relationship with humanity would reach its fullest expression.
Simple Gospel Tie
Jesus takes us from the garden to a city where we'll live with God forever.
The Gospel isn't just about restoring what was lost; it's about fulfilling what was always intended.
Conclusion: The Beginning of Good News
As we close this first episode of 66 Gospels, I hope you see that Genesis 1-2 isn't just ancient history—it's the beginning of good news.
The Gospel doesn't start with sin; it starts with relationship. It begins with a God who created us for Himself, who designed us to bear His image, who walked with us in the garden, who established patterns of work and rest for our flourishing, who invited us to trust Him, and who has always had a glorious future in mind for His creation.
Sin interrupted that story, as we'll see in Genesis 3. But it didn't derail God's ultimate purpose. Through Jesus Christ, God is restoring everything that was broken and fulfilling everything that was promised. The Gospel brings us back to God's original design for relationship.
Next time, we'll explore "The Gospel in the Fall: The First Sin and the First Promise," discovering how God's redemptive plan begins to unfold even in humanity's darkest moment.
But for now, I invite you to marvel at this truth: Before sin, before salvation, before the cross and the empty tomb—there was relationship. And that's what Jesus came to restore.
Let's pray.
Lord, thank You for creating us for relationship with You. Thank You that the Gospel isn't just about solving the problem of sin but about restoring us to our original purpose—knowing You, reflecting Your image, enjoying Your presence, finding meaning in the work You've given us, trusting Your goodness, and looking forward to the future You're preparing. Help us to see Genesis not just as history but as the beginning of the good news that finds its fulfillment in Jesus. In His name we pray, Amen.
[OUTRO SEQUENCE]
Thank you for joining us for this first episode of 66 Gospels. I'm Austin Duncan, and I invite you to continue this journey with us as we discover how every book of the Bible points us to the good news of Jesus Christ.
Remember, the Gospel isn't just about what we're saved from—it's about what we're saved for: relationship with God, now and forever.
Until next time, may you experience the wonder of being created for relationship with the God who made you, loves you, and is restoring you through Jesus Christ.
Additional Notes for Austin:
Key Scriptures to Reference:
Genesis 1:1-31 - The creation account
Genesis 1:26-27 - Humans created in God's image
Genesis 2:2-3 - God rests on the seventh day
Genesis 2:7 - God forms man from dust and breathes life
Genesis 2:15 - Man placed in garden to work it
Genesis 2:16-17 - Freedom and boundary with the tree
John 1:14 - Word became flesh and dwelt among us
John 17:3 - Eternal life is knowing God
Colossians 1:15 - Jesus is the image of the invisible God
Revelation 21:3 - God's dwelling place will be with people
Transition Suggestions:
Use rhetorical questions between sections to maintain engagement
Refer back to the "relationship" theme throughout to maintain continuity
Use brief personal anecdotes where appropriate to illustrate points
Consider adding brief audience interaction moments ("Take a moment to think about...")
Delivery Notes:
Emphasize the "Simple Gospel Tie" statements to reinforce the main message
Slow down during Scripture readings to allow audience to absorb the text
Use voice inflection to highlight contrasts (e.g., "not just what we're saved from, but what we're saved for")
Consider using strategic pauses after profound statements to let them sink in
Visual Elements to Consider:
Key verses displayed on screen during Scripture references
Simple imagery representing each section (garden, image/mirror, etc.)
Brief quotes from scholars mentioned (Alexander, Piper, Sproul, etc.)
Timeline graphic showing the "Garden to City" progression
