That, in a nutshell, is the story of the Bible. It’s God’s story as he pursues the quest of redeeming what humanity broke in Eden. It chronicles the consistent failure of human after human to live up to the expectations God has for us. And it shows the brilliant solution of humanity remade in the God-Man, Jesus.

We live in a world that prizes an imagination-capturing story, much like the pre-modern era in which the texts that make up the Bible were written. The Bible is unchanged, but how we tell the story matters. Knowing the whole story equips us to tell those around us about the work that God has done and is doing in the world around us. It makes sense of our roles today, and it gives us a clear picture of why it matters that we live in obedient submission to God.

As our societies move farther and farther away from rational dialogue and reasoned argument, the old models of sharing the gospel become less and less effective. But if we can tell the world God’s story—of a paradise lost in rebellion, of many failed successors, of one who remade humanity, and of hope for final restoration—we can capture imaginations.

After all, when Jesus left his disciples to return to the Father, he gave them one instruction: “Be my witnesses.” And what are witnesses if not storytellers? People who, having seen the whole course of what happened—from Genesis to Revelation—tell the truth of the story. God has invited us into his quest of redemption, and he’s given us everything we need in the pages of the Bible. So let’s tell the story well.