Did you know the Bible story is a story about living in exile? It’s a story that begins in Genesis and ends in Revelation. It’s a story about Israel’s exile and our exile. At the beginning of the Bible, humans lived in an ideal home—the Garden of Eden—but were exiled because they disobeyed God. This set up a repeated pattern: Israel later receives the Promised Land but also breaks covenant with God, resulting in exile to Babylon. Even after returning from Babylon, they crucified their Messiah and were exiled for nearly 2000 years all over the world. However, exile is not just a historical event; it becomes a universal human condition. Everyone, no matter how good their current life is, experiences a sense of alienation, longing, and brokenness. Jesus came to address our exile. He was a homeless wanderer who had “no place to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). He welcomed the outcasts and challenged the false “homes” humans build around status and exclusion (Matthew 23:5–12). We are exiles “looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). We are sojourners awaiting the day when Jesus returns and transforms the world into the true home he has promised, the day when we see “the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). Open Bible – https://bit.ly/Mat23v5-12, https://bit.ly/Heb11v10, https://bit.ly/Rev21v2 (Craig B)
