Universe shattering grace

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:28 (NRSV)

Grace comes from God. This is a very simple statement, but this is what the Bible is all about. The scripture above is a simple statement from Jesus as He and His disciples partook of the last supper. But in actuality, this simple statement is universe shattering theology.

The first line of our modern Bible is Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Most of the literal translations of the Bible indicate heavens, which is plural. This statement provides the context for not only the entire Bible, but for the entire universe, with all of its heavens. Heavens indicate a vastness that man can never quite comprehend.

Genesis goes on to tell a story of what this vast universe contains. It is as if God created a huge canvas on which to paint a small earth detailed with complex and abundant life. God then creates the most complex creature yet—humankind—in His own image. When humankind, namely Adam and Eve, experimented with the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they became aware of their sin, and God covered them with skins that He sacrificed for them.

How big must God be to create such vast, uncomprehendable heavens so that He can fellowship with a molecular speck such as man? And not only that, but when this man turned his back on this enormous God, God actually became a molecular speck in this huge masterpiece so that He can continue fellowship with us. It is this attention to detail that makes the masterpiece so spectacular. This is why God’s grace through the spilled blood of Jesus is universe shattering theology.