People tend to stick to a script. We have a social script (e.g., “How are you?” “Fine! You?”). We have numerous professional scripts (e.g., “Hey, let’s circle back on that.”). We may even have a relationship script or a going-home-to-visit-the-family script.

Do we also have a gospel script? If I asked you to put the gospel of Jesus into one brief sentence, what would you say? Probably something like:

“I am a sinful human being in need of a Savior.”

“Jesus died for my sins.”

“I am justified by grace through faith in Christ.”

“My sins are forgiven because of Jesus.”

These are all true, but what happens when the script starts to sound hollow or no longer speaks into the reality of your life, much like the scripts in other areas of our lives?

This isn’t evidence the gospel is not true or relevant. Rather, it prompts us to listen for the many other ways God speaks the gospel to us in Scripture. I have recently been fascinated with the Noah narrative in Genesis 5–9 and how it points to Jesus. Often trivialized in children’s books and church nursery murals, these chapters in Genesis speak powerful, comforting truths.

Here are 3 ways the story of Noah reflects a robust gospel script as it points to Jesus:

Jesus as the True Righteous One

You’ve been disappointed yet again. The politician, the promise, the product. Despite what you have been told, one or the other has failed to change your life. Hope was built, and then, as always, dashed. Through constant disappointment and failure, it is nearly impossible to know where to turn or where to place our hope.

Lamech, the father of Noah, had great hopes for his son. And sure enough, in Genesis 6–7, as God is planning to flood the world, God chooses Noah and his family to be a remnant through which humanity would be saved: “Then the LORD said to Noah, ‘Enter the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you alone are righteous before me in this generation’” (Genesis 7:1). Obedient to God’s commands, Noah builds the ark, fills it with his family, the animals of the earth, and food to eat, and then God “shut him in” (Genesis 7:16).

After the flood subsides, however, Noah and his sons don’t fare much better than humanity did before the flood. Noah was to be the righteous remnant. But the shameful scene at the end of Genesis 9 in which Noah becomes drunk, falls asleep naked, then is seen naked by his son Ham is an indication the human heart has not been changed. Another story of hope misplaced and promises broken. But when we see Jesus through the lens of the Noah narrative, a greater story emerges.

Noah was righteous before God (Genesis 6:9), but Jesus is the Righteous One. Jesus is the One whom God chose to save humanity from our sin. And this time we are not disappointed. Through temptation in the wilderness (Luke 4:1–12), unwavering commitment to His mission (Luke 9:51), and obedience to the will of God even unto death (Luke 22:42), Jesus shows Himself to be the only truly Righteous One.

When all else has failed us, Noah points us ahead to Jesus, and in Him our hope finds its true and final resting place.

Jesus as True Cleansing Water

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who claimed that if they ever darkened the doors of a church, the whole building would collapse? Have you ever thought that your very presence in worship would be an affront to God? Have you ever believed neither God nor the Church would welcome you there?

Yes, we have our script: “God forgives you. Jesus died for your sins.” But when those words feel too distant or abstract, where do we turn? What we need is a more vivid, tangible picture of Christ’s work for us. The waters of the Genesis flood, sent to cleanse the earth of all sin, paint this picture.

This image from Genesis is what makes a verse like 1 John 1:9 even more powerful: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (emphasis added). The power of God to remove our sin is as the waters of the flood were meant to cleanse the earth of evil. In God’s cleansing of us, a torrent of God’s grace has swept away our sin.

The story of Noah and the flood speaks a clear gospel message. Though our sin may seem indestructible, God’s grace is greater. While the waters of the flood only temporarily cleansed the earth of evil, the death and resurrection of Jesus cleanses us completely of all our sin.

Jesus as Our Ark

When God commanded Noah to build that great ark, it was for one purpose: to keep Noah and his family safe from the flood waters. Throughout history, church architecture has echoed this image. If you have ever been inside a church building with high, wooden ceilings, you may have felt it. Look up, and it can seem as though a great ship has been turned upside down and placed over you. Even before all of life’s struggles and suffering have risen to unbearable depths, God has already provided a place of refuge. God has already invited you into the ark.

The ark points us to Jesus. He is our shelter, our place of rest, our protection from all life throws at us. When all else is uncertain, we are not left in the storm. Christ, our Ark, has covered us.

This is the gospel the ark proclaims: In Christ, you are safe and secure.

Conclusion: Jesus Transcends Our Script

If your gospel script seems inadequate to address the realities of life, Jesus has more to say. Christ meets us in the Noah narrative, pointing us ahead to Himself. In times of hopelessness, burden, or suffering, He meets us with good news. He is your Righteous One, your cleansing flood, and your refuge.

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Author Bio

Nick Shults serves as a Chaplain in Affordable Housing with EverTrue (formerly Lutheran Senior Services) in St. Louis, Missouri. He holds a Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and studied theology at Seattle Pacific University. With over fifteen years of ministry experience in youth ministry, prison and jail chaplaincy, and congregational ministry, his work focuses on helping people see how the gospel speaks into seasons of suffering and hope. He lives in St. Louis with his wife, Jen, and their dog, Olivia.

Related Resources:

Genesis Bible Study		Christ in All of Scripture | 4 Volume Set | Year-Long Bible Study		Amen | From Eden to Eternity Bible Study		Helping Your Kids Find Jesus in the Old Testament		Faithful in the Flood | Children's Book
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