The Bible is full of exciting, iconic, and sometimes strange stories.
Maybe you grew up attending church and vaguely remember a story about a shepherd and a giant. Or maybe you’ve never been to church and want to learn more about what the Bible’s all about. Or you could know these stories by heart, but want a fresh perspective on the familiar classics.
In this article, we’ll do more than just give you the details of some of the most famous Bible stories. We’ll see how the stories work together to tell one big story. So buckle up. It’s time to dive into these impactful, timeless stories.
1. Moses and the Burning Bush
Imagine growing up as a rich kid in Hollywood—but after a few life-altering choices—you end up herding goats in Kansas.
That’s Moses’ story.
In this story, Moses was born into a Hebrew family when Egypt was ruling and oppressing his people. To protect him, his mother hid him in a basket and sent him down the river, trusting God for his protection. He was adopted by the ruling class and raised in luxury.
As a young man, he saw his people—the Hebrews—suffering in slavery. One day, he killed an Egyptian who was beating a fellow Hebrew. Fearing for his life and the punishment he’d receive, he fled into the desert.
Years later, the former prince had become a humble shepherd, going from wealth and power to a simple, quiet life.
Have you been here before? It’s often said that life is full of highs and lows. Wherever you are in life, God isn’t done writing your story.
Sheep, Fire, and Talking Plants
One day, while out with his sheep, Moses saw a bush on fire—which is pretty standard for a desert shrub.
Except for two things: This bush wasn’t burning up from the fire, and it was talking to him.
God spoke from the bush and called Moses to a task that seemed impossible—lead His people out of slavery in Egypt. Moses argued with God, claiming he wasn’t equipped to handle this sort of thing. God didn’t disagree. Instead, He gave Moses something better: a promise to walk alongside him every step of the way.
And He does the same for us. It doesn’t matter to God how good we are at something. If He calls us to something, He will help us see it through.
Moses’ story can show you that, wherever you are in life, God isn’t done writing your story.
2. David and Goliath
Have you ever been told you’re inadequate or less than?
If you can relate to that, you’re not alone. David in the Bible was treated the same way. But God had something else in store for him.
A little backstory.
David is the youngest of eight sons and a shepherd. When we meet him, the prophet Samuel is visiting his house and looking to anoint the next king. Except David’s out in the fields with the sheep and his dad, Jesse, doesn’t even bother to call for him to come in. Finally, at the urging of Samuel, David runs in and God says, “This is the guy I want to be king.”
More Sheep, Stones, and an Unlikely Hero
A young teenager who leads sheep is chosen to lead God’s people. Talk about an unlikely story.
But it doesn’t stop there. David doesn’t become king right away. He returns to tending sheep for a while until God’s people come under attack.
David’s brothers are off at war and facing their enemy, the Philistines. This army is massive and has more advanced weaponry than Israel, so the odds aren’t looking good. To top it all off, they have a giant of a man on their side. And who decides to fight the giant after he yells at the Israelites for 40 days? Young, teenage David.
As David prepares to fight, he’s offered armor that doesn’t fit and a sword that’s too big. Instead, David takes a sling and some smooth stones with him to take on Goliath.
David hurls the sling with all his strength. The stone hits Goliath in the forehead, knocking him down. David then raises a sword he claimed from Goliath in victory.
Now the hero of this story isn’t David; it’s actually God. David knew that he wouldn’t win the battle without God’s help, and even told Goliath that he didn’t care about his threats—God was stronger than him.
The story of David can show you that, whatever battle you’re in or whatever giant you might be facing, God is with you in the battle.
3. The Birth of Jesus
Now, we come to the most famous person in the Bible: Jesus.
He was born into a society with social, political, and religious divisions that made some people feel included and others feel left out. Sound familiar?
If you’re like me, you’ve probably felt like you’ve been on the outside looking in at some point in your life. You might feel like you don’t belong, or like others might not ever look at you the same way if they knew what you’ve done or where you came from.
You’re not alone. Jesus has been there.
In the Western world, we often water down Jesus’ birth story. But in reality, it’s very relatable.
Pregnancy, Marriage, and Rumors
Joseph (Jesus’ adoptive father) and Mary were engaged. In that era, their engagement was basically a contract of marriage, and they had to wait until a ceremony to consummate their marriage.
But before that, Mary gets pregnant, and Joseph wants to call it off. But God tells Joseph the true nature of Mary’s virgin pregnancy and lets him in on His plan. Joseph, trusting God, goes through with the marriage.
Think about the implications surrounding Jesus’ birth. Did people consider Him a child of infidelity? Or maybe people assumed His parents slept together before they were married, making Him a child born out of wedlock. Either way, those rumors could have followed Jesus His whole life.
Jesus knows what it feels like to be an outsider.
Jesus knew what it felt like to be an outsider. But here’s the important thing: Even when Jesus felt excluded by the world, God never left His side.
What does this mean for you?
The birth of Jesus can show you that God is with you, no matter the circumstances or what people think.
4. The Anointing of Jesus
When we mess up, it can be easy to hold on to the shame of what we’ve done. We might even think we’re not worthy of forgiveness.
An unnamed woman, described in Luke 7, would have been able to relate. Jesus was eating a meal at the house of Simon the Pharisee in Bethany. At this dinner, the unnamed woman approached Jesus with an alabaster jar filled with perfume. (This jar would have cost close to a year’s salary.)
This woman, weeping, poured the perfume all over Jesus’ feet, dirty from His time spent traveling on foot. But she didn’t stop there. This woman also used her hair to clean Jesus’ feet—a striking show of love for Him.
This anointing got the attention of Simon the Pharisee. But not because of the love on display. It got his attention because this woman was a sinner.
Sinners, Debts, and Forgiveness
The Pharisees were known for looking down on people who had reputations as sinners. In this case, the unnamed woman’s actions didn’t just make Simon look down on her, but on Jesus as well. He questioned whether Jesus could really be a prophet if He were unaware of what kind of woman was anointing Him.
Jesus, however, used the woman’s kind act and Simon’s doubt as an opportunity to teach the people around Him. He pointed out that the forgiveness of large debts is often cause for people to show great love in return. Simon, a Pharisee, had shown Jesus little care since He entered his house. But the unnamed woman—a sinner with much to forgive—showed Jesus abundant love.
From there, Jesus told the woman “Your sins are forgiven.”
The story of this unnamed woman can show you that no matter your past—whether you know Jesus or not—He offers forgiveness to you.
5. The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus is the most famous person in history. His death and resurrection happened over 2,000 years ago and they’re still the most widely debated and retold important events discussed today. But why?
Because the sacrifice of Jesus can determine our eternity. Let’s look more closely at what led up to it.
Jesus was celebrating Passover with His disciples in Jerusalem. Passover was a Jewish holiday that celebrated Israel’s freedom from Egyptian oppression. While they were eating, Jesus told His followers that His body would be broken and His blood shed, and that we should remember His sacrifice whenever we’re together.
One of the disciples, Judas Iscariot, left the meal to go to the Chief Priests and sell out Jesus’ location. The guards of the priests found Jesus praying in a garden and arrested Him in the middle of the night.
Death, Resurrection, and an Empty Tomb
The next day, Jesus was handed over to the Roman government and was beaten, flogged, and bruised by Roman soldiers. They stripped Him of His clothes, pulled out His beard, and shoved a crown of thorns into His head, all while mockingly calling Him the “King of the Jews.”
Finally, they nailed Him to a cross and lifted it up for people to watch as He slowly died. Jesus resiliently called out seven different things while struggling through His last hours. One of them was “Father, forgive them.”
The last thing Jesus said before He died was “It is finished.”
But His death wasn’t the end of the story. Scripture tells us that three days later, after He was sealed in a tomb by a heavy stone, He rose again. The stone was rolled away, and Jesus was alive again.
So what does this mean for you?
The Bible tells us that all our sins—from past to future—were placed on Him as He died in our place to make us right with God.
The story of Jesus’ death and resurrection can show you that, whatever you’ve done or whatever you’re wrestling with right now, Jesus died for you and offers forgiveness to you. He can give you a new life in Him.
The Power of Scripture
These dramatic, impactful stories show us what God is like, and how we’re invited to live. If you don’t yet have a relationship with Jesus, can I invite you to say yes to Him? And if you do know Jesus, I hope these stories gave you greater clarity as you explore Scripture and deepen your relationship with Jesus.