Understand the Gospel
The Greek word translated as “gospel” means “good news”. In Isaiah 40:9, the
prophet proclaimed the “good tidings” that God would rescue His people from
captivity. In His famous sermon at the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus quoted Isaiah
61:1 to characterize the spirit of His ministry: “the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel (good news) to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set
at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord”
(Luke 4;18-19). Those with illnesses and disabilities, Jesus always had compassion
for those suffering physically, including lepers and the blind. Those who were
spiritually poor, Jesus spoke of the “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). These people were
broken by suffering, injustice and personal sin. They realized their own helplessness
and looked to God to restore them. God sent Jesus to usher in His kingdom, to
rescue the lost, to free those in spiritual slavery, to cure the sick, to heal the broken
hearted, and to forgive the guilty. The great news is that Jesus’ words are just as
relevant today as they were two thousand years ago. If we are troubled by anything,
we should take it to God, and He will help us with the problem.
A gospel is more than a biography intended to provide information about a historical
character. It is the presentation of the life of Jesus to show His saving significance for
all people and to call them to faith in Him. Faith is trust placed in a living person,
Jesus Christ. When the apostle Paul warned Christians of the dangers of following
“another gospel” (II Corinthians 11:4). he was reminding them that any gospel
different than the one he preached was no gospel at all. It’s not our righteousness
that saves us, but God has provided righteousness for us through Christ (II
Corinthians 5;17-21). This gospel does not give people a license to sin, in fact when
they understand it, they repent and turn from sin.
The Bible is a book of Good News. For Christians, the Good News is that Jesus
came to this world. He brought a message of hope to all people. he died on the
cross to save people from their sins. In fact, the word gospel is an old English word
that means “glad tidings” or “good news”. God revealed that He would save His
people by His grace. Since they did not have righteousness, God declared that He
would create righteousness in Israel. Did that mean God had relaxed His standards
of justice? Would Israel’s sin be ignored? No, the penalty for Israel’s sins still had to
be paid in full. But who would pay the price for Israel’s great debt? God, through His
mercy, would appoint His Servant to stand in the place of His disobedient people.
Isaiah proclaimed that through the Servant’s work, many would be made right with
God. In Romans 5:17-19 Paul details how “For if by one man’s (Adam) offence death
reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of
righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of
one judgment came upon all men to condemnation: even so by the righteousness of
One the free gift came upon all men to justification of life. For as by one man’s
disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be
made righteous”. This Good News needs to be spread to all people, because they
are already forgiven of their sins, however, some don’t know it.
The goodness of God leads to repentance. Example: once people feel the
overwhelming love of God on their life, they would well up with joy and thanksgiving
and they would not want to do anything to grieve God. Our relationship of
thankfulness causes us to want to do every thing to please our heavenly Father. In
witnessing, our concern should be to give the good news of what Jesus did for all
mankind (John 3:16-18) “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For
God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through
Him might be saved. He that believes in Him is not condemned, but he that believes
not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God”. The Spirit of God was with Jesus as He lived among men.
Because so many people were still looking to the coming of the Spirit in the “end
times”, the writers of the Gospels emphasized the role of the Spirit in the birth of
Jesus, in His baptism, and in His ministry. They wanted to show people that the Spirit
was with them, that they were already living in the “end times,” and that Jesus’ life
was proof of that. The first Christians believed that they were living in the “last days”
because the prophecies of the Spirit’s return had come true in their time. Jesus said
“but if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come to you”
(Matthew 12:28). And He said “come to Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and
lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls” (Matthew 11:28).
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: March 16, 2007
The Greek word translated as “gospel” means “good news”. In Isaiah 40:9, the
prophet proclaimed the “good tidings” that God would rescue His people from
captivity. In His famous sermon at the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus quoted Isaiah
61:1 to characterize the spirit of His ministry: “the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel (good news) to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set
at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord”
(Luke 4;18-19). Those with illnesses and disabilities, Jesus always had compassion
for those suffering physically, including lepers and the blind. Those who were
spiritually poor, Jesus spoke of the “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3). These people were
broken by suffering, injustice and personal sin. They realized their own helplessness
and looked to God to restore them. God sent Jesus to usher in His kingdom, to
rescue the lost, to free those in spiritual slavery, to cure the sick, to heal the broken
hearted, and to forgive the guilty. The great news is that Jesus’ words are just as
relevant today as they were two thousand years ago. If we are troubled by anything,
we should take it to God, and He will help us with the problem.
A gospel is more than a biography intended to provide information about a historical
character. It is the presentation of the life of Jesus to show His saving significance for
all people and to call them to faith in Him. Faith is trust placed in a living person,
Jesus Christ. When the apostle Paul warned Christians of the dangers of following
“another gospel” (II Corinthians 11:4). he was reminding them that any gospel
different than the one he preached was no gospel at all. It’s not our righteousness
that saves us, but God has provided righteousness for us through Christ (II
Corinthians 5;17-21). This gospel does not give people a license to sin, in fact when
they understand it, they repent and turn from sin.
The Bible is a book of Good News. For Christians, the Good News is that Jesus
came to this world. He brought a message of hope to all people. he died on the
cross to save people from their sins. In fact, the word gospel is an old English word
that means “glad tidings” or “good news”. God revealed that He would save His
people by His grace. Since they did not have righteousness, God declared that He
would create righteousness in Israel. Did that mean God had relaxed His standards
of justice? Would Israel’s sin be ignored? No, the penalty for Israel’s sins still had to
be paid in full. But who would pay the price for Israel’s great debt? God, through His
mercy, would appoint His Servant to stand in the place of His disobedient people.
Isaiah proclaimed that through the Servant’s work, many would be made right with
God. In Romans 5:17-19 Paul details how “For if by one man’s (Adam) offence death
reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of
righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of
one judgment came upon all men to condemnation: even so by the righteousness of
One the free gift came upon all men to justification of life. For as by one man’s
disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be
made righteous”. This Good News needs to be spread to all people, because they
are already forgiven of their sins, however, some don’t know it.
The goodness of God leads to repentance. Example: once people feel the
overwhelming love of God on their life, they would well up with joy and thanksgiving
and they would not want to do anything to grieve God. Our relationship of
thankfulness causes us to want to do every thing to please our heavenly Father. In
witnessing, our concern should be to give the good news of what Jesus did for all
mankind (John 3:16-18) “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For
God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through
Him might be saved. He that believes in Him is not condemned, but he that believes
not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God”. The Spirit of God was with Jesus as He lived among men.
Because so many people were still looking to the coming of the Spirit in the “end
times”, the writers of the Gospels emphasized the role of the Spirit in the birth of
Jesus, in His baptism, and in His ministry. They wanted to show people that the Spirit
was with them, that they were already living in the “end times,” and that Jesus’ life
was proof of that. The first Christians believed that they were living in the “last days”
because the prophecies of the Spirit’s return had come true in their time. Jesus said
“but if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come to you”
(Matthew 12:28). And He said “come to Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and
lowly in heart, and you shall find rest to your souls” (Matthew 11:28).
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: March 16, 2007
