Perhaps you’ve heard about this Jesus fellow and how he died for your sins, and if you believe in him you won’t spend eternity in Hell.
Well, this is a very narrow understanding of what Jesus taught. When we read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), and we read what the early church taught and believed through the rest of the New Testament letters, we see that the Good News has a greater relevancy and impact for your life. By the way, the word “Gospel” is the same as “Good News,” it comes from a ancient Greek word Euangelion (εὐαγγέλιον)
The Good News is that God is restoring the glory of His creation through Jesus who is a rescuing King. This King Jesus:
- preexisted as God the Son,
- was sent by the Father,
- took on human flesh in fulfillment of God’s promises to David,
- died for our sins in accordance with Scripture,
- was buried,
- was raised on the third day in accordance with Scripture,
- appeared to many witnesses,
- is enthroned at the right hand of God as the ruling Christ,
- through whom the Holy Spirit was sent to his people to effect his rule, and
- will come again as final judge to rule
This King of the nations demands our allegiance. He knows that sin is evil, he knows that we sin, and he asks that we (with his help) repent and turn away from that which diverts our attention from God. This Good News means that Jesus is “making all things new!” (Revelation 21:5), and “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
This fuller Gospel message trumps the malformed, disfigured view held by previous generations, as if Christians are “just a passing through” this life into the next. No, we are changed by Jesus Christ! Give him your life, today.