My goal for this post is to show that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is more than a message. It is a living and life-giving announcement. The Greek word for Gospel means Announcement of Good News. What has been handed down to us as the four Gospels are really stories about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The meaning of the word Gospel (Announcement of Goods News) was redefined as Christianity flourished.
I’ve listed seven Gospels here to show how the Good News message evolves through time and culture.
The Evolving Gospel Voices of the Gospel
Gospel of Isaiah (BC 520) Isaiah 9:6-7
- God will send his Son into the world
- He is endowed with all Power
- He has Eternal Life
- He will bring Peace to the earth (meaning peace with God through his death)
- He is above every authority and kingdom
- He will disposition justice righteously forever
- This will happen as spoken (Where did Isaiah’s Announcement come from?)
Gospel of Gabriel (BC 1) Luke 2:9-14
- The Savior is born
- He is Christ the Lord
- He brings peace to the earth
Gospel of John the Baptist (AD 29) Matthew 3:1-8
- Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near (Where did John’s announcement)
The Gospel of Jesus (AD 30) Luke 4:16-21 ref. Isaiah 61:1-2
To Proclaim the year (age) of the Lord’s Favor – The Jubilee
The Jubilee Announcement
In Leviticus 25, the Jubilee Year is described. After 7 groups of 7 years, on the 50th year, on the Day of Atonement (Yon Kippur), a Ram’s Horn would be blown to “Announce” the Year of The Lord’s Favor”, or the Jubilee Year. This was a time of God’s grace, redemption, and deliverance. During the 50th year, all land was returned, all debts are forgiven, servants were freed, labor contracts ceased, and prisoners were released. (Sabbatical comes from this – 1 year to rest)
Jesus announced The Age of the Lord’s favor that would bring universal grace, enlightenment, redemption, and deliverance. Permanent freedom from the law of sin, the revealing of himself to those who couldn’t see him, and the redemption of everyone who accepted his grace by faith. And this happened as Jesus read the words from the scroll. (That is Good News – It’s Great News!)
- The power of the law and guilt are broken forever (including death)
- All can “SEE” that Jesus is the Son of God and Savior of all mankind.
- God redeems all who believe in Jesus Christ.
Gospel of Jesus (AD 30) Luke 4:16-21, ref. Isaiah 61:1-2
Jesus handed this Gospel to the Apostles, beginning in Israel.
- The Spirit of God was upon him
- He was anointed to make this announcement to the poor (beggars)
- The captives are free (deliverance to the prisoners)
- Sight is restored to the blind (See God through Jesus)
- Bring deliverance to those being oppressed (forgiveness for the broken)
- To call all to forgiveness and redemption
Baptism was included by the Apostles because it was a cleansing ritual for the Jews…
Christ told the disciples to take the Gospel to the entire world, but the backlash from the Jewish leadership was too great, so they just preached to the Jews.
God tried to push Peter beyond Israel with the introduction of Cornelius & family who were God-fearers (Acts 10:1-11:18)
Gospel of Peter (AD 36) Acts 10:34-43
- Peace comes to the world through Jesus Christ
- Jesus is Lord of all
- Jesus was chosen by God, anointed with the Holy Spirit and Power, and performed miracles.
- Jesus was crucified
- God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day
- Jesus is the Judge of the living and the dead
- All who believe in Jesus receive forgiveness of sins through his name.
The Gospel Paul preached came directly from God (Galatians 1:11-12)
The Gospel Paul preached was different from the Gospel the Jewish believers preached (Gal 2:1-10, 2 Corinthians 11:4-5, Gal 1:6-11, Acts 15:23-29)
Paul received opposition because of the Gospel he received from God (1 Thess 2)
Gospel of Paul (AD 48)
- Salvation is a gift of God’s Grace, Faith, and love in Christ Jesus (Acts 20:24, 1 Tim 1:14)
- The Father qualifies and delivers believers from darkness to the light of the kingdom of his Son (Col 1:12-13)
- God’s power saves all who believe in the Gospel (Rom 1:16 & 10:16, Gal 3:8, 2 Tim 1:8)
- Jesus is the Son of God (Col 1:15)
- Jesus came into the world from God (1 Tim 1:15, 2 Tim 1:10)
- Jesus is the image of God (2 Corinthians 4:4)
- Jesus is the creator of all things through him and for him (Col 1:16)
- Jesus is before all things and holds all things together through him (Col 1:17)
- All people are sinners (Col 1:21)
- We receive forgiveness and redemption through Jesus Christ (Col 1:14)
- Jesus died for the sins of all mankind (Col 1:19-20 &22)
- Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven (Col 1:18, 1 Thess 1:10, 2 Tim 2:8)
Gospel of Paul Continued
- Believers receive the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13)
- All believers are sanctified by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:16)
- Jesus is the head of the church which is his body (Col 1:18)
- The church is supposed to reveal the wisdom of the Gospel to the world (Eph 3:1-13)
- Jesus established the kingdom of God
- There is heaven (Col 1:5)
- Jesus will return for believers (1 Thess 1:10 & 4:13-18 & 5:4-9)
- Believers will live with Jesus forever (1 Thess 5:10-11)
- Jesus will judge the world (Romans 2:16, 1 Thess 1:10 & 5:1-3, 2 Thess 1:5-10)
Gospel of John (AD 90) This is the message of the Gospel (1 John 1:5)
- God is light, and in him, there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5)
- There is no darkness in God only light. This includes knowledge and holiness.
- All are sinners and walk in darkness (1 John 1:10)
- Anyone who says they have no sin is in darkness and refuses the light.
- Anyone who walks in darkness doesn’t have fellowship with Christ, but anyone who walks in the light does have fellowship with Christ (1 John 1:6-7)
- Those who walk in darkness don’t believe or accept the Gospel message. Those who walk in the light do believe and accept the Gospel message. Those who walk in the dark can’t have fellowship with Christ because they don’t believe in him and haven’t received forgiveness. Those who walk in the light do have fellowship with Christ because they know him as the Son of God and Redeemer of all mankind.
- If we have fellowship with God and his Son, then the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin if we confess them (1 John 1:7-9)
- Communion with God is to be a member of the Body of his Son where we participate with him in sharing the light of the Gospel with the world.
- Love one another (1 John 3:11)
NOTE: Paul agreed with this Fellowship (1 Corinthians 1:9)
This fellowship is why we’re talking about our organic spiritual life. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is spiritual, and the Spirit of Christ is alive in us who believe. As we grow organically in the Spirit we share unity with the Father and Son in the Fellowship of the Good News.
This Gospel Must Be preached
- Preaching the Gospel is part of the Gospel ((Mark 8:35 & Mark 16:15)
- The Gospel must be preached (Mark 13:10)
- Jesus and the Gospel are equal in value (Mark 8:35 & Mark 10:29)
What isn’t in the Gospel;
- Baptism
- Hell
- Tithing
- Church Attendance
- Inerrancy of the Bible
- The Trinity
What is in the Gospel;
- Jesus is the Son of God and therefore he is God with all the Power and authority of God.
- Jesus is the light of God in the world and the image of his father.
- All people have sinned.
- Jesus established the kingdom of God.
- Jesus brought peace to God and humanity through his sacrifice for sin.
- Mankind receives forgiveness of sin and redemption by the grace of God through faith in the death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven of Jesus Christ.
- All believers receive the Holy Spirit and are sanctified (set apart).
- Jesus is the head of the church (which is his body).
- There is a heaven.
- Jesus will return for believers to live forever with him.
- Jesus will judge the world on the last day.
- Love one another!
Believe in God and Love others
Take Aways:
- The Gospel is a living proclamation of liberation. (freedom from death)
- The Gospel is the light that gives knowledge about God and his Son. (sight to the blind)
- The Gospel is communion with Christ through love and grace. (redemption)
The Gospel is a ‘Living Gospel’ because grows with the knowledge and maturity of the church, which is the body of Christ, which is you and me, and other believers like us.
In the next episode, we are going to discuss what the Spiritual Body of Christ looks like as a church and how we fellowship with Christ in that church.
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