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THE GOSPEL IS a message of hope and joy to peoples of all races and languages. In contrast tothis, the philosophies, ideals and ethical principles thought up and expounded by men may seem tooffer hope to people for a better life, but usually offer nothing of the sort. The rise and fall ofSocialism and Communism are examples of the hopes and expectations that are raised in peoplesminds, but which do not stand the test of time and are subject to the fickleness and uncertainty ofhuman nature.
The Gospel, or Good News, found in God's word, does not rely on the efforts of mankind to bringlasting peace to the world. It is a Divine plan, put into effect by the power of God - nurtured byHim through the nation of Israel and brought to fruition by the birth, death and resurrection ofJesus Christ. The fulfilment of the hope given by the Gospel relies on the promised return ofJesus to the earth as the all-powerful Son of God.
Because the fulfilment of the Good News found in the Bible does not depend on human nature, itmeans we have a hope that is sure and absolutely certain of being carried out. This knowledge canlift us from despair to joyfulness, from hopelessness to hopefulness, because it is backed up by thelove of God. It is based on sure and certain promises which the Almighty, by His righteousnessand justice, will fulfil by sending Jesus to this earth again.
The scene shown on the title photo is taken by the Lake of Galilee in Northern Israel, where Jesuswalked with his disciples and preached the Gospel of the Kingdom. It was here that his life-givingwords were spoken to people from all walks of life - from those humble fishermen who becamehis disciples, to the Jewish religious leaders who rejected his teaching. Our aim in these articles isto help you understand the wonderful message from God which is contained in -'THE GOSPEL.'
THE FIRST CHAPTER of Mark's Gospel record tells us that "...Jesus came into Galilee,preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God". In the time of Jesus, the Sea of Galilee was one ofthe busiest centres of life in Palestine, and the Western shore was ringed with towns and villages. Tne ruler of the region had his palace on the hill above Tiberias. The sea, or more correctly lake,which is shown in the header picture, was a rich source of fish for food, and was often crowdedwith fishing boats and other vessels.
We may have imagined that Jesus preached the Gospel to simple country folk in a remote part ofthe Holy Land, where no whisper of the outside world ever interrupted the tranquillity of thescene. In actual fact, his ministry was conducted not only in the most cosmopolitan region of thecountry, but also in a territory where the busy trade routes from Tyre and Sidon on the West, theold caravan roads from Damascus on the North-East, as well as the great imperial highways mettogether and branched out all over Palestine. Galilee was on one of the main highways of theancient world, a stopover between Damascus and the Egyptian frontier, and between Antioch andJerusalem.
The meaning of the word Galilee is 'Ring' or 'Region of the Gentiles'. It is derived from the word'Galil' which means circlet, or anything that is round. The district was never entirely Jewish, evenin earliest times. Ten cities of Galilee were given by Solomon to Hiram, king of Tyre as partpayment for services provided for the building of the Temple. The settlement in Galilee by thesurrounding Gentile population continued down through the centuries.
When Jesus went to live in Galilee, the Western shore of the lake was dotted with towns andfishing villages in which the non-Jewish element was very strong. Jesus was brought up inNazareth about 18 miles from Tiberias, the most important town on this Western shore of the lake,which took its name from the Roman Emperor Tiberias. As Jesus walked the roads of Galilee, hewould have encountered long caravans working Southwards across the fords of the river Jordan;he would have seen the sun gleaming on the spears of the columns of Roman soldiers, and hewould have watched Phoenician merchants travelling into Galilee.
The shadow of this cosmopolitan world falls across the pages of the New Testament. Jesus livedand carried out his mission to the Jews in a world which was in some respects like our own. Theworld of Jesus day had its Roman garrisons, tax collectors, market places, and a cross-section ofhumanity from all walks of life. His life and ministry, but more important, the message preachedby him, has been preserved down to our days. This is the Gospel message - the theme of thisspecial issue of Light on a New World.
THE APOSTLE PAUL, one of the great teachers of Christianity, was commissioned by Jesus onhis conversion to "...bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel". Later on he introduced himself in the Letter to the Romans as "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God". Confiding to his readers, he said:
"...I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am notashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth: to the Jew first. and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:15,16)
Paul appreciated the vital importance of this Gospel teaching as the power of God for the salvationof everyone who believes. To be unenlightened by it is to remain in the dark, for he wrote:
"But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of thisworld hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the gloriousgospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." (II Corinthians4:3,4)The Gospel's unique life giving property, linked with the great work of Jesus, is at the heart ofChristianity. When Paul urged the young man Timothy to join him in suffering for the Gospel, hereminds him how God "...hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to ourworks, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before theworld began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ who hathabolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." (II Timothy1:9,10)
Similarly, Jesus sent out his twelve disciples to preach the kingdom of God to the people. It isrecorded that "...they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel." We note howthe terms 'gospel' and 'kingdom of God' are interchangeable, with no mention of the crucifixion. The disciples were unlikely to preach about a matter which they did not understand beforehand. For example, Jesus taught his disciples:
"The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and afterthat he is killed, he shall rise the third day. But they understood not that saying, andwere afraid to ask him." (Mark 9:31,32)The substance of the good news did not change afterwards. In the forty day interval between hisresurrection and ascension into heaven, Jesus was still "...speaking of the things pertaining to thekingdom of God." His final instructions were heeded:
"...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He thatbelieveth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."(Mark 16:15,16)Here are two examples of the content of the preaching of the evangelists after Jesus had beenreceived up into heaven. When the people of the city of Samaria "...believed Philip preaching thethings concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, bothmen and women." The book of the Acts of the Apostles concludes with an account of how fortwo years at Rome Paul was "...Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things whichconcern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him."
We are given a marvellous description of Paul the evangelist at work in his house at Rome:
"And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging;to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading themconcerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, frommorning till evening." (Acts 28:23)
"...to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preachingof Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secretsince the world began, But is now made manifest, and by the scriptures of theprophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to allnations for the obedience of faith." (Romans 16:25,26)The scriptures in question were the Old Testament books, and Jesus challenged his critics to"Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify ofme." In his Letter to the Christians living in Galatia, Paul explains that:
"...the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith,preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations beblessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham ...And ifye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise."(Galatians 3:8,9,29)Some of Abraham's descendants did not show the same faith, dying in the wilderness before theycould enter the land promised to their ancestor. So Paul warns all of us:
"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any ofyou should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well asunto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith inthem that heard it." (Hebrews 4:1,2)If we search the Old Testament Scriptures, we find that later Abraham's descendants wereestablished as a nation in the land of promise, becoming God's people, and the Kingdom of God ofthe past. King David was promised by God that some time after his death "...I will set up thy seedafter thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall buildan house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever". Who was thisdescendant who features so much in the promise? The declaration of the angel Gabriel to thevirgin Mary, about the greatness of her as yet unborn son, answers the question:
"and thou...[Mary]...shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall becalled the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of hisfather David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of hiskingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:31-33)
We are still challenged to take seriously the claim of '...Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made ofthe seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power,according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead". Nothing can prevent a risenLord returning to the earth to rule on the throne of David, which surely explains why theevangelists were, and still are today, committed to carry on preaching the good news about theKingdom of God.
Before Jesus can establish the Kingdom of God, the present system of man's rule will have to bedestroyed. Paul declared to the people of Athens, how that:
"...he [God] hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world inrighteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assuranceunto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17:31)The upshot of this dramatic intervention at his second coming will be that "...The kingdoms of thisworld are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever andever."
"Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint untoyou a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me: That ye may eat and drink atmy table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."(Luke 22:28-30)What should be our first priority in this life? Jesus says we should not worry about material things:
"But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added untoyou. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you thekingdom." (Luke 12:31,32)Those who receive this great reward will gratefully acknowledge how much they owe to Jesus, forthe victory over sin and death he achieved at the crucifixion. Their personal saviour is "...JesusChrist, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings ofthe earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath madeus kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever."(Revelation 1:5,6)
"...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."(John 14:6)"...because I live, ye shall live also." (John 14:19)Christ's example was unique, providing an assurance of a future hope. All other human teachers,however well-intentioned, are only able to offer hope now in this life, because their powers arenecessarily limited, and death ends all. Matthew concludes his Gospel with an account of howJesus, after his resurrection, when bidding farewell to the eleven disciples, assured them of thepromise of a future life, to be enjoyed in the kingdom, as a certainty.
"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heavenand in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name ofthe Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe allthings whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always even untothe end of the world." (Matthew 28:18-20)
This good news of universal significance transcends all national, cultural, language and ideologicalbarriers, for it is stated as being:
"...made known to all nations for the obedience of faith." (Romans 16:26)"...this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto allnations." (Matthew 24:14)"...for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jewfirst, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)"...Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation hethat feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." (Acts 10:34-35)Over the last two thousand years the world has undergone radical social and political change. However Bible teaching concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ is fixed,needing neither revision nor addition. Paul's strong warning to those of his time who wereperverting and corrupting the Gospel of Christ is equally applicable in our day: "...If any manpreach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (Galatians1:14,45,49)
"...We have found the Messias, which is being interpreted, the Christ." - Andrewsaid to his brother Simon."...We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write,Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." - Philip said to Nathanael."...Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel" - Nathanael said toJesus. (John 1:41,45,49)By our studies of these same Scriptures may we also come to find Jesus, recognizing him as thelong promised Messiah. The difference for ourselves who live at the end of the long intervalbetween his two advents, is that we will have to wait for his return to the earth in power and greatglory before we can see Jesus of Nazareth in person.
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was onceoffered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second timewithout sin unto salvation." (Hebrews 9:27,28)
Meanwhile the request contained in his model prayer for believers takes on real meaning:
"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10)
It has long been recognised that both the day and the year are probably wrong. It would be morein keeping with God's purpose, if the 'Lamb of God' were to enter Jerusalem at the time of thePassover (and shepherds would more likely be in the fields in the spring).
What about the year? The historian Josephus records that Herod died in BC 4, so Jesus must havebeen born before then. An article in 'Science and Christian Belief' vol. 5 No. 2 page 83 (1993), byColin Humphreys, makes a good case for the suggestion that the star of Bethlehem was a cometthat appeared around Passover in BC 5. Mr Humphreys shows that the Chinese records of thesecomets appearing agree with all the details in the Bible about the visit of the wise men (Magi), andthe movement of the star from the east to the south, to appear over Bethlehem. The article alsoconsiders the time of taxation, the recorded fact that Mary and Joseph went every year toJerusalem at the time of the Passover, and their flight into Egypt. It is particularly interesting that,if the date of the birth of Jesus Christ was April BC 5, then the 2,000th anniversary of his birthwas in April 1996. When Jesus went up to Jerusalem prior to his crucifixion, it is recorded that sixdays before the Passover, he entered the city to the cry:
"Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel, that cometh in the name of the Lord." (John12:13)Here Jesus was enacting a prophecy about his second coming, as "King of kings and Lord ofLords." We do not know the day or the hour of his return, but it is absolutely necessary for hisfollowers to heed the warning he gave:
"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape allthese things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." (Luke21:36)
MODERN USE OF the word 'Gospel' limits its meaning to the teachings of Jesus and his apostles. The previous article, entitled 'What is the Gospel?' has defined the word in a Biblical context,telling us that the Gospel was known long before the birth of Christ. It has indicated that themessage of the Gospel is consistent in the Old and New Testaments.
In this article, we will look at the fall of man and the necessity of the Gospel message. We willalso endeavour to trace the thread of God's promises from the first recorded communication withAbraham, then through David and the prophets.
"Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledgeof good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thoushalt surely die." (Genesis 2:17)We know that following the serpent's assertion that "Ye shall not surely die", Eve, and then Adam,ate of the forbidden fruit. Man was then driven from the garden of Eden to "till the ground fromwhence he was taken." In the third chapter of Genesis, God's punishment extends to all mankindwith the words, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, forout of it wast thou taken, for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." If God had decided torenounce all interest in mankind, it would have ended here. Man, by his own nature, would havedestroyed his race. But, though man was sinful, we know that, "God so loved the world," that hewas determined to provide a means of salvation. To this end, God devised a plan that wasarranged according to his purpose. This is revealed in the Bible by the message of the Gospel, the'good news' concerning God's plan.
"The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith,preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations beblessed." (Galations 3:8)Paul refers to "the blessing of Abraham", which is to come upon the nations through Jesus Christ. And so Abraham holds a very important place in relation to the unfolding of this blessing. He isthe father of the nation of Israel, chosen by God to carry His name, and fulfil His plan for theearth and its inhabitants. Paul tells us that, "If ye be Christ's then are ye Abraham's seed and heirsaccording to the promise."
These words carry great meaning, for they tell us that the promises to Abraham given so long ago,are relevant to those who are children of God today. To be of Abraham's seed, we must believe inthe promises made to him. We have to be obedient as he was, and must have faith in "the seed" ofAbraham, Jesus Christ, if we wish to be associated with him as "heirs". We become "heirs" by theact of baptism into Christ, thus demonstrating our belief in this magnificent promise.
The Biblical revelations surrounding Abraham are important for another reason. They illustratethat the Gospel was preached to Abraham by the angel of the Lord.
But what was Abraham's background and culture?
Abraham was a direct descendant of Shem, a son of Noah. We know that Shem was a worshipperof the true God. Terah, Abraham's father, however, seems to have departed from that belief. Hemade his home in Ur in Chaldea, (now in Iraq). There he and his family lived for many yearsserving the pagan gods of Shinar. It was at this point that God appeared to Abraham and said tohim, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred and come into the land which I shall showthee."
This caused the whole family to move from Ur and to journey north along the 'fertile crescent'through Mesopotamia. Terah, Abraham, Sarai Abraham's wife, and Lot Abraham's nephew,obeyed the voice of the Lord and separated themselves from the idolaters of the Chaldean districtof Mesopotamia. They settled briefly in Haran until the Lord appeared again to Abraham.
It was here that God said to Abraham:
"I will make of thee a great nation and I will bless thee and make thy name great, andthou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him thatcurseth thee, and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis12:2,3)Referring to this promise, the Apostle Paul tells us that in making it, "the Gospel was preached toAbraham." The glad tidings of blessedness to the nations will become reality, when Abraham andhis descendants are renowned throughout the whole earth.
"Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, andsouthward, and eastward, and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to theewill I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed (plural here) as thedust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thyseed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it, and in thebreadth of it; for I will give it unto thee." (Genesis 13:14-17)It was later, after the repetition of the promises, when Abraham had reached the age ofninety-nine, that God appeared to him, to confirm His promises. On this occasion, God talkedwith him, and changed his name from Abram to Abraham, as a memorial that He had made himheir of the world, by making him a father of a great multitude.
God said:
"Behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham;for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceedingfruitful, and I will make nations of thee. and kings shall come out of thee. And I willestablish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in theirgenerations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee. and to thy seed afterthee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou arta stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be theirGod." (Genesis 17:4-8)
"Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of. Sojourn in thisland, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee and unto thy seed Iwill give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abrahamthy father; And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will giveunto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth beblessed; Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, mycommandments, my statutes, and my laws." (Genesis 26:2-5)And so it was with Isaac's son Jacob; God appeared to him in a vision while he was travelling toHaran.
"And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father and theGod of Isaac; the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; ...and in thee andin thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And behold, I am with thee and will keepthee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leavethee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of." (Genesis 28:13-15)
To both Isaac and Jacob, God promised that at some time in the future, He would give the land orcountries to them and their descendants, and to a special descendant, which is none other thanChrist, and that through Christ, all nations would be blessed.
The following verses explain what God meant by this:
"And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set upthy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish hiskingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of hiskingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquityI will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;...And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee, thythrone shall be established for ever." (2 Samuel 7:12-16)It has been suggested that this promise was fulfilled by David's natural son Solomon. He wasindeed king of Israel after his father, and he did build a beautiful temple to honour God. However, Solomon's throne was not established for ever in the presence of David. These parts ofthe promise point to the future, and to a greater Son of David.
1) warnings relating to local and current conditions,
2) predictions concerning God's purpose in the future.
It is when we examine the prophecies about those things which predicted God's purpose in thefuture, (i.e. about the return of Jesus and the establishment of His Kingdom), that the Gospelmessage is clearly seen. Fifteen Old Testament prophets speak of the fulfilment of God's plan. Only Jonah's message is confined to his specific time and place. Isaiah and Daniel both foretoldthe birth of Jesus. Isaiah's predictions about Jesus concern not only his birth, but his ministry, hisdeath and his future kingship.
Isaiah confirms to us the reality of this future kingdom in these words:
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall beupon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The MightyGod, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of hisgovernment and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon hiskingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice fromhenceforth even for ever." (Isaiah 9:6-7)This further confirms the Covenant that God made with David, that he would have a greater son torule upon his throne, and of his kingdom there will be no end.
Later in Isaiah's prophecy, we are given a word picture of the kingdom and the peacefulness ofthat future age. We learn from Isaiah that there will be a "new heavens and a new earth; and theformer shall not be remembered." The peace and contentment that will exist on the earth will beunprecedented. The prophet concludes this chapter by demonstrating how peaceful that state willbe when he says, "The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like thebullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holymountain saith the Lord."
"In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow upunto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In thosedays shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the namewherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness." (Jeremiah 33:15-16)The prophet Daniel confirms the Gospel message in his God-given interpretation ofNebuchadnezzar's dream:
"...shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: andthe kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consumeall these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." (Daniel 2:44)Later he tells us that:
"...the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the wholeheaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom isan everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." (Daniel 7:27)The prophecy of Micah confirms all of the foregoing and tells how the nations will worship God inthat future age. He wrote:
"But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lordshall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills;and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and letus go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob: and hewill teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth ofZion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Micah 4:1,2)There is then a common thread linking the teachings of the Old Testament. The promises made toAbraham, Isaac, Jacob and David and the prophets, reveal to us the 'Gospel' or 'good news' in theOld Testament. God does have a plan for this earth and for mankind. That plan centres on Jesusas the future king, ruling over the whole earth at peace. As the following article shows, this themeis continued in the New Testament in the teaching of Christ and the Apostles which also tells ushow we, as individuals, can have a part in that time of blessing to come when the kingdom of Godis established on the earth.
AS ALREADY NOTED the theme of the Gospel is found to run through the Old Testament, soby now we can understand that this part of the Bible has great relevance to the true Christian, eventoday. This is in direct contrast to the ideas of some people who say that the Old Testament is justfull of myth and folklore at worst, or who at best, concede that it does not contain any informationrelevant to our salvation. The error of this line of thought will be obvious in the light of thereferences to scripture already made, but the reliability of the Old Testament also acts as a witnessto confirm the reliability of the New Testament.
"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in theprophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy waybefore thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of theLord, make his paths straight." (Mark 1:1-3)This was not a direct prophecy concerning Jesus himself but of the forerunner to Jesus, that is,John the Baptist. We note that the opening words of Mark are: "The beginning of the gospel ofJesus Christ, the Son of God..." The other significant words in that passage are: "As it is written". These words immediately provide that link back to the Old Testament, to the words of the prophetof God, Isaiah:
"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably toJerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity ispardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. Thevoice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, makestraight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and everymountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and therough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shallsee it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it." (Isaiah 40:1-5)We can read about the ministry of John in Matthew's gospel record chapter 3. This was foretoldin the Old Testament as the introductory work for the teaching of Christ and we have noted that inMark's record this was considered to be the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It isimportant to see the difference in words here, it was the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not the Gospelabout Jesus Christ! Although Christ was the keystone of the Gospel message, he was not theGospel 'himself' as we shall see by searching the scriptures.
Johns ministry, as recorded in Matthew, was to show the need for repentance, because "...thekingdom of heaven is at hand." Both Matthew and Mark in their Gospel records, start theirwitness by stating quite plainly that the Gospel preached by Christ was the Gospel of the kingdomof God. This matter of the Gospel being 'of Christ' rather than 'about Christ' can be seen quiteclearly by gaining a better understanding of these verses where the kingdom of God wasmentioned, particularly in Matthew's record.
"And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching thegospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of diseaseamong the people." (Matthew 4:23)And again:
"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, andpreaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every diseaseamong the people." (Matthew 9:35)The scripture here very specifically links the working of miracles by Christ with the preaching ofthe kingdom, and if we consider that point carefully, it reveals the truth to us. Much debate hasgone into the real reasons for the miracles of Christ. Was he just doing these things out ofcompassion, or was it to attract people to him and away from the established teachers of the time? No, the real reason for the miracles, was that they gave the stamp of divine authority to the workof Christ in preaching the kingdom of God. The Scribes and Pharisees could do nothing by theirhypocritical teaching that could possibly match this outward display. Christ was a special personwith a special message from God - the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Probably the most revealing part of this aspect of Christ's teaching is to be found in the 'Sermon onthe Mount', which we find recorded in Matthew, chapters 5 to 7. The teachings of Christ set thestandard that is acceptable to God. One of the most telling verses in this part of Christ's teachingis:
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom ofheaven: but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)This one verse contains the essential theme of Christ's teaching concerning the Gospel - the gladtidings of the kingdom of God. The theme is this - that without obedience to what God requires ofus, we cannot hope to share in the future benefits which the Gospel tells us about.
It follows that to obey God we have to know what God requires of us, and to gain that knowledgewe must listen to God - listen to his words, which are there for us to read in the Bible. Thisrequires an open mind, one that is ready to receive instruction without prejudice. It was because ofthe lack of this attitude among some of the people of his day that Christ spoke to them by way ofparables. He made this point quite forcibly as Matthew tells us:
"Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing theyhear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy ofEsaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing yeshall see, and shall not perceive:" (Matthew 13:13,14)This concept of needing to be attentive to God's requirements was further underlined by Christ, inthe parable of the wedding feast given by a certain king. The record quite clearly shows that theparable is connected to the kingdom of Heaven (the kingdom of God). The invitation sent out bythe king is analogous to the one that God has given to us to come to his kingdom. The people whorejected the invitation of the king, remind us that many reject God's invitation. But perhaps mostimportant for our consideration, is the fact that a man was ejected from the wedding feast for notwearing the right garment. Christ teaches us here about the need to be prepared - to conform tothe expected standard that God has set to obtain a place in the kingdom (the wedding feast).
To meet the standard God has set, requires us to overcome the natural tendencies that are withinus to follow our own desires; to note and copy the perfect example that Christ has set for us; to bebaptised (by full immersion in water) into the saving name of Christ. In his final message in thebook of Revelation given to the Apostle John, Christ referred again and again to the prize thatawaits those who overcome this natural tendency to sin. This prize is a place in the kingdom ofGod.
a) the basic teaching of the Gospel was exactly the same as taught by Christ, the point here beingthat throughout the divinely inspired scriptures anything of great importance is always repeated anumber of times.
b) Whilst the teaching was the same Gospel message, the emphasis shifted slightly. The apostlesdemonstrated the need for the work of Jesus Christ, the need for his sacrificial death andresurrection, and the need for repentance and baptism followed by a new way of life in those whodesire to receive a place in God's eternal kingdom.
The apostle Paul wrote:-
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man somewould even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while wewere yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by hisblood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies,we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled,we shall be saved by his life." (Romans 5:6-10)Paul emphasised this message many times in his writings, introducing different facets each time:
"But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For asin Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his ownorder: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." (ICorinthians 15:20-23)Again he wrote in his letter to Titus:
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching usthat, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, andgodly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the gloriousappearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us,that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people,zealous of good works." (Titus 2:11-14)The apostles stressed over and over again that the glad tidings of the kingdom of God were therefor everyone to embrace and have as a hope for the future.
They demonstrated that the mission of Jesus, his life, death and resurrection, was a great gift fromGod, the Creator of heaven and earth, to mankind, but it will only benefit those that accept it as agift from God and follow the prescribed path through believing in him. Almost these very wordsare used in the letter to the Hebrews:
"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God mustbelieve that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."(Hebrews 11:16)These things were spoken in the same authoritative way that Christ delivered the Gospel message. It was a way that the antagonists of the time found difficult to gainsay. The reason for this ofcourse was that it was of God and carried the power of his inspiration with it. The apostle Peterfocuses our minds on the truth and hope of the Gospel in these words:
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification ofthe Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace untoyou, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord JesusChrist, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a livelyhope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritanceincorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealedin the last time." (I Peter 1:2-5)It would be possible to continue to quote references from the apostolic writings in the scripturesand fill a sizeable book with them, but from those referred to already it will be apparent that theGospel proclaimed by the apostles did have this firm emphasis - the keystone of it was the work ofthe Lord Jesus Christ.
It was his selflessness, his teaching, the miracles that he performed, and his great sacrifice thatpersuaded the first century Christians of the need for self abasement and self sacrifice, in order toproclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom in the face of incredible persecution. It was the reality of thehope of life unending, based on the sure foundation that Christ had laid, that the apostles built onand that the first century Christians continued to preach.
The primary point of belief is that there will be an everlasting kingdom of God:
"For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlastingkingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (II Peter 1:11)The second point is that the kingdom will be set up on earth:
"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. Igo to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will comeagain, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John14:2-3)These verses are often misquoted to demonstrate that the reward of the righteous is in heaven. Buta logical look at them will expose this as an erroneous belief. Christ said that if he went away, hewould come again and then "where I am, there ye may be also"; in other words here on earth! This was supported by the angels' comment at the time of the ascension of Christ into heaven:
"Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which istaken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him gointo heaven." (Acts 1:11)The words "...shall so come" form a definite statement about Christ's return to the earth.
The next point of belief is the need to be related to the Divine promises confirmed by the Gospelmessage. The hope of life eternal in the kingdom of God was made possible through the waters ofbaptism after belief in the Gospel.
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the nameof Jesus Christ, "...they were baptized, both men and women."
The hope of the kingdom was not considered to be theirs by right following baptism, it wasconditional on maintaining the standards set and taught by Christ:
"But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of,knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast knownthe holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faithwhich is in Christ Jesus." (II Timothy 3:14,15)The salvation referred to by Paul is to be saved from the finality of death, which is mankind's lotdue to the effects of sin. Salvation is the gift of God, eternal life to be enjoyed in the kingdom tobe set up on earth at Christ's return. This was the hope of the first century Christians! This is thetrue Gospel message!
Now you may be wondering what this has to do with the Gospel. Its simply this - the principle wehave set out above is the sort of process we have to go through in life to achieve our goals. Itapplies equally to things related to God, which are more important than any other plans we mayhave for the future - for they concern our eternal well-being. We may be good at making plans fora future journey or some other activity, but when it comes to our spiritual well-being, the planningseems to lack direction.
The purpose of this article is to show that the Gospel can affect you personally; now is the time toresolve to plan for the future, rather than just let life drift by without any clear direction.
Yet if we stop and think, whilst man has made great strides in technology and medicine, little haschanged as far as human life is concerned. Mankind is still plagued by disease, unhappiness anddeath. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow still eludes us, and even though many may feelthey live a more fulfilled life, at the end of the day what lies ahead?
Sadly the flower of youth soon fades giving way to the aches and pains of old age, and ultimatelyto death itself, a prospect which although gloomy, is the only certainty in this life of ours.
Things have not changed. We are faced with the same problems that Jesus addressed nearly 2000years ago. This being the case, the Gospel message, the GOOD NEWS of better things to come,is as relevant today as it was when Jesus first spoke to a crowd in the hills of Galilee. Now is thetime to stop following the rainbow, sit at his feet and listen to what he has to say.
These are relevant questions, and the answers are in God's word of Truth. In this changing worldwe can be sure of two things; the first is the certainty of death, the second is that God does notchange. The latter is a fundamental point which is supported throughout His Word.
Consider these two passages from the Old and New Testaments:
"For I am the Lord, I change not." (Malachi 3:6)"Every good endowment that we possess and every complete gift that we havereceived must come from above, from the Father of all lights, with whom there isnever the slightest variation or shadow of inconsistency." (James 1:17 - J.B. Phillips)It is evident that unlike us, God does not change his mind. Therefore if the Kingdom that waspromised has not yet been established, there must be some other explanation. A study of the Biblemakes it quite clear that in causing the Gospel to be preached over the centuries, God has also setout a plan of events - for He does not leave the future to chance. We can understand this plan,and God has in His infinite wisdom communicates it to those who take the trouble to read andlisten.
God declared through the prophet Amos:
"Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servantsthe prophets." (Amos 3:7)When we study God's word and look for an indication of the time scale for setting up the Kingdomof God, we soon realise that it is an imminent event and that the fulfilment of the Gospel messageis near.
These indications are referred to as 'Signs' in the Bible and they are just like a street sign that pointsthe way to a particular place.
"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately,saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming,and of the end of the world?" (Matthew 24:3)If you read this passage from Matthew's Gospel record, you will see the context of the questionthat the disciples asked. It concerns the signs of the second coming of Jesus, and the reply thatJesus gave to them painted a picture of subsequent events down the ages.
He included this parable:
"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forthleaves, ye know that summer is nigh." (Matthew 24:32)The use by Jesus of the fig tree in a parable, tells Bible students that he was referring to Israel, whohave long carried this emblem as a 'Sign' of their nation. This can be seen from the followingreference concerning the nation of Israel, where we read:
"He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, andcast it away; the branches thereof are made white." (Joel 1:7)The inset shows the fig tree emblem used on Israeli postage stamps. The point Jesus was makingrelates to the fig tree 'budding' and if you think about that, it is a SIGN of life.
If we look at the history of this nation from the time of Jesus, we learn that Jerusalem wasdestroyed and the nation scattered by the Romans in AD70. Then in 1948 a most significant eventhappened. The State of Israel was established and since then the nation has indeed 'budded andblossomed'. Today Israel is a significant power in the modern world. The Jewish FIG TREEnation is re-established today after nearly 2000 years of dispersion.
Jesus went on to tell his disciples (concerning his return):
"So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at thedoors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things befulfilled." (Matthew 24:33,34)Jesus is telling us here that our generation will be alive when he returns. This starts to concentratethe mind and can give our planning for the future something to focus on!
The second important sign for us to consider concerns the general state of the world just beforeChrist's return. He refers to it in the earlier part of the chapter in Matthew. This describes a ratherfearful situation in the world, prior to the return of Jesus to establish the Kingdom as depicted inthe illustration.
If you compare Matthew's Gospel record and the parallel record in Luke chapter 21, you will beable to identify most of these problems described by Jesus.
Now let's ask a question - Does the list of problems Jesus spoke about sound familiar? We believethat it does. We only have to pick up the daily newspapers to find them all there. Reader, thesesigns are a reality of the world in which we live. What a great urgency there is to plan then for thefuture!
If space permitted we could refer to the message of the prophets, and in particular the book ofDaniel where specific time periods are referred to, and these also support the view that the promiseof the Gospel is soon to be fulfilled. In fact some bible students pin-point 1997/98 as a strongpossibility for the culmination of God's plan and the fulfilment of the promises.
Of course we cannot be dogmatic, for we recall the words of Jesus to the disciples:
"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but myFather only." (Matthew 24:36)If we were given a precise date, then we might well be tempted to delay our preparation. Howevera day has been set in God's calendar for some world shaking events as we read in the book ofActs:
"Because he (God) hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world inrighteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assuranceunto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17:31)Surely the need for planning your future is now becoming increasingly obvious
The options are few and quite simple, but they lead to vastly different consequences, as can beseen in the table below:
| YOUR ACTION PLAN | OUTCOME |
| 1) Do some serious thinking | Accept the Gospel - Eternal life |
| 2) Do nothing | Reject the Gospel - Death |
| 3) Delay planning | Miss the opportunity - Death |
Our advice to you is to take the first option. It is in reality the only sensible one with a far betteroutcome. We hope this will be your choice and you will then consider the words of Jesus as heinstructed his disciples to preach the Gospel:
"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe willbe condemned." (Mark 16:16 NIV)Now the steps that Jesus set out to enable you to take advantage of the 'Good News' contained inthe Gospel message are carefully designed to make your planning easier. The four stages are listedbelow for your consideration and action:
1. Listen to the word of God with an open mind
2. Believe in God's word and His son Jesus Christ
3. Be baptised into the saving name of Jesus
4. Live your life in obedience to his commandments
It is only human to delay, or leave things undone and that leads to missed opportunities. Today isthe day of opportunity - your day to plan for the future. There is nothing to lose but everything togain, so why not take that vital step forward and accept the Divine invitation?
God's plan will soon be realised and the outcome will be far beyond your wildest dreams, as theapostle Paul reminds us:
"...Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, thethings which God hath prepared for them that love him." (I Corinthians 2:9)Finally, as a practical suggestion to help you with your planning, why not offer a simple prayernow, asking God to guide you to His Kingdom? Then resolve to do some serious study of Hisword so that you will be ready for the return of Jesus.
This is the reality of THE GOSPEL - it is the TRUTH as Jesus said:
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)
Taken from Light on The Gospel