James Meehan - What Is the Gospel?
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Well, welcome to this week's episode of "Bible Nerds". My name is James Meehan and today we are talking about two, not one, but two of the most important concepts in the entire Bible: the Gospel and the Kingdom of God. We're coupling both of these together, because if you don't understand what they each mean and then how they work together, then you're going to misunderstand so much of what Jesus came to do and so much of how we're meant to live as His people. As a matter of fact, Jesus kicked off His ministry by telling people the Good News of the Gospel about the Kingdom of God.
In Mark, chapter 1, verses 14 and 15, here's what we read: "Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee where he preached God's Good News," the Gospel. Here's what he said: "The time promised by God has come at last! The Kingdom of God is near, so repent of your sins and believe the Good News". The word Gospel is the Bible word for God's Good News that Jesus introduced to the world. And in the ancient world, the time when Jesus was alive, when people would hear that, they would think of a royal announcement that a new king was sitting on the throne. For example, when a new Roman emperor would be crowned, messengers would go out from the city of Rome and announce the gospel, the good news that a new king is now in charge.
So when Jesus is preaching the Gospel, he's telling people that a new king and a new kingdom have arrived. Who is that king? That king is Jesus, the Messiah, the chosen Savior King the people of Israel have been waiting for. But the thing about Jesus is that He wasn't just going to be Israel's Savior. He would also be the Savior of the entire world. You see, before Jesus was born there was an angel that appeared to Joseph, His earthly dad, and said that Mary will have a son, and the son is to be named Jesus, because Jesus will save his people from their sins. The name Jesus literally means God saves, because Jesus came to save us from our sins. What is sin? It's a disease of self-centeredness that causes us to disobey God and hurt others, and this disease is always fatal. Sin separates us from God, but Jesus came to save us.
This is why the central Christian message is called Good News, the Gospel, because it is the announcement that Jesus came to rescue us from our sins, to repair our relationship with God, and to restore our purpose as members of His Kingdom. So now let's talk about the Kingdom of God. First, what is a kingdom? At its most basic level, a kingdom is a nation ruled by a king. That's what Jesus is talking about when He says that the time promised by God has come at last. The Kingdom of God is near. Jesus is telling us that the rule and reign of God is now taking root in history, that God's kingdom is being established on Earth, and all of us are invited to be a part of it. The thing about God's Kingdom is that it is unlike the kingdoms of this world. It is so much better, because it's a kingdom built on a bedrock of blessing, where the last are first, the least are most, and the outcasts find their home. It's a kingdom where truth and grace can be found, where justice and mercy meet. It's a kingdom where love is the law of the land.
This is the Gospel, the Good News of God that a new king and a better kingdom have arrived. That king is Jesus and the kingdom is His. So the question then becomes, what do we do now? Well, we do exactly what Jesus, our king said to do. We repent and we believe, because in that passage we read in Mark, chapter 1, verse 15, Jesus says, "Repent of your sins and believe the Good News"! What does it mean to repent? It means aiming your life towards God. Repentance is changing a direction. It's turning away from sin, the things that we do to disobey God and hurt others, and it's turning to God and the ways of His kingdom. First, we repent; then we believe. Now, we don't just believe in any random thing. Specifically we believe in Jesus. We put our faith in Him. We declare our allegiance to the rightful King of creation. We submit to His rule over our lives, and when we do, Jesus makes us new.
You see, when Jesus showed up, He came bringing news that a new king and a better kingdom have arrived. He announced God's Good News. So to put it all together, what is the Gospel? The Gospel is the Good News that Jesus came to rescue us from sin and repair our relationship with God, so we can play a part in His plan to restore the world. This is what Jesus came to do, and this is what we now get to be a part of. We get to be a part of His kingdom. We get to be a part of pushing back the darkness. We get to be a part of living in the light of God's love and sharing that with others. So if you haven't already, repent and believe the Good News. And as you do, Jesus will make you new. Take care and stay nerdy.