Knowing the Gospel
Gospel. I’m sure you’ve heard that word before. Maybe you nod along like you know what it means because it seems like everyone else does (I wouldn’t blame you). Or maybe you grew up in church, and you know it like the back of your hand. But maybe…you only think you know what it means. Lean in…
Gospel: good news
The word itself “gospel,” just means “good news”. The first four books of the New Testament are called “The Gospels” and are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John’s account of Jesus’ life.
If we asked the majority of Christians what the good news is, most would be quick to raise their hands, and they’d say something like, “Jesus died for my sins!” They might even add, “And rose again!” Or “he’s coming back someday.” And they would be right. Partially.
But what if I told you the gospel is all of that and is also way bigger than that?
See, Jesus talked about another good news. A bigger, more all-encompassing good news. He talked about the good news of the kingdom of God.
“I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”Luke 4:43
Over and over again, we see in scripture, this is what Jesus preached as the good news. You’ll see it in all of these verses: Matt. 4:17, Matt. 4:23, Matt. 9:35, Mark 1:14-15, Luke 8:1, Luke 9:11, Acts 1:3.
So to Jesus, the kingdom of God was the good news. Well, “what is that?” you might ask.
“The kingdom of God is God’s reign”
The kingdom of God is God’s reign, it’s his rule over all. It’s the way things go when God gets his way. And because God is so good, that’s really good news.
Think of all the things God wants…
He wants peace, he wants grace, he wants love, joy, hope, kindness, gentleness. He commands us to stop taking advantage of each other, to take care of the weak, to speak the truth, to put others above ourselves, to love even our enemies.
Gosh, can you imagine what a beautiful, fun world that would be? Where no one lies, no one takes advantage, no one harms? All love all the time?
And to take it further, when God gets his way, there’s also no more crying, no more sickness, no more pain, no more death.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”Revelation 21:3-5
Yes! I want to live in that world. THAT is good news.
See, this is all much bigger than Jesus dying for my sins, or your sins. Don’t get me wrong, forgiveness of our sins is good news! - the kingdom doesn’t diminish that, it expands it! Instead of being about a bunch of individuals being saved, the good news is actually about the whole world being saved. God is taking this broken world and making it new, and he’s inviting us to be a part of this new kind of world. And that’s what Jesus’ death on the cross did for us. Through the cross God forgave our sins, restored his relationship with us, and invited us into this new world, so we could participate in its goodness, and participate in bringing it more fully to the earth he loves (For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16)
We live in an interesting time, often called the “already, not yet.” The Kingdom came crashing into earth for the first time in Jesus, and Jesus secured its victory over evil through his death and resurrection (so it’s already come), but it hasn’t fully come as we can plainly see in our day to day lives (soooo not quite yet). We live in the in-between, we get to experience God’s kingdom right now through the Spirit and the Spirit living in one another, through every good thing God has made, and every God-like moment, but we still wait and watch for that day when Jesus will return and establish his rule on earth totally and forever.
In the meantime, we strive to live out his rule on earth, and in that way, to be his partners in bringing his kingdom to earth more fully everyday. That is the good news of the kingdom of God. That’s the gospel.
Let’s look at Rev 21 again, but this time read some more verses. This is a picture of what it looks like when God’s kingdom fully comes to earth.
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
- What’s going to be different? What’s most exciting to you?
- How would the kingdom coming change your life?
- How do you think we can be a part of bringing God’s kingdom to earth and making earth more like heaven?
- What does it mean to seek God’s kingdom first?
- What would that practically look like?
- What does this parable mean?
- Why did the man sell all he had?
- Why did he do it with such joy?
- Why do you think Christians sometimes aren’t willing to “sell” everything for the kingdom, and if they are, don’t do it joyfully?
- Why is there joy in finding the kingdom?
- What might you need to “sell” like the man in the parable to fully embrace God’s invitation?
Read Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount” in Matthew 5-7
How are the “laws” or “rules” of this new kingdom different from our own world? Imagine what life would be like if we all followed this new way. Make some notes to discuss next week.