A PRESENCE WORTH PROCLAIMING!!!

THE GLAD TIDINGS

Good  news from God to man can always properly described as “gospel”  Here the glad tidings are that the God who once delivered His captive people from bondage in Egypt is again at hand to rescue and protect His beleaguered Israelites. Zion, a poetic name for Jerusalem, proclaims this joyous news, announcing to all its inhabitants that God is present in His Holy place. The assurance that God is with us (Isa. 7:14; John 1:14) “Take heed and be quiet; do not fear or be fainthearted for these two stubs of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah.”; And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”  To save us at the heart of the Christian Gospel (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3, 4) “ For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received; that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures”. The exhortation to Israel not to fear is as welcome and encouraging as the good news that perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18) “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” Just as Jerusalem was bidden to announce the tidings of God’s presence, so it saw the joyous proclamation of Christ’s resurrection and the earliest preaching of the gospel.”  This is what Isaiah the son of Amoz had to say,” O Zion, You who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountains; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”(Isa. 40:9).

GOSPEL  

God has good news for humanity, great good news of deliverance from bondage, of fullness of life, of people set free to be fruitful. This good news is the gospel, a message God communicated personally to Abraham and through His prophets to Israel. Jesus Himself called the people to repent and believe the good news that He had to come to bring life. The apostles preached the good news wherever they went- the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, and how men and women can find joy and salvation through faith in Him. The good news begins with God and with His grace and will tolerate no distortion of the truth about Jesus. Through Christian preaching of the good news God establishes His church. The responsibility for spreading that good news belongs to all followers of Christ, who should shout with great urgency, the news that Jesus sets the prisoners free. See (Matt. 24:14), “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the entire world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

THE GREATEST PRELUDE EVER- Mark 1:14

Now after John was put into prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. John the Baptist fulfilled the role of Elijah promised by Malachi as a prelude to the “dreadful day of the Lord” (Mal. 4:5). In preparation for Christ’s ministry he preached a baptism of repentance for the pardoning of sin. By contrast, Jesus came preaching the gospel of God. “Gospel” means “good news” as   earlier indicated and here signifies the formal announcement that Christ has come to fulfill the work of the kingdom. His hearers are urged to believe, and follow John’s message, their acceptance of the gospel would involve confession and forgiveness of sin. With Christ present, the kingdom of God had already entered human society (Luke 17:21), and its enlargement would be carried on by the evangelizing activity of the church, described as the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23). As Christ’s preaching continued, it became evident that the church could only come into being through His atoning death on Calvary. This would bring redemption to mankind, and salvation to those who accepted Christ personally as Savior and Lord. “ For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist;  but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than He” (Luke 7:28).

THE GOOD NEWS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

The good news first revealed to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; (Gen. 3:15) “the preaching of the Gospel in the garden of Eden. “Because it introduces the one who will deliver mankind from the power of the tempter. The seed of the woman who would bruise the head (or destroy the power) of the serpent was the Savior Jesus (cf. Rom 16:20)”And the God of peace will crush Satan under Your feet shortly.” The seed of the serpent, namely wicked persons (cf. Matt. 13:38, 39; John 8:44)”The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.”” you are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand on the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” Would be the enemy of righteousness in all ages. Their venom would be directed specifically at Jesus, and would do Him violence to the extent of causing His death. But God’s resurrection power showed that Christ’s harm had only been harmed in a minor way, whereas the power of sin had been crushed by being conquered at Calvary. There Christ died to atone for human sin redeeming us from its bondage. This verse promises that in the prolonged conflict between good and evil, the Holy seed Himself is the guarantor that good ultimately will prevail. (2 Thess. 2:8)”And the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”

The second good news was revealed to Abraham concerning his blessing; (Gen. 12:2-3) “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” When God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, God said, “Shall I hid from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?”  (Gen. 18:18).  God continued to preach good news to Abraham when he obeyed God,” In your seed, all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice,” (Gen.22:18; Gal. 3:8)

The third good news was revealed to Israel through prophets; Isaiah 40:9; we had seen the glad tiding in the earlier passage; Here he say, “ How beautiful  upon the mountains, are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings  glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation. Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”(Isa. 52:7) In another passage Isaiah said, “But you shall be named the priests of the Lord, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory you shall boast.”

THE GOOD NEWS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

The proclaimers of the Good News in the New Testament are;

1.       The angel of Christ’s birth; Then the angel said to them,” Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”(Luke 2:10)

2.       John the Baptist; “And with many other exhortations he preached to the people” (Luke 3:18).

3.       Jesus Christ; but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent” (Luke 4:43); and also (Mark 1:14) which we have seen in the earlier passage.

4.       The twelve apostles;  “ So they departed and  went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere”(Luke 9:6)  Luke continues in Acts of the apostles, “And daily in the Temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ”(Acts 5:42)

5.       Peter and John; “So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans” (Acts 8:25) See again (Acts 15:7), And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them, “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.”

6.       Philip:  But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized; But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea” (Acts 8:12, 40)

7.       Paul:  And they were preaching the gospel there (Paul and Barnabas; Acts 14:7 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, it is written: “For this reason I will confess to you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” (Rom. 15:9)

My beloved brethren,  with all these in mind, this should be a mandate and our responsibility as Christians and fellow coworkers with Christ;  to see that this gospel , good news or good tidings/ glad tidings of the kingdom of God is preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, before the end comes. As Jesus sent His disciples before ascending into heaven; let us therefore, make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Be blessed as you apply.

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Jesus Crist be with you all, Amen, and Amen and Amen.”