<\/p>\n
\n\u201cThe beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God\u201d (Mark 1:1).<\/p>\n
WHEN THE TIME CAME AND GOD BROUGHT TO COMPLETION HIS PLAN TO PROVIDE SALVATION, THE PLAN WAS COMMUNICATED IN WORDS. In the Scriptures, this announcement of the deliverance from sin that God made possible is called the \u201cgospel.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is an interesting fact that God chose to use the medium of human language as He did. Crucial to His rescue plan was its communication by means of words from one person to another. In 2 Corinthians 5:18,19, Paul refers to the work of the apostles as the \u201cministry of reconciliation,\u201d and he calls the gospel the \u201cmessage of reconciliation.\u201d The NIrV aptly paraphrases this as \u201cthe message that people may be brought back\u201d to God. And in Ephesians 1:13, Paul said the joys of salvation came to his readers only after they heard \u201cthe word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.\u201d The gospel, then, is not a magical or mysterious feeling \u2014 it is a message.<\/em><\/p>\n But here is the important (and indispensable) point: the message is about Jesus Christ.<\/em> It is in Jesus that God is offering salvation. In 2 Corinthians 5, we hear Paul affirming that \u201cin Christ God was reconciling the world to himself\u201d (v.19). And concerning Christ, God \u201cmade him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God\u201d (v.21).<\/p>\n The message that God has opened up the way for us to be forgiven \u2014 and that Jesus is the Messiah (or Christ) through whom this was accomplished \u2014 is \u201cgood news.\u201d Indeed, it is the best news the world has ever heard. In the familiar story of Jesus\u2019 birth in the Gospel of Luke, we hear the angel saying to the shepherds in the field, watching their flocks at night, \u201cFear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord\u201d (2:10,11). These are wonderful words.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cThough you do not now see him, you believe in him,\u201d Peter wrote, \u201cand rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory\u201d (1 Peter 1:8). What could make our hearts sing with greater joy than knowing God has made it possible for us to come back to Him?<\/p>\n \u201cEuangelion<\/em> (which we call gospel<\/em>) is a Greek word, and signifies good, merry, glad, and joyful tidings, that makes a man\u2019s heart glad, and makes him sing, dance, and leap for joy\u201d (William Tyndale).<\/p>\n Gary Henry \u2013 WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com<\/p>\n