What Makes the Good News “Good?”
The gospel is often referred to as “The Good News,” and as we discussed in our last blog we’ve been called to share it. But why is it good?
Here’s what the Apostle Paul, one of the Church’s first evangelists, had to say about the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5:
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve.”
The ‘good’ of The Good News is this:
- Jesus did for us what we cannot do for ourselves by dying on the cross for our sins. We were created by God to be in a relationship with Him, but our sin forever separates us from Him. Because of this, we are doomed to a life and eternity of brokenness. There is nothing we can do to make our relationship with Him right again, which is why He gave Himself as a perfect sacrifice to make reconciliation possible.
- The Scriptures are an accurate testimony. We don’t have to guess what “truth” is. It’s been defined for us in God’s Word. Even better, His Word is living, meaning it speaks to us today. It never contradicts its truth, and we can align our lives with it and trust that it won’t change, even when the world and culture around us does.
- Jesus was entombed. He was not revived or resuscitated. He was certifiably dead. His work on the cross–the atonement for our sins–was finished. That’s good news because it means the debt of our sin was paid. There’s no adding to it. It’s gone. The record states we no longer owe anything. This is the act that made reconciliation between us and our Creator possible.
- Jesus was resurrected. He paid our debt, but He was not defeated. The Holy Spirit filled a dead human corpse, His heart began to beat, and God raised Jesus of Nazareth from the dead. We have a living hope because Jesus walked out of that grave and is still alive today! If He can conquer death, surely, He can do all things, just as the Scriptures say.
- There were witnesses. Not only do we have the truth of Scripture to lean on, but we have witness accounts. The Apostles and others saw and spoke to Jesus after He was resurrected. Several were persecuted to the point of death for sharing this truth, but they never recanted.
But Wait, There’s More!
It is good that our debt has been paid, and that it was paid by God Himself when we could not pay it. It is good that death was defeated. Because of this, we don’t have to worry about hell, which is a very real and dark place from which enemies of God cannot escape.
However, the best part of The Good News is that we don’t have to wait until we get to heaven to live in the abundance of eternal life. Jesus came, died, and rose again so we could experience that abundance now. (John 10:10)
We live into this abundant life by embracing the forgiveness demonstrated and grace displayed through Jesus’ crucifixion. This, of course, is easier said than done, but He’s given us His Holy Spirit–the same power that raised Him from the dead–to help us.
Don’t believe the gospel in vain by not living into its profound message of grace. Don’t let Satan rob you of the abundant life Jesus died to give you by not forgiving others or yourself.
Inspired by message two of Mt. Bethel Church’s “That’s Good News” sermon series by Dr. Jody Ray, as well as chapter two of Shane Bishop’s book “That’s Good News: How to Overcome Your Fear and Evangelize.”