What Is The Gospel?
October 1, 2006
Introduction
What is the gospel? Is it good? Is it exciting? Is it boring? What comes to your mind when you hear the word “Gospel”? The word gospel occurs 100 times in the New Testament, but what does it mean?
The first use of the word gospel is found in (Mat 4:23) "And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people."
The second occurrence is found in (Mat 9:35) "Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people."
In both cases, the wording is almost identical. Matthew sums up the beginning work of Jesus with this statement: “preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people."
Today, there is much excitement in a certain segment of the religious world about being able to “heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people," but what about the gospel? Has it lost its appeal? Is the gospel frankly too boring to talk about? Do we really even know what the gospel is?
Body
I. What is the gospel?
Thayer Definition:
1) a reward for good tidings
2) good tidings
2a) the glad tidings of the kingdom of God soon to be set up, and subsequently also of Jesus the Messiah, the founder of this kingdom. After the death of Christ, the term comprises also the preaching of (concerning) Jesus Christ as having suffered death on the cross to procure eternal salvation for the men in the kingdom of God, but as restored to life and exalted to the right hand of God in heaven, thence to return in majesty to consummate the kingdom of God
2b) the glad tidings of salvation through Christ
2c) the proclamation of the grace of God manifest and pledged in Christ
2d) the gospel
2e) as the messianic rank of Jesus was proved by his words, his deeds, and his death, the narrative of the sayings, deeds, and death of Jesus Christ came to be called the gospel or glad tidings
1. It was good news when World War II was over.
I was not quite seven years old, but I still remember the thrill and the excitement when I heard that the war was over—World War II, that is. I was young, but I still recall lying on the floor of our living room and listening to the news concerning the war on the big floor model radio that Mom and Dad had. The war was very real to me. My oldest brother was in the Air Force, and a star hung in our living room window to indicate that. I was concerned about him and his safety. When the war was over, I was excited. It was a wonderful sense of relief to know that the war was over.
2. But what about the gospel? Is it good news? Is the war over?
(Eph 2:11-19 NKJV) "Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh; who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands; {12} that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. {13} But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. {14} For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, {15} having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, {16} and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. {17} And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. {18} For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. {19} Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,"
1. Jesus put it all in the same verse.
(Mat 11:5 NKJV) ""The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them."
2. Jesus greatly valued the gospel.
(Luke 19:10 KJV) "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
II. But who are the lost?
(Isa 53:6 NKJV) "All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."
1. There was a man named Zacchaeus.
a. He is much more than a children’s song or story.
b. He was wealth, but he knew he had a need his wealth could not satisfy.
c. He knew he needed Jesus.
2. That’s why we find this story.
(Luke 19:5-10 NKJV) "And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." {6} So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. {7} But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." {8} Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." {9} And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; {10} "for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.""
(John 4:35 NKJV) ""Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!"
III. May we seek and save those who are lost.
(Mat 11:5) ""The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them."
(Rom 15:12-13 NKJV) "And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope." {13} Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Conclusion
What is the gospel?
It is the good news.—The war is over!
We have hope in God because of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Have we shared the good news?
Have we lived up our eyes to look and see the gospel?
What is the alternative?
(2 Th 1:7-11 NKJV) "and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, {8} in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. {9} These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, {10} when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed. {11} Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,"
Are we seeking the lost?
Are you ready to meet the Lord?
Scripture quotations marked "NKJV™" are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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