God News

Time Christ on Earth

The Good News

God created man in His nature of love, mercy, peace, faithfulness and truth. He instructed him to tend the garden and not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Apparently, man only knew about good, God’s nature, and not of evil. By giving man instructions, it is clear that man was also created with the ability to reason and make decisions. This must be true as he decided to believe a lie and chose to act upon it. By this act of rebellion, man separated himself from God and allowed Satan to control him through death. Man, now needed a redeemer to remove his sins and the power over him. But what would that take? Not sacrifices of bulls and goats. (Hebrews 10:14)

A Savior Prophesied

• Years earlier Abraham was told that through him all nations of the earth would be blessed.
• God said that through David, a descendant of Isaac, Abraham’s son of promise, “He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel 7:13)
• Isaiah prophesied “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (meaning God with us).” (Isaiah 7:14)
• Hundreds of years later Gabriel told the virgin Mary she would have a son and his name will be Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most-High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom, there will be no end." (Luke 1:31-33)

Testimony about the Savior

• The Messiah’s birth was announced by the angel to shepherds
• John, the Baptist, testified "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
• At his immersion in the Jordan River by John “a voice from heaven said, ‘This, is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:17)
• In the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor” and He then to them “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:18a-21)

To confirm these statements Jesus publicly healed many sick, blind, deaf and raised up some who had died, one whose body was decaying.

The Atoning Sacrifice

A sinless blood sacrifice was needed to remove sin from man. Therefore, Christ offered to God His earthly body as that sacrifice allowing the Romans and Jews to crucify Him. He was buried in a borrowed tomb. God accepted His offering by resurrecting Him which removed all doubt that Jesus was God who came to earth in the flesh of man, His creation. This was necessary as men need to know they could put their trust in Christ and in His power and authority to forgive sins.

The masses had heard His teachings but did not understand. They were so different from their traditions. His was a message of Love. As shown in the following scriptures. • Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." • Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

• 2 Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

• Acts 4:11-12 – “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

• Ephesians 1:6-9 – “In him (Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 which he lavished upon us.”

The Good News - Gospel

Therefore, since redemption is found in Christ, then Christ must be the Good News, the Gospel, which is summed up as follows: ° In the beginning was the Word, Jesus, Christ, Anointed One. ° The Word became flesh and lived among men. ° Christ had no sin. ° Jesus was obedient to the Father’s will even His death on the cross. ° God resurrected Him from the grave thereby conquering death, freeing man from Satan’s grip

• the result of sin.

° Christ ascended back from where He descended, Heaven. ° He taught that those who were cleansed of sin following their death to sin and burial by immersion in water into his death and who continued to walk faithfully in His Word would live eternally with Him.

It is in Christ we are reconciled for "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” (John 14:6) And "This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome." (1 John 5:3)