God profoundly interrupted and complicated Mary’s life with the angel Gabriel’s startling and glorious gospel announcement.
The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Luke 1:30-33 (NASB)
If she agreed to be God’s servant in this regard, it would put her in an almost unbearable situation of being pregnant without being married. What would her fiance Joseph think? What would he do? What would her family and friends think?
This gospel announcement required her response – yes or no. Mary exhibited extraordinary courage and trust in God by saying yes.
Later, the angel also spoke to Joseph in a dream.
... “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21 (NLT)
We learn from this that when we say yes to God, he handles those who will be affected by our obedience. When we say yes to God, it impacts others; but God’s grace extends to them as well.
Whenever God speaks to us, it requires a response. The Bible tells us that Joseph obeyed the angel and responded as God intended.
After Jesus’ birth, an angel appeared to shepherds in a field outside Bethlehem and made this bold proclamation.
..."Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10-11 (NASB)
The shepherds also demonstrated their faith in the angels words by immediately going to see this newborn Savior.
All of these three pronouncements or proclamations contain key elements of the gospel.
Jesus is the promised Messiah King of Israel – the Lord. He will save God’s people from their sins as Savior. The angel combined both truths in his announcement to the shepherds: Jesus will be a Savior who is Christ (Messiah) the Lord.
Many years later, when Jesus officially announced his public ministry in Nazareth, his boyhood home, he did so by quoting one of the great freedom proclamations of Isaiah the prophet.
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” Luke 4:18-19 (NLT)
Jesus understood that his purpose was to be the Savior King of Israel who would free people from the power of sin, Satan, death, disease, and everything else that holds us in captivity.
Jesus’ announcement required a response. Either the people would believe his words or reject them.
We cannot remain neutral when it comes to Jesus or the gospel. Neutrality is a form of rejection because it says we do not care or regard the words as important.
After the resurrection Peter made the first gospel proclamation of the church era. He boldly announced to the people who had recently put Jesus to death that he rose from the dead and is both Lord and Messiah.
“So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!” Acts 2:36 (NLT)
The gospel is a bold proclamation that Jesus is the promised Messiah King, the Lord, who died to liberate us from the tyranny of sin and death.
It requires a response. The gospel invites us to believe the good news that Jesus died for us and rose again. It calls us to repent from our rebellious death-filled independent ways, accept God’s forgiveness, and publicly declare our allegiance to Jesus through water baptism.
The gospel proclamation of freedom becomes effective in our lives when we respond to it. A bold public gospel deserves an equally bold public response, followed by a life of loving service.
