Category: What Is the Gospel?

The Gospel according to Isaiah

 

 

 

 

Isaiah is the most quoted Old Covenant prophet, predicting the coming of our Lord Jesus and his messianic ministry some 800 years before Christ’s birth. Let me give you a sampling.

Isaiah told us that Jesus would be born from a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14) He also let us inow that this child would be God himself, upon whom God’s government would rest. (Lord and King)

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (NASB)

When Jesus began his itinerant ministry, he quoted Isaiah 61.

THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, Luke 4:18 (NASB)

He went about in the power of the Spirit setting people free as God’s representative King. Matthew explained Jesus’ healing ministry by quoting Isaiah 53.

When Jesus came into Peter's home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 15  He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him. 16  When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. 17  This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES." Matthew 8:14-17 (NASB)

His governmental Lordship was also prophesied, along with his princely ministry of bringing peace to those who put their faith and allegiance in him. This Messiah King would be God’s New Covenant man. Whereas the Old Covenant was a pact between God and men, the New Covenant was between the Father and the Son. The Son would keep its provisions so that we could be saved by faith in him and what he did.

I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, Isaiah 42:6 (NASB)

Later when the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders conspired to kill him. Matthew quoted Isaiah to give context to what was happening.

But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him. 15  But Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and He healed them all, 16  and warned them not to tell who He was. 17  This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: 18  "BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. 19  "HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. 20  "A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. 21  "AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE." Matthew 12:14-21 (NASB)

When his disciples asked him why he spoke in parables, Jesus quoted Isaiah.

Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12  "For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13  "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14  "In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; 15  FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.' Matthew 13:11-15 (NASB)

Jesus again quoted the prophet to castigate the rebellious Jewish leaders who would not accept him.

"You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 8  'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 9  'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'" Matthew 15:7-9 (NASB)

Jesus would become the Savior and Lord of the all the earth, a light to the nations. He would accomplish this in a most unexpected way, by dying on a cross as God’s Lamb. This was laid out in Isaiah 53.

As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. 12  Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:11-12 (NASB)

Here we have a beautiful exposition of forgiveness and justification. His resurrection is also foreshadowed by the statement, “I will allot him a portion with the great, he will divide the booty with the strong.”

Paul quoted Isaiah as the justification for his own apostolic ministry.

How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, "Your God reigns!" Isaiah 52:7 (NASB)

The ultimate reconciliation of a remnant of Abraham’s descendants to our Lord is also prophesied.

Thus says the LORD, "As the new wine is found in the cluster, And one says, 'Do not destroy it, for there is benefit in it,' So I will act on behalf of My servants In order not to destroy all of them. 9  "I will bring forth offspring from Jacob, And an heir of My mountains from Judah; Even My chosen ones shall inherit it, And My servants will dwell there. Isaiah 65:8-9 (NASB)

The restoration of the nation of Israel was also foreseen.

Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons. 9  "Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery?" says the LORD. "Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?" says your God. Isaiah 66:8-9 (NASB)

Jesus’ second coming as God’s appointed judge is also foretold.

For behold, the LORD will come in fire And His chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. 16  For the LORD will execute judgment by fire And by His sword on all flesh, And those slain by the LORD will be many. Isaiah 66:15-16 (NASB)

Also, the new heavens and new earth are prophesied.

For just as the new heavens and the new earth Which I make will endure before Me," declares the LORD, "So your offspring and your name will endure. Isaiah 66:22 (NASB)

I encourage you to read Isaiah through gospel lenses. You will be blessed. Take note that Isaiah’s 66 chapters match the number of books in the entire Bible. Also note that the first 39 chapters are very different from 40-66. There are 39 chapters in the Old Testament, just like the first section of Isaiah. The 27 books of the New Testament are mirrored by Isaiah 40-66, in which the New Covenant is clearly prophesied. It is an amazing book that will greatly encourage your heart.

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Healing and the Gospel

 

 

 

 

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2  and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal… 6  And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. Luke 9:1-2, 6 (ESV)

The gospel announces that God’s King has been born in fulfillment of promises made to Abraham and King David. He was rejected and put to death, but God the Father raised him from the dead, declaring that he is Lord of all. Those who renounce their rebellion against God’s rule and declare their allegiance to Jesus will be forgiven and given the Holy Spirit. As proof of Jesus’ authority and ability to set prisoners free, he regularly healed people when he walked the earth. After his resurrection and ascension, his disciples also healed people to demonstrate the reality of God’s rule. Healing was linked to the gospel message then and is still.

Jesus launched his public ministry in a synagogue in Nazareth by sharing his messianic mission statement from the prophet Isaiah.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19  to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19 (ESV)

The Father in heaven sent Jesus to planet earth to release those who were and are under the oppression of the devil. This oppression manifests itself in many ways, including sickness, disease, and demonic oppression.

The gospel is not limited to the forgiveness of sins. It is holistic, bringing liberty to the entire being – body, soul, and spirit.

When John the Baptist later questioned Jesus regarding his messianic identity, our Lord reminded John and his followers that, although he was not behaving in the way most people thought the Messiah would act by overthrowing Roman oppression, he was fulfilling the role prophesied by Isaiah. When Luke wrote his gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, he included this marvelous summation of Christ’s ministry, which was spoken by the apostle Peter:

And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. Acts 10:38 (NLT)

The anointing of the Holy Spirit, mentioned in Luke 4:18, empowered Jesus (and us today) to heal all who were and are oppressed by Satan by overcoming sickness, demonic oppression, and even death, not to mention the more spiritual and psychological oppression related to sin, guilt, and condemnation.

Paul also operated in healing and miracles when he presented the gospel.

For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you. 1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NLT)

Was this a peculiar operation of grace for those early days, or does it continue? Some theologians have proposed that the gifts of the Spirit ceased after the deaths of the twelve apostles. This is a human theological construct designed to account for the lack of the miraculous today by claiming signs and wonders were only for the early days following the resurrection, before the church came into possession of the New Covenant scriptures. According to this theory, now all we need to do is to proclaim the truth without having any confirming signs of Christ’s reign over the oppression of the devil.

It is always a bad idea to build our theology around our experience instead of around the Word of God.

Nevertheless it is a common practice, since we all tend to explain away that which makes us uncomfortable. It’s what psychologists call denial. We don’t want to be confronted by the truth; so, we build walls and fences to keep it at a distance.

The truth is that Jesus never stopped setting the captives free, body, soul, and spirit. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

If the early disciples needed the confirming signs of God’s presence and power in their presentation of the gospel, how much more do we need it? Evil and deception is just as strong today as ever.

We need both God’s truth and his power.

Separating the power of God to heal from the presentation of the gospel is a serious error which deprives the gospel presentation from being confirmed by the Holy Spirit the way God intended.

When Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples in Luke Chapter 10, he told them:

Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ Luke 10:9 (NLT)

When we engage those who do not yet know Christ, it is a divine strategy to pray for their healing. When we do so, we give God the opportunity to reveal himself to the person in a way that confirms his existence, power, and love. Healing is a function of God’s divine compassion for our predicament.

Healing reveals God’s love in a way that anyone except the most hardened religious people can understand and accept.

Healing confirms the words of the gospel and opens the heart to believe that Jesus is both Lord and Savior. Some call miracles the “dinner bell” to salvation. Evangelists in third world countries know the importance of signs and wonders. Have we become so intellectual that we no longer require God’s power? How foolish!

We do well to take Jesus’ commands to those early disciples to heart.

We should look for any and every opportunity to pray for the sick in order to open the door to sharing the gospel of grace with people we know and love.

It is not up to us to actually heal anyone: that remains under God’s jurisdiction. However, as Christ’s representatives, we have an amazing opportunity to open the door for God to work. If you pray for the sick, you may see a miracle with your own eyes. More importantly, you may open the door for your hearer to receive eternal life through faith in Christ!

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Anatomy of a Gospel Presentation: Driving It Home

 

 

 

 

In my previous article, I detailed how to use the New Testament record of the life and ministry of Jesus to explain how he fulfilled Old Covenant messianic promises and prophecies. The New Testament colors in our picture of the Messiah, providing unexpected richness and clarity. The Gospel presents Jesus the Messiah King, who died for our sins and rose again in power, and who will return some day to judge the nations and rule over God’s kingdom forever. In this article, I will show how we can drive home this message to our hearers in a way that should provoke a response.

Once again, I am using Paul’s Gospel message that he delivered in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14-41) for a model of how we can present it. I will also refer to Peter’s presentation on Pentecost (Acts 2:14-41) , another excellent example. As I mentioned before, there are a great variety of ways to share the Gospel, as can be seen when we examine the different times it was shared in the Book of Acts. Nevertheless, there is a basic pattern that should be followed, if we are going to present a complete gospel and not an inferior “Gospel Lite.” I admit that some situations do not provide the time to be thorough, but, when we do have the opportunity, we should take advantage of it.

We never want to give people an excuse to reject the Gospel because we presented it inadequately.

We must not inoculate people against the Gospel by giving them a small dose that enables the hearers to “wall off” future presentations, thinking that they have already heard it all. It took multiple chapters for each Gospel writer to present the story of Jesus. We cannot possibly do it in four easy steps. Jesus is much more than a bridge back to God. He is the reigning Lord of Lords.

The Gospel is a presentation of God’s Messiah King, not an abridged formula or plan that keeps us out of hell.

The Passion and Crucifixion

The heart of the Gospel is our Lord’s passion, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit baptism on Pentecost, which launched the church’s apostolic ministry. (Another important aspect of the Gospel is Christ’s Second Coming, which I will address in a future article.) Each Gospel writer gave us the most important details of this part of Jesus’ time on planet earth because in it we find the core of the Gospel message.

Just as a magnifying glass can focus sunlight into a single brilliant point that has the ability to ignite what it touches, the Gospel should bring its Old Covenant context and New Covenant explanation into a fiery focus at the crucifixion.

Jesus, the promised Messiah, was put to death unjustly in order to ransom us back to God!

"Brethren, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. 27  "For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28  "And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. 29  "When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. Acts 13:26-29 (NASB)

Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane revealed that he laid down his life primarily to please his Father and secondarily for our sake; although, the two are inextricably linked. Jesus demonstrated his amazing love by voluntarily laying down his life for the church – for us. But more than that – if we really want to drive our message home as Paul did – we must emphasize that he not only died for us, but because of us. It was our sin and rebelliousness that he took upon himself so that we can share in his right relationship with God the Father.

Peter powerfully presented our guilt on that first New Covenant Pentecost.

"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23  this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. Acts 2:22-23 (NASB)

It is vital that people understand the magnitude of the evil committed by those (us) who put God’s Son to death!

The Holy Spirit can and will take this important truth and use it to break our hearts and engender repentance. We should also explain that Christ’s sacrificial death is the sole reason for Father God’s offer of forgiveness and reconciliation, which Paul makes clear in the one of the passages quoted below.

This is the part of the Gospel that almost everyone presents, and it is vital, but it is not the end all. The Lamb of God ministry of Christ is a means to an end. Jesus died so that he might rise again in power and glory in order to enter into his Son of God / Son of Man Messianic King ministry. We should not curtail our Gospel presentation with the offer to receive forgiveness of sins. This trends toward being a consumerist Gospel that draws people to simply receive without any “strings attached.” It sounds wonderful, but it is not the full Gospel. Jesus did not die so that we can be forgiven and then do whatever we please. God’s purpose in saving us is to glorify himself by producing a multitude of sons (and daughters) who will reflect Christ’s character and ministry. Surrender to Christ’s Lordship is a very important “string” that we must trumpet thunderously, if we are doing to present to real Gospel.

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2  which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3  concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4  who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, 5  through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake, 6  among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; Romans 1:1-6 (NASB)

 

The Resurrection

If the Gospel were a musical symphony, the beginning would be a sonata-like lively presentation of the Old Covenant promises explained in the light of Christ’s birth and ministry, the focus of my first two articles in this series. The crucifixion would be a slow, somber adagio-like section, followed by a thunderous and lively allegro section that focuses on the resurrection. The finale would be a triumphant section that includes the giving of the Great Commission, the ascension, and the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost, with the promise of his coming back as judge of the living and the dead.

The resurrection turned what looked like a horribly disappointing and disillusioning tragedy into a rousing victory celebration beyond our wildest dreams. Let’s see how Paul and Peter constructed their resurrection portion of their message. First we have Paul at Pisidian Antioch.

"But God raised Him from the dead; 31  and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. 32  "And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, 33  that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, 'YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.' 34  "As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: 'I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.' 35  "Therefore He also says in another Psalm, 'YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.' 36  "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; 37  but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. 38  "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39  and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. Acts 13:30-39 (NASB)

Please take a few minutes to think deeply about these verses. Next let’s take a look at Peter’s presentation in Jerusalem on Pentecost.

"But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. 25  "For David says of Him, 'I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. 26  'THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; 27  BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. 28  'YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.' 29  "Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30  "And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, 31  he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. 32  "This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Acts 2:24-32 (NASB)

The resurrection affirms that our sins are forgiven because it proves that God the Father approved and received his sacrificial atonement for our sins. It also confirms that not only is Jesus God’s Lamb, he is God’s Messiah King, the Lord of lords, the glorious Son of Man prophesied by Daniel. Paul succinctly stated the import of the resurrection.

Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. 23  Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, 24  but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25  He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. Romans 4:22-25 (NASB) 

Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2  which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3  concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4  who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 1:1-4 (NASB)

 

The Ascension

Many Gospel presentations do not even include this section, which shows how far from God’s pattern we have strayed. The ascension of Christ further demonstrated that God the Father fully accepted the sacrificial death of his Son and installed him as the currently reigning and one-day coming again Lord and Judge of all the earth.

"Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34  "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, 35  UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."' 36  "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified." Acts 2:33-36 (NASB)

The ascension marks Christ’s installment on the throne of heaven where he reigns until his enemies are finally defeated and he returns in glory to the earth he created and redeemed. It also marks the outpouring of the promised Holy Spirit, which fulfilled the last part of the ministry that John the Baptist prophesied – Baptizer in the Spirit. (You can read more about John the Baptist’s prophecies concerning Jesus by clicking here.) The giving of the Spirit provides believers with another benefit and requirement. The baptism in the Spirit equips and empowers us to obey Christ by being his witnesses in fulfillment of the Great Commission. (Acts 1:8)

Calling for a Proper Response

As any good salesman knows, closing is critical. A great presentation means nothing without a sale. We should never try to coerce or manipulate our hearers into a response, but we should give them a reason and opportunity to make one.

The proper reaction to the Gospel should be a sense of shock, sorrow, and amazement, coupled by a desire to get right with God. The proper response is a combination of repentance, faith, and surrender.

We err greatly If we fail to convey the magnitude of the sin of rejecting and crucifying God’s Son. We fail our hearers if we do not emphasize that surrender to Christ’s glorious lordship is central to the Gospel. If we omit the necessity of a life of obedience to this amazing Good Shepherd and Lord, we seriously damage a person’s chances to live in a way that brings the utmost glory to God.

Paul asked his hearers to “take heed” to his message, lest they be lumped among those whose hearts were hardened against God.

"Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: 41  'BEHOLD, YOU SCOFFERS, AND MARVEL, AND PERISH; FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.'" Acts 13:40-41 (NASB)

Peter’s hearers on Pentecost were gripped by his Gospel presentation. When he announced that the one they crucified has been made the Lord of lords, they responded accordingly.

Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" Acts 2:37 (NASB)

Such a response is music in the preacher’s ears and glorifying to God. It is evidence of the activity of God’s Spirit following a convincing presentation of the Gospel. Those who heard Peter understood his message, their guilt, and the need to get right with God. Peter gave them a clear path to accomplish this.

Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39  "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." Acts 2:38-39 (NASB)
  • Repent – The Spirit works in us to convict us of our root sin of trying to be the lord of our own lives. True repentance takes place when we acknowledge our sins, turn away from them, ask for and receive forgiveness, and surrender to Christ’s lordship. Faith is required for us to repent. We are not simply sorry for our sins. Rather we receive God’s amazing provision for us in Christ and commit to a lifetime of service to his Lordship.
  • Be Water Baptized – Water baptism is a public demonstration of our repentance, faith, surrender to Christ, and our commitment to serve him for the rest of our lives.
  • Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit – This equips Christ’s followers to fulfill the Great Commission. For more information on this, click here. We cannot adequately serve the Lord of the harvest without it.

Conclusion

My hope is that these three articles on the Anatomy of the Gospel have expanded and deepened your understanding of the Gospel and helped you see how important it is to share it thoroughly. According to Paul, the Gospel is the “power of God to salvation.” (Romans 1:16) Maybe the reason we do not see more power released to save people is because we are not properly presenting the Gospel. Let’s see what God will do when we better trumpet the most powerful message in the universe.

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Anatomy of a Gospel Presentation: Providing a New Covenant Explanation

 

 

 

 

In my previous article, I showed how important it is to frame a Gospel presentation against the backdrop of God’s Old Covenant promises and history with the nation of Israel. I would go as far as saying that the Gospel is almost unintelligible without knowing something about the Old Covenant promises that God would send a Messiah. Jesus is not a New Age guru who offers a path to personal peace. Rather he is the promised King of Kings who will rule the nations. Big difference!

There are as many ways to present the Gospel as there are unique individuals and situations, but there is a pattern that God wants us to follow in order to preach the Gospel as the early disciples did. Paul wrote that the fully preached Gospel is the power of God to bring salvation to its hearers. Let’s not shortchange people!

In this series of articles, we are taking a look at the way Paul presented the Gospel when he was at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14-41). He was an apostle commissioned by God not only to go to the nations with the Gospel message, but also to establish the foundations of doctrine for the church. Luke’s account in Acts of Paul’s Gospel message is profitable for establishing our doctrinal understanding of the Gospel.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17  so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB)

Paul used the ministry of John the Baptist as his launching point for providing a New Covenant explanation of how Jesus fulfilled Old Covenant messianic promises. John was the forerunner, the emcee, so to speak, who announced to the world who Jesus was and is. The people of Israel were in a state of high expectation regarding the appearance of God’s promised Messiah. Many thought it might be John, but he relieved them of that supposition, declaring that the anointed one was coming and was now in their midst. (Luke 3:15-17) Can you imagine the level of excitement and anticipation that filled John and his followers?

As I wrote in an earlier article, John announced Jesus’ three messianic roles: Lamb of God (Savior), Son of God (Messianic King and Lord), and Baptizer in the Holy Spirit (Lord of the Harvest). The New Covenant account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection fulfilled John’s prophecies. His death on the cross was a complete fulfillment of Passover and the Lamb of God ministry. His resurrection from the dead confirmed Jesus as the Lord. His ascension into heaven followed by the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost fulfilled his Baptizer in the Spirit role with the church.

The four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) provide an enormous amount of details of Jesus’ life and ministry before he died for our sins and was raised for our justification. Peter summarized Jesus’ ministry better than most.

“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 (NASB)

What Peter’s hearers probably understood that we likely should clarify is that Jesus’ ministry fulfilled Isaiah’s messianic prophesies, confirming our Lord’s identity to all who had eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand. John the Baptist once again provides a hook for explaining this to our hearers. When John languished in prison, he had a lot of time to think and perhaps doubt. He might have been discouraged, and discouraged people tend to doubt. He sent some of his followers to Jesus to question him about his identity.

Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3  and said to Him, "Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?" 4  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5  the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT 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. 6  "And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me." Matthew 11:2-6 (NASB)

The common expectation among the Jews was that the Messiah would lead them to a military and political victory over their Roman oppressors. Jesus obviously did not fulfill that expectation, leading to John’s and others’ doubts. Jesus’ reply cleared the air. He did not come the first time as the victorious leader of the armies of God. Rather, he came as the Suffering Servant to reveal God’s compassionate heart for the hurting and oppressed. (His Second Coming will fulfill the military and political side of things.) When Jesus quoted Isaiah 35:1-10 in the above passage, he provided a New Covenant explanation and clarification of an Old Covenant messianic promise. We should do the same for our hearers. I suggest you read Isaiah 35 in its entirety and consider how Jesus fulfilled it.

As part of providing a proper New Covenant explanation of Old Covenant messianic promises, we can show how Jesus fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham to raise up a descendant who would become a blessing to the entire earth.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. Galatians 3:16 (NASB)

We can show how Jesus fulfilled God’s promise to King David that he would raise up one of his descendants to rule over God’s kingdom forever.

"Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30  "And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, 31  he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. 32  "This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33  "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34  "For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, 35  UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."' 36  "Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified." Acts 2:29-36 (NASB)

We can share how Jesus fulfilled Moses’ announcement that God would raise up another prophet like himself.

"Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20  and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21  whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time. 22  "Moses said, 'THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 23  'And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' 24  "And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days. 25  "It is you who are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'AND IN YOUR SEED ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED.' 26  "For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning every one of you from your wicked ways." Acts 3:19-26 (NASB)

The important thing is to tie Jesus into the Old Covenant because all scripture ultimately talks about Jesus.

Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." 45  Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, Luke 24:44-45 (NASB)

The Bible is a grand story that provides the only true explanation of creation, life, and redemption. The Gospel is the only story that gives people real hope and purpose. We dare not truncate it into a brief explanation of how Jesus bridged the gulf between us and God created by our sins. We should not present Jesus as a free ticket to heaven with no strings attached. This is not how the New Testament does it, and I show you how the early apostles drove this home in the next article. If we fail to adequately present the Gospel, we run the risk of inadvertently inoculating our hearers against it. If they hear a weak version, they may reject it without ever properly considering Jesus’ messianic claims. Let’s not give people that excuse. Let’s present the full gospel every time.

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Anatomy of a Gospel Presentation: Old Testament Context

 

 

 

 

This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News. 2  God promised this Good News long ago through his prophets in the holy Scriptures. 3  The Good News is about his Son, Jesus. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, 4  and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. 5  Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 1:1-5 (NLT)

One of the best ways to study the key components of a good Gospel presentation is to examine how the first apostles preached. Due to attempts to streamline and mass market evangelism, we often reduce the Gospel to a simple presentation of what some call the “plan of salvation,” or The Four Spiritual Laws, or perhaps the Roman Road. None of these are “bad,” and many people have come to faith

The Gospel is a magnificent presentation of Jesus, the eternal Son of God, the Logos, the Son of Man, the Messiah King, Lamb of God and Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. When we reduce the Gospel to a mere explanation of how our sins can be forgiven, we err greatly.

When Paul preached to the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia in Acts Chapter 13, he laid out a classic presentation of the Gospel. Let’s take it apart to view its critical parts.

Using the Old Covenant Historical Context as a Springboard

After being asked to share a word of encouragement with the congregation, Paul began his speech by reviewing the history of God’s dealings with Israel. Why did he do this?

Paul knew that the Gospel can only be properly understood by framing it in the context of God’s historical relationship with Abraham and his descendants.

John the Baptist presented Jesus to Israel by telling his listeners that he is the Lamb of God, the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, and someone Great (the Lord and Messiah). If you wish to read more about this, click here.) These titles only make sense if we understand something about the history of Israel’s relationship with God.

Jesus did not come in a vacuum. He arrived as the fulfillment of specific promises that God made to Abraham and his descendants. Therefore, it is always a good idea to include some sort of historical context to make understandable the Gospel’s claims.

At Pisidian Antioch, Paul spoke to Jews who well knew the history of Israel; nevertheless, he still summarized it in order to introduce Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises. Paul began with the Exodus from Egypt and then mentioned how God gave them the Promised Land, raised up judges, and then gave them kings, specifically Saul and David. Paul’s goal was to get to David, because to this godly man God promised to raise up the Messiah.

And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23 Of this man’s offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. Acts 13:22-23 (ESV)

Since he spoke to Jews, he presumed they fully understood this claim and needed no Scripture reference. When we share the Gospel, however, most of our listeners will need to hear a reference, and the following will do nicely.

“When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 “He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 2 Samuel 7:12-13 (NASB)

This passage is acknowledged to be a Messianic promise. David’s son, Solomon, despite being a great and glorious king, eventually died. Neither he nor his kingdom endured forever. Therefore, in order for this promise to be fulfilled, another king must arise, one whose kingdom will last forever. Only one person fills the bill – Jesus, the glorious Son of Man, whose kingdom will destroy every other and endure forever! (Daniel 7:13-14)

Paul used the Old Testament historical context to show how Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel.

Other verses can be used, too, such as God’s promise to Abraham that in his seed all the earth will be blessed (Genesis 22:18) or his promise to Moses that God will raise up a prophet like him to whom the nation will be accountable (Acts 3:22).

Each Gospel writer starts at a different place. Matthew begins with Abraham. Mark starts with a prophecy of Isaiah. Luke launches with an account of the births of John the Baptist and Jesus before giving us Jesus’ genealogy all the way back to Adam. John hits a home run by taking us all the way back to the creation of the universe by the eternal Logos, who became a human being named Jesus! Each Gospel narrative uses historical context to inform the reader who Jesus is. These writings are called Gospels because that is just what they are. We should learn from how they present Jesus.

Any serious disciple of Jesus, who wants to be able to share a strong biblical version of the Gospel, should familiarize himself or herself with the Old Covenant scriptural context of the good news about Jesus in order to properly show how he came as the fulfillment of God’s promises to provide a Savior and Messiah King.

Gospel “lite” is not Gospel right.

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