Gospel is good news for us all

Our exposure to the 24-hour global news cycle is instantaneous and unprecedented. With one scroll on your smartphone or tablet, you can read about earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, political turmoil in France, human rights atrocities in China, inclement weather in America and terrorism in Nigeria. Every once in a while you may read about something that isn’t tragic or corrupt, but not too often. Most of what we read in the news is bad news and can leave folks jaded and discouraged.

So I want to share some good news with you. In fact, it’s the best news you will ever hear. In 1st Corinthians 15, verses 3-6 the Apostle Paul writes to the Corinthian church about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.

William Tyndale, the great translator of the Bible into English wrote this about the word “Evangelion” the Greek word we translate into English as “gospel.”

“Evangelion is a Greek word, signifying good, merry, glad and joyful news that makes a man’s heart glad and makes him sing, dance and leap for joy”

A “gospel” is simply a report of good news that has happened.

The Biblical gospel is the news of what Jesus Christ has done for sinful humanity. It’s what Paul first shared with the Corinthians when he met them; and then what he reminded them of here in 1st Corinthians 15—Jesus has died for our sins, was buried, then was raised to life on the third day.

This last week Christians celebrated Easter Sunday, the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. And the reason he rose from the dead was that two days before, on what is known as Good Friday, Jesus died for sinful humanity, for you and for me, upon the cross.

The Biblical gospel is most truly good news! There is life in no other name than Jesus, and this life is available to all who turn from their sins and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ by faith!

He is risen, he is risen indeed!

Brandon Herron is lead pastor at First Baptist Church in Sandpoint. He can be reached at brandon@sandpointfbc.org.