If you follow Jesus, you hear the word ‘gospel’ often.
The word means ‘good news.’ It’s from an older English form, god spel.
The gospel is the news about Jesus. That He was miraculously born, lived a truly human life while being truly God, acted as a bold prophetic servant, taught us how to understand the Hebrew Testament, died a bodily and physical death, and experienced a bodily and physical resurrection.
The good news is that He did this for our benefit, that He has arranged for us to receive forgiveness and eternal life with Him.
Remember that the good news is good.
It’s not a set of rules. It’s not a moralizing lecture designed to create guilty feelings inside of you.
The good news is that Jesus is setting you free, and He’s giving gifts to you.
Eternal life is merely the first gift, but He’s giving you other gifts, too.
He’ll give you peace of mind to endure painful and difficult times in life. He’ll give you His attention when nobody else will listen. He’ll give you opportunities for joy by reminding you that He’s lifted some of your burdens. He’ll give you help in carrying those burdens that He didn’t lift.
The gospel never ends. Scripture tells us about “the beginning of the gospel” (Mark 1:1), but it never mentions an end.
So, remember, the next time you hear the word ‘gospel,’ it’s supposed to be good!
