Dad and Mom, you have the privilege of being the first to share the gospel with your children. But what is the “gospel”? Gospel means “good news”. So what is the “good news” of Jesus Christ? Many will point to John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV 1984) For years I saw that verse describing a fire insurance gospel. While fire insurance is wonderful and I want fire insurance, the gospel is more than fire insurance.
John, who prepared the way before Jesus, preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 3:2 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:14-15 (NIV 1984) When Jesus sent out the twelve he directed them, “As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:7-8 (NIV 1984) Later when Jesus sent out seventy-two others (some translations say seventy), he gave them essentially the same direction, “Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’’ Luke 10:9 (NIV 1984). And near the end of his ministry Jesus said, “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14.
In other words, Jesus said the “good news” dealt with the kingdom of God as a present reality. What is the kingdom of God? It is where God’s rule and authority, power and dominion are established. Colossians 1:13-14 describes this good news as “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (NIV 1984)
Jesus contrasts the two kingdoms in John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (NIV 1984) Jesus has overpowered the devil and freed us from the dominion of darkness. “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 (NIV 1984). Jesus explains this in Luke 11:20-22 “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up the spoils.” (NIV 1984) Later John tells us that Jesus’s mission was to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)
What has Jesus set us free from?
- Freed from sin: To Him [Jesus Christ] who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father. Revelation 1:5-6 (NIV 1984)
- Freed from sickness and disease: He himself [Christ] bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV 1984)
- Freed from past: For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 1 Peter 1:17-19 (NIV 1984)
- Freed from fear: For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:15-16 (NIV 1984)
- Freed from the devil: Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself [Jesus] likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. Hebrews 2:14-15 (ESV)
Psalm 103 describes the good news as follows:
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
Psalm 103:1-5 (NIV 1984)
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits–
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.