Day 14 – The Gospel Is Good News For All!
Read
Luke 2:8-20
Often, what’s good news for some is devastating for others. A promotion is good news if you’re the one getting promoted. A surprise pregnancy is good news for a couple who has been trying for years. For the person passed over for promotion or the teen not ready for parenthood, the same news might bring tears.
But the Gospel is good news for everyone!
So, what is this good news? It began with the angel Gabriel speaking to Zechariah and proclaiming the birth of the forerunner, his son who would become known as John the Baptist who became the first to preach the Gospel. And it was after John baptized Jesus that our Lord himself told us in Luke Chapter 4 that “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set a liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
The Gospel is good news for all because it promises the forgiveness of sin for each of us. In our current state, we are born into a world with a sinful nature. We fall short. There is no one righteous. Not one. But John the Baptist testified that Jesus is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” This is for everyone, each of us. Through Jesus’ righteous, sinless life, His sacrifice on the cross, and His victory over death through His resurrection, we are now offered salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone.
An understanding of the Gospel as good news for everyone is highlighted, I believe, in the first chapter of John, verses 12-13: “to all those who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” The truth is that the good news is that each of us who believes this news of our Savior and submits to its truth receives new life in Jesus Christ. Paul was inspired to write in his letter to the Ephesians that “in Him we have obtained inheritance…when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.”
What could be better news for anyone?
Reflect:
- Who do you know that needs to hear this truth of good news? It’s the same truth today as it was many years ago where many who had denied Jesus on the cross, or even abandoned Him at the crucifixion, ran out to proclaim His victory after witnessing our resurrected Savior. We should be bold as believers in honoring Jesus great commission to “make disciples….baptize them and…teach them to observe” all things He has commanded. His Good News is that He is with us always and it is good news for everyone, indeed.