G.O.S.P.E.L. – Propaganda

What was the gospel that Jesus preached? Good news – euangelion – that’s the gospel.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand;^[a] repent and believe in the gospel.” – Mark 1:14-15  ESV

The good news of the gospel is that there is a kingdom and that I am invited to enter into that kingdom.

•  If I want to enter into the Kingdom of God I am going to have
  to do something.
• First, there is the need to repent. Repentance is a foundational doctrine of
  the gospel.
  • John the Baptist preached it preparing the way for the Messiah
  • Jesus preached it as a means into the kingdom
• Second, belief in the gospel is necessary
  • Belief in the gospel is not simply believing in salvation
  • To believe in the gospel is to believe in Jesus as the one who
    brings that salvation,

Given that Jesus made the Kingdom of God such a central part of His teaching and preaching, as a disciple, I need to do the same.

“In the end, this story seems to be Jesus, stepping into the role that John the Baptizer has filled, taking the risk of being aligned with one who was just handed over and proclaiming the same message. Only now we see that this role involves preaching, saying, and walking along the shore to call disciples.” – D. Mark Davis, Left Behind and Loving It, 2015.

When John the Baptist was put in prison, that became the open door for Jesus to begin His public ministry. John had done what God called and prepared him to do, and his work was over. John had laid a sure foundation and it was that foundation that Jesus began to build on.

The proclamation of the Kingdom of God belongs to the heart of Jesus’ message and ministry. It was not just a symbolic place, or description of royal power, it refers to the kingly activity of God. It was the condition of living according to God’s will – His saving and liberating activity – through unconditional and unmerited love. Mark is the one who describes the powerful love of God which Jesus brings into my life and experience. It is both a gift and a task which demands a response. That response is repentance. While it may feel like the kingdom of God is something to walk into in the future, it is a timeless place, a place to experience here and now.

That is good news indeed!