The Gospels – the Good News

The first four books of the New Testament are collectively known as the Gospels. Gospel is an Old English word that means “good news.” The Greek word for gospel is evangelium from which we get the word “evangelist” – one who delivers good news.

1. What is the “good news?” It can be summarized in John 3:16-17. God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to earth to be born of flesh, to live among humanity, to share in our humanity (our emotions, our physical feelings, etc.), to teach God’s truth to humanity, to suffer and die in order to pay the penalty for humanity’s sins, and to bring eternal life to humanity through His resurrection from the dead. God did not send His Son to pass judgment on us. He sent Jesus to save us. (Emphasize “Jesus dying” part of the “good news.” Seems odd.)

2. What are some alternative ways God could have brought about the plan of salvation other than sending His Son to earth to suffer and die?

3. Why was Jesus’ becoming flesh necessary to the plan of salvation?

Read Hebrews 2:10-18

Vs. 10 - “For it was fitting for Him (God)” - It made sense for God, the Supreme Authority over Creation, to make complete His plan of salvation for all humanity through the suffering of His Son. Why? God regards us as the crowning achievement of Creation … the cherry on top of the double scoop chocolate fudge brownie ice cream (see verses 5-9 and Genesis 1:31.) And despite our fall into sin, God still sees us as a prize worth having. Therefore, according to the author of Hebrews, it made sense to God to allow His Son to suffer and die for you and me.

4. What is the author saying in vs. 11? – Jesus and humanity are members of the same family. Children of God. Vs. 12-13 – cites verses from the Old Testament to reinforce his statement. Psalm 22:22, Isaiah 8:17 and 18.

5. Since the members of Jesus’ family are of flesh and blood, what did Jesus do as a part of God’s plan of salvation for humanity? He became flesh and blood. He shared in our humanity. Our emotions, our physical feelings, etc. If time, mention Gnostic belief re: Jesus.

6. Why was this necessary for Jesus to do in order to bring to completion God’s plan of salvation for humanity?

a) Jesus had to experience death in order to defeat the Enemy who up until Jesus’ resurrection had used man’s fear of death to keep him/her in bondage. Satan used fear of death to tempt Jesus from going to the cross. When Jesus overcame death through the Resurrection, He took a big weapon out of Satan’s arsenal. In order to experience death, Jesus had to become flesh and blood. Couldn’t do it as a spirit or an immortal.

b) Salvation not meant for angels, meant for humanity. That’s why Jesus suffered and died as a human not an angel.

c) 1. An important role of high priest is intercessor. Interceded on behalf of the people of which he was one before God. Asked for atonement of the people’s sins. In order for Jesus to be an intercessor, he had to be able to relate to those for whom he is interceding. Specifically, their temptations. Vs. 18. Therefore He can identify with us and what we’re going through and can provide us aid. We can identify with Jesus knowing that He’s experienced everything we’ve experienced (stress, exhaustion, temptation, suffering, anxiety, death) and overcame it.

2. Unlike the high priest, who offered animal sacrifices to make propitiation/atonement (satisfy God’s wrath) for sins of the people, Jesus Himself was the sacrifice. He took upon Himself God’s wrath intended for humanity as punishment for their sins from Adam to today. In order for Jesus to be that propitiation/atonement for humanity, Jesus had to become human in order to suffer and die.

By offering His Son as a sacrifice, God was showing us grace. Read Hebrews 2:9. Grace means undeserved favor. We deserved God’s wrath not Jesus. God’s grace for us meant Jesus’ death. God must really love you and me. Puts John 3:16 into greater perspective. We’ve recited it so many times; the verse loses its meaning. Let me restore some meaning to the verse. Be graphic. I don’t love you enough to watch you beat and spit upon my child. I don’t love you enough to hear you ridicule her. I don’t love you enough to watch my only child be lashed with a cat of nine tails. I don’t love you enough to watch as glass and metal rip the flesh off my only child’s back. I don’t love you enough to watch my only child have crown of thorns pushed down on her brow. I don’t love you enough to hear you and other people shout profanities at my only child. I don’t love you enough to watch as nails pierce her hands and feet; I don’t love you enough to watch my child be stripped of her garments and have her nakedness be exposed for all to see; I don’t love you enough for me to turn my back on my child … my only child when she needs me the most and hear her cry out in fear “Daddy!!! Daddy!!!! Where are you? Why have you abandoned me?” I don’t love you enough to have my one and only child die on a cross so that you can enjoy the comforts of eternal life. But God did!!!! When I hear someone say, “What has God ever done for me?” I just want to get in their face and scream, “Hasn’t He done enough? He put His Son through Hell so that you would not experience it. What more do you want from God?”

Application: God considers you to be significant/important. You are not a nobody. In God’s eyes, you are a somebody. He loves you. As evidence of that love, God sacrificed His only Son for us humans who in the vastness and wonderment of Creation are nothing more than a speck of dust. But God does not perceive us that way. He sees us as the crowning achievement of His Creation. And despite our fall into sin, God still sees us as a prize worth having. Therefore, according to the author Hebrews, it made sense to God to allow His Son to suffer and die for you and me. It was by His grace towards us that His Son suffered and died so that we would not have to experience His wrath. Jesus would experience it, not us. Think about that. For those of you who have children, how many of you would be willing to watch your child suffer and die so that your next door neighbor would not? Speaking honestly, I don’t have the kind of love needed for you and the rest of humanity to watch my daughter Elyse be beaten and bloodied and then die nailed to a cross so that you and the rest of humanity would know the reward of eternal life. But God did love you enough to send His Son to earth to become like us, human, in order to experience condemnation so that humanity could know salvation. He watched His Child suffer and die so that humanity, you and I, would be know eternal life. This week during in your quiet time/quality time with God and during your family devotionals, read John 3:16-17. Don’t recite the verses from memory, read them several times and then meditate upon what Jesus is saying. Do so in the context of what we talked about in this lesson. Share with God, your spouse, and your family, what John 3:16-17 means to you.