Yes! There is Good News! January 28, 2022

Who in the world said that there were four phases to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? OH! I believe that I said that in our previous article. So let me just say that this is an opinion of mine; but it is an opinion based on the scriptures.

Today we are to consider the third phase – let us do just that. In approximately 33 AD our Savior, having finished His ministry, gave up His life for you and me. Thus the second phase was over, i.e. He shed His blood on the cross in order to redeem us from our slavery to sin. After three days in the grave we know that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb. (We read this in Matthew 28.) As they approached, they felt the earth quake and an angel of the LORD rolled away the stone. The tomb was empty. The angel told them that Jesus had risen from the dead and that He would meet them in Galilee.

In Acts 1:3 we find that He appeared to the disciples for 40 days. After these 40 days, we read in verse 9 that He was taken up before their eyes into heaven. We now turn to Hebrew 1:3 and read that, “After He had provided purification for sins; He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on High”. And yes, the news of His sacrifice was good news but this turn of events is ‘really, really GOOD NEWS!!

In John’s first epistle, 2:1, we find that “Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, sits as a counselor to the Father on our behalf”. We also read this statement by Jesus in John’s gospel chapter 16:7, “Unless I go away, the Counselor (that is the Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.” The coming of the Holy Spirit was contingent upon Jesus resurrection and ascension into heaven. Phase three had begun!!

In Acts chapter 2:37, when the crowd asked Peter what they were to do with his message to them, he replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

This repentance and baptism would be the beginning of a new life for those who would believe. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans 6:1, says it like this, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness
of life.” Paul says that they are not to continue in sin, for they have had to repent of their sins and repentance is not just feeling sorry for sins, but a turning from that kind of life and toward a new life abiding in the Savior.

Wow!! We’ve said a mouthful (or at least Paul did) and there is a lot to digest here; so until our next issue let me remind you that we do have good news.