[My last post in this series was this summer in June. I have struggled writing anything since then as my mind desired to take a break after finishing school. Writing nor reading comes easy to me and each is a painstaking task. But, Lord willing, I will press on forward and begin to write again. Now, to the post...]
"What is the News?"
News matters. Just the other day, after more than two months of survival, miners from Chile were rescued. When the mine caved in on August 5, the men were all thought dead in yet another of Latin America's litany of mining accidents. But rescuers found them 17 days later with a bore hole the width of a grapefruit. During those 17 days of silence, what was the difference for the wives of the miners?
On August 5th, the news to the wives was, "there has been a mining accident and your husband and father of your children is dead. We have a rescue mission planned, but..." Then, seventeen days of silence. No phone calls. No emails. No touch or kiss or hug. No tucking children into bed. Dead. Forever. On August 23rd, they received a phone call. "Against all odds, they are alive. We have drilled a tiny hole to where they are. We are sending down food and water for the miners." The difference for the wives of the miners is one word, NEWS. The miners were always alive. The wives weren't a part of the rescue. They relied on news. It was the news to the wives that changed everything during those despairing days.
Roughly two-thousand years ago, a poor, Galilean peasant carpenter turned Jewish teacher walked upon this earth. His name was Jesus of Nazareth. What is the news in that? The news in that is in who He was and in what he did.
He was Emmanuel, God with us. He was the Son of Man, the Ancient of Days. He was the Christ, the Anointed One. God has come to earth. The Creator has entered into His creation. He has broken down the barrier between the infinite and the finite, the holy and unholy. The news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ in life, death, and resurrection achieved and accomplished salvation. All of the acts of Christ in his life, death, and resurrection means redemption, reconciliation, and rescue.
All these acts, along with a hundred others, are done by Christ and are outside of us:
Absorbed WRATH: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us - for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree'" (Gal. 3:13; cf. Rom. 3:25-6)
Bore our SINS: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24)
Performed PERFECT Righteousness: "he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:8); "so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous" (Romans 5:19)
Defeated SIN and SATAN: "By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him" (Col. 2:15)
Victorious RESURRECTION: "And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain... And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:12, 17). "It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification" (Romans 4:24-25).
This is the news that truly changes everything. As sinners and rebels, who are dead in our sins and are dying into eternity, the Gospel is the only news which breaks the silent and brings power of new life, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16).
No comments:
Post a Comment