The Gospel: The Story We Live and Tell

Today’s reading continues in Section I: The Gospel – The Story We Live and Tell. READ HERE

Through the Spirit of God, the Son of God, who is the eternal Word, became a human being in the womb of a virgin, Mary, as the beginning of God’s new creation.

The restored rule of God foretold by the prophets began when John baptised Jesus. As Jesus came up from the water, a voice from heaven declared, “This is my beloved Son.” Like Israel, Jesus was tested in the wilderness, but he proved faithful and taught his followers to obey the words spoken to Israel at Sinai from the heart. He healed the sick and cleansed the defiled; he raised the dead and rescued the perishing; he cast out demons. In all these ways, he showed his power to restore blessing to people—a people cleansed from sin, saved from death, and freed from Satan’s rule. Jesus declared that the time had come to renew God’s blessing to the poor and humble in heart. The blessing he pronounced was not wealth or health but God’s own life as the transforming power of new creation. The time had come for Jesus the Messiah to build his church. But this would require his voluntary, sacrificial death. This was because the offence of sin that stood between humanity and God had brought death to everyone.

When Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he died as our representative substitute, the God-sent Adam of the new creation. In Christ, God was taking the punishment for our sin onto himself. The one who has life in himself gave his life for the life of the world. He was condemned, while his ransomed people were freed—freed from slavery to sin to love and serve the Lord.

Though he poured out his life in death, Christ could not be defeated by death. God resurrected him and so proved him innocent and just. After he was raised, Jesus appeared to his disciples with a transformed body. This was a body his disciples could touch but death could not. The Father exalted the Son to reign with him until he subjected everything and everyone to Christ’s rule. Then the Holy Spirit was sent to all who through repentance and faith participated in the renewal and reconciliation of all peoples in the one people of God. They received new life and power to bear witness to the good news of God’s salvation among all peoples.