What About the Gospel? (Part 4)

"The Gospel is not good advice to be obeyed, it is good news to be believed."  - Harry Ironside

I welcome you back, and hope that you had a wonderful holiday season with friends and loved ones! When last we met, we briefly discussed the significance of names, and in particular the Redeemer. They were designed to be descriptive and expressive.

Taken together, every name is not without meaning. They are really suggestive of some great truth or important feature in the person or duties of Christ, and in the way of redemption. I direct you to the following examples.

Mark opens his gospel, it is "the Gospel of Jesus," or the good new news of a Savior Mark 1:1 (KJV). "Thou shalt call his name Jesus," said the angel who announced his birth to Joseph, "for he shall save his people from their sins" Matthew 1:21 (KJV).

Even Joshua, whose name is basically the same in Hebrew, was so called prophetically as the savior, or deliverer of Israel from its enemies and dangers Numbers 27:16-20 (KJV).

In this, he was a type of him who was to come, though not as a military conqueror and earthly prince, as was expected, nor the deliverer of the Jews from Roman slavery and restorer of their ancient independence.

But rather as a Savior from bondage and ruin that was far greater; eternal damnation. He was not a Savior of angels or devils, or of men without exception or discrimination; but of those who would believe in him; his people.

And to his people, he was not the Savior of earthly or physical distresses, but from sin. And by that I mean, not from the sins of others, but of their own. Not from its effects, but from itself ; not just in life, but in the heart.

You see, the gospel is not only good news of a Savior, but of him who came, of him who was called Jesus, because he was to save his people from their sins. As we have just seen, in respect to Jesus, a name can make all the difference in the world. I feel that we've arrived at a good stopping point for now.

I hope that you can join us again next time. May your days be blessed!

Scripture: Exodus 3:14; Isaiah 9:6; Revelation 1:8; John 1:1; John 8:58

Prayer: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”  - Isaiah 12:2 (KJV) 

May the Lord bless!

Shawna