What About the Gospel? (Part 5)

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

When last we met, we learned, among other things, that the gospel, is the Gospel of Jesus; that is, the good news of a Savior. This week, we will expand on this, and show that the gospel is also the gospel of Christ.

Many see this as tedious, repetitiveness; unnecessary, wordiness; and even excessive, redundancy. Or, at the most a simple combination of inseparable names, such as: Joe Bob or Mary Margaret. But, as we will see, it is so much more than that (Ephesians 4:20).

As a young girl in Sunday School, I was taught that Christ means "anointed or chosen one." It is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word for Messiah. We also learned that anointing was the Scripture representation, under the Old Testament, for the spiritual expression of selecting or choosing one for a symbolic office.

This was especially true regarding the qualification of men for the great representative office of Prophet, Priest, and King. These offices/positions represented corresponding parts of the Redeemer's work. In other words, that he was in the utmost sense to be the Prophet, Priest, and King, of his people.

By Prophet, Priest, and King, I mean: their Prophet to reveal the will of God as it pertained to them; their Priest to atone, or make amends for their guilt and intercede for them; and their King to govern and protect them.

In Him, these offices which had previously been divided among individuals and generations, were for the first time to come together and be fully realized. Thus, all of this combined is truly expressed by calling him the Christ, or Messiah.

These are not academic niceties, or technical distinctions, as some might want to convince you. They are real and essential to a clear, unobstructed view of the office and person of the great deliverer. They are the origin and subject of the gospel, who was called Jesus as the Savior of his people; and Christ as the eternal Prophet, Priest, and King.

I think that this would be a good stopping point for this week. Next time, we will conclude our discussion. I really hope you can join me then!

Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:10; Hebrews 8:6; 1 John 4:9; Revelation 1:5; Matthew 28:18

Prayer: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you, amen.  - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

May the Lord bless!

Shawna