The Gospel of Jesus Christ
Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
Intro: The phrase “the gospel of Jesus Christ” is found only once. (see text)
The phrase “gospel of Christ” is found 11 times and “gospel of God” is found 7 times.)
The phrase “the gospel” is found 80 times in the Scriptures. The word “gospel” is found a total of 98 times.
The cross of Christ and the Gospel message is the central theme of the entire Bible.
From Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22, the Gospel is the common theme.
As one writer said, there is a scarlet thread that runs the entire course of the Bible.
· The Gospel is the oldest message known to man.
· The Gospel is the most powerful message known to man.
· The Gospel is the most love and the most hated message ever known.
· The Gospel is both the simplest, yet the most complex message.
It is simple because the young child can hear it and believe it.
Yet after 31 years of preaching, I still cannot explain it.
The Gospel can be shared with a sinner in just a few minutes, yet we have studied it for years and still have not exhausted the depths of the truths of the many facets of the Gospel.
I. The Person of the Gospel
The central focus of the Gospel according to Mark 1:1 is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
He was first mentioned in a prophetic sense in Genesis 3:15.
· Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Throughout the Scriptures, there are multitudes of types, shadows, references and prophecies pointing to Jesus.
It would take too long to mention them all, but each one was a reference to the Person of the Gospel.
Just to name a few Old Testament references pointing to Jesus – the central Person of the Bible.
In the story of Noah, Jesus Christ was both the preacher of righteousness, the ark, the door, and the flood of judgment.
In the story of Joseph, Jesus was described in each of Joseph’s four coats, Joseph himself, and the bread that saved the world.
In the story of Abraham, Jesus was the King of Salem, the only begotten son offered on Mt. Moriah and the ram caught in the thicket.
In the story of Isaac, Jesus was the Son waiting for the marriage to His bride from a far country.
In the story of Jacob, Jesus was the one that wrestled with him until break of day.
In the story of Moses, Jesus was that Royal seed that left the ivory palaces and made himself of no reputation.
In fact, Moses was himself a type of Jesus Christ.
· Deuteronomy 18:18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
In the stories of the Wilderness journey of the nation of Israel, Jesus is:
· The Rock that was smitten with the rod.
· The life-giving water that flowed from the rock.
· The manna that fell from heaven to feed hungry man
· The brazen serpent on the pole
· The pillar of fire and the cloud leading His people through the wilderness
· The Tabernacle and every piece of furniture, the Holy of Holies, the light in the candlestick, the bread and even the veil.
In the story of Ruth, he was Boaz, our kinsman Redeemer.
In the story of David, he was the one anointed above of all his brethren to sit on the throne.
In the story of the three Hebrew children, he was the fourth man in the fire.
Every Old Testament symbol and type and shadow foretold the Person of the Gospel – the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Central Person of the Gospel message is the Central Person of the entire Bible.
That is why it is called “the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
II. The Preaching of the Gospel
The Gospel is unique in that it was designed to be conveyed through an unusual mode of communication.
In fact, the first time we find the word “gospel” in the Bible, it is being preached.
· Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom…
God could have in His sovereign plan made a way for the Gospel to be given in a variety of ways.
He could have written it in the constellations in every language known to man.
He could have encoded it on the back of the leaves on the trees.
He could have designed it for the birds sing it.
He could have engraved it in the rocks of the mountains for all generations to see and know.
But God chose for the greatest message ever told to be communicated by fallen man through preaching.
Romans 15
· 19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
· 20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation:
God chose for the message of peace to be delivered in a manner that is accompanied by a pricking of the heart.
God chose for the message of forgiveness to be preached by men that were in constant need of it.
God chose for the message of God’s mercy to be proclaimed by the recipients of God’s mercy.
The message of hope through Christ to be shared by those that were once without hope and without Christ.
The message to obey the Gospel is to be preached by men that were obedient to the call to preach the Gospel.
What greater way to propagate the message of the Gospel than to use those who’s lives have been changed because of the Gospel?
What greater method to transport the Gospel of redemption than sinful man that has been redeemed?
What greater way to demonstrate the
III. The Power of the Gospel
· Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
The Gospel has the power reconcile man to his Creator.
It has the power to:
· deliver man from the muck and mire of sin.
· quicken the dead spirit and save the unregenerated soul.
· restore the fellowship of fallen man to God.
· bring peace to the troubled, and cleansing to the filthy.
· replace the heart of stone with the heart of flesh
· bring nigh those that are afar off
· bring those that in the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son.
· rescue the perishing and to pull them out of the fire.
· find those that are dead in trespasses and sins and quicken them
· heal the brokenhearted, give sight to the blind and set the captives free.
· transform a person looking for dope and drugs, to a person you look to for hope and hugs.
· take a person out of the mire and put them in the choir.
· pull a man out of the pit and put him in the pulpit.
The Gospel message has the power:
· change a person’s eternal destiny; from an eternity in Hell to an eternity in Heaven.
· change a person from being a child of Satan to being a child of God.
· change a person’s nature from sinful to holy.
· change a person’s home from hell on earth to heaven on earth.
There is nothing on this planet that has more power than the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
· 1 Thessalonians 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance…
IV. The Priority of the Gospel
The Gospel is such a priority, that God commanded that it be preached to every creature.
· Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
The Gospel is such a priority, that a preacher that doesn’t preach it correctly should be accursed.
Galatians 1
· 6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
· 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
· 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
· 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
The Gospel is such a priority, that those that do not obey it will be judged severely.
· 1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
The Gospel is such a priority, that a church that fails to preach it forfeits its right to exist.
· 1 Corinthians 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
The Gospel is such a priority, that a person that does not believe will spend eternity in the lake of fire.
2 Thessalonians 1
· 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
· 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
V. The Promise of the Gospel
The promises of the Gospel are too numerous to list.
The main one is this – Jesus Christ promised to never cast away anyone that come to Him believing the Gospel.
· John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Many have lived their life with constant rejection.
They have been rejected by their parents, their brothers and sisters. Many have been rejected by their own children or grandchildren. Maybe you’ve been rejected by your wife or your husband.
But one of the greatest promises that comes with the Gospel is this – if you come to Jesus Christ in faith, He will not reject you.
John 1
· 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
· 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
· 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
In a nutshell, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is this simple story.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was sent to earth and was born of a Virgin.
God became man so He could be the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Our sin nature was inherited from Adam and Eve that sinned in the Garden.
Because they sinned, everyone that was born after them were sinners.
· Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
· Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
And because there was not one thing we could do to erase our sin, God chose to do it for us.
And the way He chose to do that was to shed the blood of an innocent man.
That is why Jesus is called the “Lamb of God.”
· John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
So, Jesus lived a perfect life for 33 ½ years.
At the end of His life and ministry, the religious leaders arrested Him in the Garden of Gethsemane while He was praying.
They hired false accusers and paid one of His disciples to betray Him.
They sentenced Him to die by crucifixion along with two other convicted criminals.
They beat Him, and scourged Him and put a crown of thorns on His head.
They made Him carry His cross all the way from Pilates Hall to the top of Golgotha’s Hill.
They nailed His hands and feet to that cross, and crucified Him.
He hung there for hours, naked and bleeding.
He could have called angels from Heaven to come take Him down, but He chose to stay on that cross.
He stayed there for you and for me.
Once the sin debt was paid, and God was satisfied by the travail of His soul, Jesus prayed one last prayer.
He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Then he bowed His head and gave up the Ghost. The soldiers thrust a spear into His side.
His disciples came and took Him down, and buried him in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea
Pilate put soldiers to guard the tomb. But three days later, Jesus came out of the grave.
He rose from the dead under His own power.
Paul the Apostle wrote about the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:
· 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
· 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
· 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
· 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
So, the Gospel is simply the message of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
If you repent, and turn to Christ in faith, and believe this message, you can be saved.
Romans 10
· 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
· 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
· 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
· 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
· 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
· 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
· 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
· 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
· 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
That is the Promise of the Gospel!
You’ve heard the Gospel. You’ve heard the Word. The Gospel has been preached to you.
Do you believe it? They have not all obeyed the gospel, but have you believed our report?
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