Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No.23 – June 2001
What is Good About the Good News?
Sermon by Rev J Goris
on Mark 1:1
Scripture Readings: Isaiah 40:1-11; Mark 1:1-13
Suggested Hymns: BoW: 186; 81; 273; 130; 38; 23b; 377; 402
Beloved in the Lord,
Are we sure Christianity is the answer? Why not Buddhism? Why not modern technology? Some 2000 years ago the angels sang, “Peace on earth!”, and people still fight. And despite gospel preaching for about 2000 years, this world is still in a mess, unbelief is still rife. Has it achieved anything? What does salvation mean?
It’s necessary to be clear about this, so let’s consider:
WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT THE GOOD NEWS?
1. It portrays the person (or character) of God;
2. It portrays the problem of mankind; and
3. It portrays the plan of salvation.
1. It Portrays the Person/Character of God
Mark, the shortest of the four gospels moves along at great speed. We read less of Jesus’ words, more of His actions. After a brief introduction, Mark presents to us God in action in the person of His Son.
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God” (vs.1). We could also translate: Here begins the gospel of Jesus Christ! We are shown a God in action, a compassionate God! A God who bends over a fallen and hurt humanity. He identifies with them.
Mark presents John the Baptiser, who baptises sinners, and then of all things, baptises the very Son of God who became man!! That’s quite in line with that amazing message of Isaiah the prophet, Isaiah 40: “Here is your God!” (vs.9). And what a God this is: One who says, “Comfort! Comfort My people! Speak tenderly to Jerusalem…!” (vs.1) This is comfort to sinners who are swept away before the breath of the Lord (vs.6). The Lord, who comes like a shepherd, gathering, carrying, leading. Isn’t that good about the good news? We are given good news about a wonderfully compassionate God in action!
That God in action is also a wise God! God has an amazing way of getting close to us, by coming to us in His Son. It portrays God’s wisdom, although in the eyes of the world it seems folly for an Almighty God to ‘reduce’ Himself to the form of a helpless human babe. It seems even the height of folly to conquer His greatest enemy on a cruel Roman cross (1Cor.1:18ff).
But God knows what He is doing. He knows where we are at… and that’s where He meets us… what incredible wisdom! Our wisdom would have seen Him in a war of power clashes: whack! whack! smack! smack! and there lies the culprit.
But don’t forget, the God in action, which Mark presents to us in the gospel, is also a powerful God! There is the power of sin, which needs to be undone, the power of Satan and his devastating seduction of mankind. To restore this world to its former glory out of the shambles that have overwhelmed it. That takes power, too! And then there is the tremendous power of death. To overcome that, the Son of God becomes a mortal creature, and dies on a cross.
That power of God is a most unique thing. People mistakenly think that God or the church forces us into the kingdom. God uses power alright, but a sweet and gracious power, that has no equal in this world, something to which the Canons of Dort refer in Chapter III-IV, Art 16. Also Psalm 110:3 refers to that, “Your troops will be willing on the day of your battle (or power…).” Now, isn’t all that good about the good news? It portrays the stunning character of God. And there is more!
2. It Portrays the Problem of Mankind
You see, that gospel is also good news, because it brings hope to people who cannot solve their own problem. (And I mean THE Problem with a capital P!) The whole history of mankind has shown this. Are we convinced this is so? Or are we inclined to say, wait a few more centuries, cloning technology, mastermind psychology, more DNA research, and we’ll have the know-how to solve our problems. Do you really believe that?
Over against the wisdom of God, we must confess our folly. True hope begins when we REPENT, and acknowledge our foolish thoughts and actions. Isn’t it incredible that a whole community of people in Israel goes out to the Jordan to listen to a preacher (John the Baptist) whose single theme is REPENTANCE? Repentance is looking at your situation or problem from God’s point of view, and saying, “You are right, Lord, I am sorry.” How liberating it is, no longer to have the wool pulled over your eyes! The gospel is good news because God wakes us UP to our Problem!
Then over against the power of God, we see that the gospel makes us aware of our weakness. We stand helpless in the face of death. There is our utter inability to reach any acceptable measure of righteousness before God. When it comes to the powers of darkness, we are reminded by Scripture, that the (unbelieving) world lies in the clutches of the evil one (1John 5:19).
Our folly and our weakness are supremely illustrated in the sad capture of Samson by the Philistines. When roused to defend himself he said, “I’ll defeat them as before…”, not realising that he had been deprived of his power (Judges 16:20).
Thirdly, our plight is seen in our complacency. The gospel is good because it takes God to overcome our disinterest in the good news. Look at how the unbelieving world views the gospel. We don’t need it; we’re fine, thank you! And meanwhile we deceive ourselves. If God had not taken the initiative, if He had not regenerated us, NONE of us would have been saved! Even the fact that you are in church now, has a bearing on this whole question. You would never be able to deny what the gospel is all about. You have heard it, and of course, you’ve done something with it. And what have you done with it??
The gospel shows how desperately much we need God, and also what God is graciously doing to make us reap the benefit of it. Isn’t that good? There’s one more vital thing to consider if we do not want to misunderstand the reality of the good news. There is a plan and design in the way God works out this wonderful salvation.
3. It Portrays the Plan of Salvation
When Mark writes, “Here begins the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”, then he is also indicating that there was a beginning before the beginning he speaks about in verse 1. He quotes the words of Isaiah 40, which were written hundreds of years before Mark wrote. And before Isaiah’s days there was already the plan of God to send Jesus Christ His Son. In fact, that plan goes right back to the first chapters of Genesis. We need to bear that in mind, if we do not want to get trapped by the question, “What’s good about the Good news?”
Obviously to some people the gospel has failed!! It did not work out the way it was meant to. Even John the Baptist had questions in that regard: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect another?” (Mat.11:1ff). He sent some disciples to Jesus with this question. John was bewildered. The Messiah had come, so why would John have to be in prison? Isn’t the Messiah going to deliver us from all our enemies?
We may ask the same thing. Look at the world, what suffering and troubles. Would you really say the Messiah has come? Look at the Song of Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father. It is recorded in Luke 1:67-79. Notice these expressions: verse 68, “He has come and redeemed his people”; and in verse 71, “salvation from our enemies”; and verse 74, “rescue us from the hand of our enemies”, etc. But in 70 AD, the Roman armies destroyed Jerusalem, and the nation scattered. What kind of rescue was that from their enemies?
But also note that in verse 77 there is a clue, “to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins”. Salvation begins with forgiveness – the relationship with God is put right. The ultimate salvation is complete deliverance, but that will only come with the complete renewal of creation.
God’s whole programme of salvation hinges on CHRIST. The Old Testament is the build-up towards it; the New Testament tells of His coming and His accomplishment on the cross, and points to the final renewal at Christ’s second coming.
The gospel has not failed. Our place in glory has been secured. However, God has designed the character of true religion to be a tested religion. Religion is a bonding with God expressed by FAITH, which actually amounts to TRUSTING GOD to Do what He has said, regardless of the circumstances of the present!
True salvation is not necessarily instant relief from trouble. Jesus saw fit to pray for his church, “My prayer is not that you take them out of this world, but that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15). For some wise reasons of His own, God has assured us that “all things must work together for the good of those who love God, and who are called according to His purpose” (Rom.8:28).
Faith – let it be repeated – is trusting GOD, not our own performance, in that we are tempted to put the question, “What have done to deserve this?” Instead we should be focussing on God’s character, His faithfulness and truth.
Faith, as well as the Christian, as well as the Church, needs testing, purifying, establishing… hence, persecution, pressures, etc, which produce perseverance (Rom.5:3f and Rom.8:35-39).
The gospel is good in that God wisely works out his plan, and powerfully and compassionately. There is design all along. Even the writer of Psalm 119 shows to have understood this. Look at these verses: verse 67, “before I was afflicted I went astray…”, also verse 71, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees”. And note verse 75, “in faithfulness you have afflicted me.” And see how God’s Word has such a vital place in this whole sanctifying process: “If your law had not been my delight” (cf.Ps.1) “I would have perished in my affliction” (vs.92).
But still the question arises, Why does God have to go towards his goal in such a roundabout way? Why didn’t Israel of old go directly to the Promised Land? We do not know all the answers to that, but we do know some. It demonstrated what human nature is like, and how much even God’s people depend on grace, and grace alone. It also demonstrated what God’s person is like. In Christ His Son, God has gone to amazing lengths to pave the way to glory.
Listen to the message of Hebrews, that great letter of warning and encouragement: “…at present we do not see everything subject to Him (i.e. God), but we see JESUS, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”
And now notice: “In bringing many sons to glory, IT WAS FITTING that God… should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering” (Heb.2:8-10).
We don’t see it all YET, but we do see Jesus! That’s what faith fastens on to. He is the guarantee of our God in action! And while we see Him, we shall see what’s so good about the good news.
Evangelism is preaching the good news about Jesus Christ, meanwhile seeing Him with the eye of faith, and trusting that what you see is absolutely real: the Risen, living Lord! It is not being distracted by anything from this greatest of realities!
And then, when we enter glory one day, we shall not only see everything FULFILLED, but we shall even say, “God has done all things well!”
Amen.