The Gospel

There is a very informative story in the book of St. John that I feel most people just read over and never get the full meaning of it. As the story goes, there is a group of gentiles that came to Jerusalem because of the celebration of Passover.  While they were there, they tracked down Jesus and wanted to visit with him.  Jesus had always instructed his disciples not to go to the gentiles, but only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  Mathew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: and again when a gentile woman from Canaan came to him pleading for help for her daughter, Mathew 15:24 - 26 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25) then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26) But he answered and said, It is not meet (good) to take the children’s (Jews) bread, and cast it to the dogs (gentiles).  Just hours before he was to be crucified, he didn’t see the group of gentiles that came to see him, but told the story of how salvation would now be coming to the Jews and gentiles alike.

John 12: 20 – 27  20) And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast: 21) The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.  22) Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. 23) And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. 25) He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. 26) If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. 27) Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

Here Christ is talking about himself.  Before he can bring true salvation to the human race, he must first die.  If he dies then he shall raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit and go to the father and through his death, salvation will come to the Jew and gentile, bringing forth much fruit.

Romans 6: 5 – 6  5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 5) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

In these two verses in Romans, Paul elaborates on how Christ death served as the seed dying and being planted, and if we consider ourselves dead in Christ, we are the fruits that come from that seed.  We now consider ourselves dead in Christ, then we also shall produce much fruit for God.  If we are dead, then we are free from sin, and now live by faith in God, and sin has no more has dominion over us.  This is the grace of God.  Once we believe in Jesus, according to the Gospel, I Corinthians 15: 1-4  1) Moreover, bretheren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand: 2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4) And that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:  This is the gospel put in simple terms that anyone should be able to understand it.  The gospel that saves the lost and brings grace to those who believe is: Christ died and rose from the dead the third day.  That’s it, Christ did it all.  There are no works that can save us, nothing we can do, but believe this gospel and allow the blood that Christ shed and presented before God on our behalf, to cover our sins.  When we do that, then God covers us with Christ righteousness, then we are presentable to God.