The Pastor's Message

John's message is of Jesus Christ; and of Jesus he has three great things to say. First, he says that Jesus was from the beginning. That is to say, in him eternity entered time; in him the eternal God personally entered the world of men. Second, that entry into the world of men was a real entry, it was real manhood that God took upon himself. Third, through that action there came to men the word of life, the word which can change death into life and mere existence into real living. Again and again in the New Testament the gospel is called a word; and it is of the greatest interest to see the various connections in which this term is used.

(i) Oftener than anything else the gospel message is called the word of God ( Acts 4:31 ; Acts 6:2 ; Acts 6:7 ; Acts 11:1 ; Acts 13:5 ; Acts 13:7 ; Acts 13:44 ; Acts 16:32 ; Philippians 1:14 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:13 ; Hebrews 13:7 ; Revelation 1:2 ; Revelation 1:9 ; Revelation 6:9 ; Revelation 20:4 ). It is not a human discovery; it comes from God. It is news of God which man could not have discovered for himself.

(ii) Frequently the gospel message is called the word of the Lord ( Acts 8:25 ; Acts 12:24 ; Acts 13:49 ; Acts 15:35 ; 1 Thessalonians 1:8 ; 2 Thessalonians 3:1 ). It is not always certain whether the Lord is God or Jesus, but more often than not it is Jesus who is meant. The gospel is, therefore, the message which God could have sent to men in no other way than through his son.

(iii) Twice the gospel message is called the word of hearing (logos ( Greek #3056 ) akoes Greek #189 ) ( 1 Thessalonians 2:13 ; Hebrews 4:2 ). That is to say, it depends on two things, on a voice ready to speak it and an ear ready to hear it.

(iv) The gospel message is the word of the Kingdom ( Matthew 13:19 ). It is the announcement of the kingship of God and the summons to render to God the obedience which will make a man a citizen of that kingdom.

(v) The gospel message is the word of the gospel ( Acts 15:7 ; Colossians 1:5 ). Gospel means good news; and the gospel is essentially good news to man about God.

(vi) The gospel is the word of grace ( Acts 14:3 ; Acts 20:32 ). It is the good news of God's generous and undeserved love for man; it is the news that man is not saddled with the impossible task of earning God's love but is freely offered it.

(vii) The gospel is the word of salvation ( Acts 13:26 ). It is the offer of forgiveness for past sin and of power to overcome sin in the future.

(viii) The gospel is the word of reconciliation ( 2 Corinthians 5:19 ). It is the message that the lost relationship between man and God is restored in Jesus Christ who has broken down the barrier between man and God which sin had erected.

(ix) The gospel is the word of the Cross ( 1 Corinthians 1:18 ). At the heart of the gospel is the Cross on which is shown to man the final proof of the forgiving, sacrificing, seeking love of God.

(x) The gospel is the word of truth ( 2 Corinthians 6:7 ; Ephesians 1:13 ; Colossians 1:5 ; 2 Timothy 2:15 ). With the coming of the gospel it is no longer necessary to guess and grope for Jesus Christ has brought to us the truth about God.

(xi) The gospel is the word of righteousness ( Hebrews 5:13 ). It is by the power of the gospel that a man is enabled to break from the power of evil and to rise to the righteousness which is pleasing in the sight of God.

(xii) The gospel is the health-giving word ( 2 Timothy 1:13 ; 2 Timothy 2:8 ). It is the antidote which cures the poison of sin and the medicine which defeats the disease of evil.

(xiii) The gospel is the word of life ( Philippians 2:16 ). It is through its power that a man is delivered from death and enabled to enter into life at its best.