The Heart of the Gospel
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"Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King
is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a
donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.[1]
This
week commenced with what we know as Palm Sunday, Jesus’s triumphal entry into
Jerusalem. As He rode into the city on the back of a donkey, fulfilling
Zachariah’s prophesy, some euphoric townsmen spread their cloaks on the road
while others waved palm branches, hailing Him as Messiah, the Prince. When the
indignant Pharisees asked Jesus to quiet his disciples He replied, “I tell you
that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.”[2]
Why? Because, this was the day – the day set forth by Almighty God through the
angel Gabriel, concluding the second division of Daniel, the prophet’s seventy
weeks.[3]
Yet,
Palm Sunday also begins a most solemn time for those who believe. Triumph
turned quickly to contempt. Some, who just days before, were caught up in the
jubilance crying, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in
the highest,”[4]
now shouted, “Crucify Him!”
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What
happened? Truly, if this account were written by man, the “hero” would have
gone on to win over the Pharisee’s, the Sadducee’s, and all the scoffers. But
this is not written by man, it’s truth from God Almighty. It was the
culmination of the fullness of time,[5]
the reason God became flesh and dwelt among us.[6]
Jesus Christ, God the Son, was and is the Lamb of God slain from the foundation
of the world[7]
for us.
But
thankfully, it doesn’t end there. Yes, on the cross Jesus died in our place,
canceling the unfavorable record of our sin debt.[8]
Yet, three days later He did more. He conquered death for us by rising from the
dead. He is alive forevermore![9]
But,
did you ever think about what life would be like if Jesus had not risen from
the dead?
We
would be as the atheist – completely without hope. No heaven, no seeing Jesus
when we die, no “…well done, thou good and faithful servant…” There would be no
reason to live by God’s Word, for doing good, for being kind, for loving our
neighbor and our enemy, or for considering others as better than ourselves.[10]
Paul said, “…if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith
is also empty…And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still
in your sins. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men
the most pitiable.”[11]
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| www.turnbacktogod.com |
It
seems to me our lives are shaped by Christ’s
resurrection, for it is the heart
of the gospel. Even non-believers
seem to hope in an “afterlife”. Sadly, they are deceived into thinking everyone
goes to a better place. Still, just as believers, they hope, because Jesus DID rise from the dead[12]
and God has set eternity in our hearts.[13]
So,
go out and reach unbelievers with the HEART of
the GOSPEL.
“Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant
mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for
you.”[14]
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