Reading the Gospel

The first time in the Bible when the Gospel was preached was in the Garden of Eden. The Gospel becomes "good news" when one looks for a way out of a desperate situation. Sometimes, the good news may be shrouded and choked by bad news. The "first promise" was clouded by curses, but the "first gospel" shines throughout history as the cornerstone of God's plan of salvation.

Speaking of the Old Testament Israel, Hebrews 4:2 says that “the gospel was preached to us just as to them." The Gospel was promised to Adam, demonstrated to Abraham, and experienced daily by the Israelites. It is called the sanctuary service, a step-by-step illustration of God's salvation. The concept of "Goel," the redeemer of the next kin's property,...

The Psalms - written in a dialogue format - are the most helpful resource for conversations with God about things that matter most in life. On one side is the cry of a troubled heart in distress. On the other side, God’s response is like the voice of the Gospel. The good news of deliverance, God’s intervention in moments of silence (selah), and the promise of Messiah are ways to weave th...

Isaiah is the "evangelist of the Old Testament." Isaiah prophesies what the Gospel of John declares as fulfilled: a Son was given to us! The Son took our nature, with its limitations and weaknesses. Multiple chapters in Isiah describe in detail the character and ministry of the coming Messiah. And this Messiah will establish an everlasting covenant with the Father that He will forgive ou...

In Daniel, the Gospel is presented in many ways and to many people, far beyond the borders of Israel. The good news is not just a promise of deliverance but a Person who is present in the darkest moments of life. That Person will come as the promised Messiah. When Jesus started preaching the Gospel, His first sermon pointed to Daniel's prophecy about the time of the Messiah. Jesus said t...

Why do we have four gospels in the Bible? Well, important decisions in life should be based on solid evidence, such as two or three witnesses. There are four authors with different life experiences, having different perspectives or angles to see the life of Jesus, and addressing different audiences. However, there is one more gospel. The gospel according to ... you! Your life may be the ...

There are 170 - 250 unique events in the four gospels, according to different Bible scholars. An attempt to organize these events in chronological order is called "harmony of the gospels." The most chronological gospel is Luke. There are seven sections of this timeline of events: Childhood to Manhood, Early Ministry, Judean Ministry, Galilean Ministry, Retreat & Perean Ministry, Last...

Luke's prologue is different than John's. Luke is a second-generation believer and missionary, who listened to the preaching of the apostles, then went to the original sources of each story to personally talk with those people. His gospel, which was addressed to a government official or to a generic lover of God, was intended to be a follow-up to preaching and was written to build a soli...

Matthew and Luke present different genealogies of Jesus from different perspectives. Each evangelist speaks to his audience and provides support for his purpose. This long and boring list of hard-to-pronounce names, including specific women, teaches that each person has a place in God's memory and heart. Knowing that our names are written in the books of heaven, especially in the Lamb's ...

This is the first episode about John the Baptist. Gabriel, the angel, came to Zachariah, the priest, to answer his prayers and announce the birth of John the Baptist. The most intriguing part of the story is the contrast between one Zachariah, who was righteous and blameless when he did not see God, and another Zachariah, who doubted when he saw divine power and glory. Do we believe or d...

Angel Gabriel announces the birth of Jesus in a similar way he announced the birth of John the Baptist, with much joy and anticipation. However, Mary's answer was different from Zachariah's. She didn't ask for proof and didn't express doubt. Just wanted to understand how. This is a typical story of God's willingness to cooperate with human beings in fulfilling his plans. By accepting Gab...