Disclaimer: The following are my notes. They are at times unclear, disorganized and require expanding upon. This will be a regularly updated post– like many of my posts!
Main Themes of the Gospel
- The Heir (The Kingdom)
- Hope for our Inheritance: Ephesians 1:1-14; Hebrews 11:1-15; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 5:9-13; Revelation 21-22
- The King
- The Priest
Questions to answer:
What does gospel mean?
- Gospel music??
The 4 “gospels”
Summaries come from GotQuestions | Why did God give us the four gospels?
Matthew wrote to a Hebrew audience.
See:
Forum Post | Who Is the Jewish Messiah
Blog Post | The Genealogy of Jesus
Mark wrote to a Gentile audience
Luke is the only Gentile author of the New Testament. He compiled eyewitness accounts. “ his gospel was composed with a Gentile audience in mind, and his intent is to show that a Christian’s faith is based upon historically reliable and verifiable events.” -GotQuestions
Luke refers to Jesus as the Son of Man a lot (pointing to Jesus’ humanity, and possibly also to the Son of Man prophecies in Daniel [verify])
John emphasizes the deity of Christ. Contains the I AM statements. Also emphasizes Jesus’ humanity. Talks about what it means for Jesus to be Christ, and about faith.
3 of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are considered synoptic. They are told in similar manners and have similar content. They share about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. John talks about the Word/Son before He became flesh.
The word for “gospel” in greek is euangelion which means a good message or good news.
What is the “gospel”? The Bible calls it the gospel of Jesus Christ and the gospel of the Kingdom. Are they the same or different?
See blog post: Re-Learning The Gospel
- Jesus the “Christ”?
- Same as Messiah?
- What is the Kingdom?
- Where is the Kingdom?
- See: The Land of the Promise
- God promised that He would restore the land to them in the last days (Psalms 105:1-11; Jeremiah 16:5-17:1; Zechariah 14; Acts 1:6-7; Romans 11)
- Hope for our Inheritance: Ephesians 1:1-14; Hebrews 11:1-15; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 5:9-13; Revelation 21-22
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.
Matthew 4:23 ESV
It’s also referred to as the gospel of Jesus Christ, yet HE was preaching the gospel of the kingdom.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Mark 1:1
From post: Re-Learning the Gospel
‘From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:17 NASB
Jesus BEGAN His ministry preaching the kingdom.
In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 24, the central theme is regarding the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Look at verse 14:
‘This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.’
Matthew 24:14
“
From: The Promised Seed
The promise doesn’t stop there though. Was the covenant God made with Abraham just pertaining to him? No. Was it just to his seed? No. It was to him AND his seed (Genesis 13:15).
So what about Isaac? Well the same promise that was made to his father Abraham, was made to him (Genesis 26:1-4). Therefore, although Isaac was also being promised the land as an inheritance, he is not the specific promised seed either. This scenario also applies to Jacob. In Genesis 27:26-29 The promise was passed on to Jacob by Isaac. This was also confirmed in Genesis 28:1-4 and directly from God in Genesis 28:10-17. Jacob, whom God later re-names Israel, has 12 sons which become the 12 tribes of Israel. Notice what Jacob says to his sons in Genesis 49. When he gets to Judah in verses 8-12 we see that the promised seed will come through the line of Judah.
Verse 10 is interesting, because it says “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.” It’s interesting for a few reasons– one being that it says the scepter (staff of a king) will not depart from Judah. The Septuagint (LXX) provides a translation of this passage that is pretty exciting to me. Verse 10 in the LXX says , “A ruler shall not fail from Juda, nor a prince from his loins, until there come the things stored up for him; and he is the expectation of nations.” We get a hint of who this ruler is in the very next verse. It’s Jesus again! (Zech. 9:9 & Matt. 21:1-9). Jesus is the promised seed, and King who will not fail. He is the expectation of nations!
How do we spread the gospel?
Who is the gospel for?
On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised
Galatians 2:7 ESV
This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
Ephesians 3:6
Is spreading the gospel the same as the Great Commission?
- What is “making disciples”?
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
Mark 16:15
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16
What is the “different gospel” the Bible warns about?
For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.
2 Corinthians 11:4 ESV
It’s not just a different one… It’s a contrary one.
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:8 ESV
It’s not this:
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages
Romans 16:25
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Galatians 1:6-7
7 I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.
2 John 1:7-10
What does it mean to “give your life to Christ”?
- The “sinner’s prayer”
So we shared the gospel with someone, and they “gave their life to Christ.” What now?
See post: Preparing for the Kingdom
So then… What is salvation?
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
Ephesians 1:13 ESV
[see Philippians 2]
[work out your salvation with fear and trembling]
[all creation groans – Romans 8]
[can you lose your salvation?]
The Big Picture
Sinai to Zion – God has chosen a people for Himself, and the Eve Seed promise, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic Covenants & New Covenants are all part of that SAME desire to restore the garden and have a people that belong to & rule with Christ.
As illustrated in Sinai to Zion, the establishing of the Mosaic Covenant on Mt Sinai is like the betrothal period.
- 1 John 4:8 – God is Love – The story of God’s redemption plan is a story of unrelenting, uncompromising, faithful love of courting, rescuing & redeeming His love.
- “The story of the Exodus revolves around the theme of God as the Bridegroom pursuing Israel, His bride.” -Sinai to Zion, (p.16)
- The covenant at Mt Sinai has all the main elements of Jewish wedding ceremony.
- Courtship – God makes His intentions known and clear.
- Genesis 15:13-14
- Exodus 6:6-7
- This promise is wrapped beginning and end with God declaring that He is YHVH. He makes this promise in His name.
- What 3 things are included in this promise? How does this reflect the gospel?
- See Exodus 6:7 in BLB to look up laqah – see its uses
- Genesis 11:29
- Genesis 21:21
- Genesis 24:67
- Genesis 36:2
- Genesis 5:24
- Also See Exodus 32:7-14 where Moses uses the weight of God’s reputation as one reason why God should keep His promises
- Exodus 24 is entirely dedicated to the ratification of the covenant
- Ratification: the action of signing or giving formal consent to a treaty, contract, or agreement, making it officially valid.
- God shows His power against those hurting His bride
- Exodus 7:3-6
- God is showing His superiority over the gods of Egypt
- God commemorates this – Exodus 13:3-10
- God manifests and goes with Israel
- Exodus 13:21-22
- Exodus 14:24, Psalm 105:39
- Exodus 14:19 & Exodus 23:21-23 This pillar is a pre-incarnation of Jesus
- Other pre-incarnations of Jesus:
- The same angel of YHVH that appeared to Joshua (Joshua 5:13-15)
- The burning bush (Exodus 3:1-6)
- Jesus John 8:58–59
- Jesus resounds Isaiah John 13:19, Isaiah 43:10
- Israel’s trust wavers: Exodus 14:10-13
- God corners Israel: Psalm 139:5
- God will do the fighting Exodus 14:13-14
- Lineage of Jesus
- Why the virgin birth was necessary
- Virgin birth prophesied
- Davidic & Abrahamic Covenants explained
- “Implications” of the covenants being mentioned in this chapter
- First book in the New Testament, opening statement calls Jesus the Christ (Messiah)
- Shows OT prophecies of Israel’s Messiah, and NT/prophetic fulfillment
Oxford Biblical Studies | Genealogy of Jesus
Bible Gateway | Encyclopedia of the Bible | Genealogy of Jesus Christ
Jews for Jesus | The Genealogy of the Messiah
PDF – The Covenant Promises of God
Blog Post – The Christian’s Responsibility to the Jewish People