The proclamation of Jesus Christ is so
productive in changing lives that it has become known as simply "The
Gospel." It is a powerful message of goodness for a world lost in its
evilness. It is the Good Message.
In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed the good tidings that
God would deliver His people out of captivity: "O Zion, that bringest
good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest
good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid;
say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!" (Isa. 40:9). It was a
good message to hear that God would save His people.
Jesus, when He began His ministry, said, "The Spirit of the Lord is
upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor"
(Luke 4:18). Jesus came into this world to preach the gospel. With the word
translated gospel meaning " the good message," Jesus came to tell
the good news that the kingdom of God had come, salvation had come (Mark
1:14).
Originally, the word translated gospel meant "a reward for good
tidings." Eventually, it came to mean simply "the good
message." The power of the message that Jesus preached can be seen by
closely examining the original word of the New Testament translated gospel.
The root of the original word is a compound word that means, "to
announce good news ("evangelize") especially the gospel." The
two words that make up the compound root are "good" and " a
messenger; especially an angel." Furthermore, the word meaning "a
messenger" has as its root the meaning of "to lead." The good
message, the gospel, is that which leads man out of the perils of his life.
When Jesus came preaching the gospel, He was more than just the messenger of
a good message. The true meaning of the gospel declares Jesus Christ Himself
as the gospel. He is the only means by which man is save: "Neither is
there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven
given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). The good
message is not a message about Jesus. It is the message of Jesus.
The good news of God is the coming of Jesus into this world. It is His life,
His teaching, his death, His resurrection, His ascension, and His coming
into the life of the believer. Ultimately, the good news is that man can
have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, a personal relationship with
God Himself.
The beginning of the New Testament book which is now known as Mark catches
the significance of the ultimate meaning of the gospel. He started his book
with, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of
God" (1:1). As will be seen, the emphasis is on the life of a person
rather than a body of information. Jesus is the gospel.
When Jesus began His ministry, it was recorded that "Jesus came into
Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, "the
kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel"
(1:14,15). Mark has also given a powerful definition of what the gospel
actually means. He stated the gospel was "the kingdom of God is at
hand: repent ye, and believe . . . ." Jesus associated His coming with
the kingdom of God, repentance, and belief.
Central to experiencing the kingdom of God is "repent . . . and believe
the gospel." By observing the context of this statement, an
understanding of the exact nature of the good news will be seen. Mark wrote,
"As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before
thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying
in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for
the remission of sins" (1:2-4). Notice, the baptism of repentance is
associated with the preaching of John.
When John further said, "There cometh one mightier than I after me, the
latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed
have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy
Ghost," he is comparing the two baptism. John baptized in water and
Jesus baptized in the Holy Spirit. John associated the two baptism by his
comparison. The baptism of repentance and the baptism of the Spirit are
inseparably tied together. An individual cannot experience one without the
other (Acts 2:38).
By John connecting the baptism of repentance with his preaching and the
baptism of the Holy Spirit with the preaching of Jesus, he gave the essence
of the two baptism being connected by Jesus when He said, "repent ye,
and believe the gospel." With repent referring back to the baptism that
John preached, believe the gospel would refer back to the baptism that Jesus
preached. In other words, with the context of Mark’s record having
associated the baptism of repentance with the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
the statement of Jesus ("repent ye, and believe the gospel") is
also declaring the same truth. Believing the gospel and repent are
inseparably tied together.
What this implies is simply that the gospel of "repent . . . and
believe the gospel" is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The good message
for man is that the Father will send His Son into the life of the believer
to baptize the believer with the Holy Spirit. It is good news that the
Spirit of God will come into the believer to overwhelm (literal meaning of
the word baptize) the believer to save him. It is as Jesus told Peter,
"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst
thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old,
thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry
thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he, signifying by what death he
should glorify God" (John 21:18,19). The gospel, the good message, is
that the Heavenly Father will send His Son into the lives of believers to
baptize them with the Holy Spirit, to carry them where they should go but
cannot within themselves. The believer must decrease and Jesus must
increase.
Jesus told Peter that he girded himself and walked according to his own
desire. In other words, Peter was directing the course of his life by the
dictates of his own mind. He was walking in the fruit of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2). It was this thinking of Peter from
which he must be saved. He needed to come to a new way of thinking. He
needed to experience repentance.
According to Jesus, Peter would not only leave this way of thinking but he
would be girded by someone else. Notice, the two go together. Peter would no
longer gird himself and walk according to his thinking but he would walk
according to someone else’s directions. He would experience the baptism of
John and the baptism of Jesus. He would "repent, and be baptized . . .
in the name of Jesus" (Acts 2:38). He would "repent . . . and
believe the gospel" (Mark 1:14). He would be delivered from his old way
of thinking and be given a new way of thinking. He would be saved.
Just as the baptism of John and the baptism of Jesus are inseparably
connected and "repent ye, and believe the gospel" are inseparably
tied together, Jesus and the gospel are inseparable. The true gospel cannot
be disconnected from Jesus. The preaching of the gospel cannot be separated
from the preaching of Jesus.
In other words, the world systems have attempted to divide the preaching of
the gospel into two separate components: the act of preaching and the
content of what is being preached. Things being said about Jesus by a man,
however, is not the gospel. As will be seen, one who is "filled with
the Holy Spirit" (Acts 4:8) at the time of preaching is not speaking in
his own thinking. It is not a man within himself saying things about Jesus.
It is actually Jesus Himself speaking through the man. If it is not Jesus
speaking then what is being shared is not the gospel. The act of peaching
the true gospel cannot be separated from Jesus. Jesus is the gospel.
The reality of Jesus being the gospel can be seen in another statement of
Jesus. Jesus said, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit
should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may
give it you" (John 15:16). This statement is perhaps the most precise
statement of what it means to be Christian ever written. If this revelation
of the gospel can be understood, or more correctly stated, if it can be
experienced, it will be understood why the proclamation of Jesus Christ
changes lives.
The contextual background to this statement is recorded in John 13. Jesus
told the disciples,
Little children, yet a little while I am
with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye
cannot come . . . Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou?
Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou
shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow
thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt
thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The
cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice. (13:33,36-38)
Where was Jesus going? Why could Peter only
go with Him later and not now? Why was Peter mystified?
Perhaps, Peter was greatly discouraged after being informed that he would
not only fail to give his life but he would actually deny knowing Jesus. For
Jesus said to him, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God,
believe also in me" (John 14:1). Then Jesus continued,
In my Father s house are many mansions: if
it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive
you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (14:2-3)
Although Peter did not understand, Jesus was
getting ready to become the way, the gospel, for Peter. Jesus would take him
where he could not and would not go himself, to his death.
Peter may have been discouraged over Jesus’ statement, but he could take
hope because there was a mansion, the place Jesus was going to take him.
What does it mean, however? Perhaps, it is the word mansions that has caused
so many to stumble at the understanding of this passage.
The original word translated mansions in 14:2 was used by John one other
time in Chapter 14: "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love
me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come
unto him, and make our abode with him" (14:23). The exact original word
that was translated mansions in 14:2 is translated abode in 14:23.
Moreover, the root of the word translated mansions, is used forty times by
John and it is translated abide twenty-four of those forty times. In the
next chapter, Jesus stated,
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch
cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye,
except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth
in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye
can do nothing. (15:4,5)
In fact, Jesus used the word abide eight
times in the first ten verses of Chapter 15.
Jesus said, "In my Father s house are many mansions . . . I go to
prepare a place for you" (14:2). Where Jesus went was to prepare a
place for Peter and all believers. The place He prepared for his disciples
was the "stayings," which is the literal translation of the word
translated mansions by the KJV.
Paul said the same thing to the Ephesian saints when he wrote to them
concerning this mystery of experiencing life:
Having made known unto us the mystery of
his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in
himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which
are on earth; even in him. (1:9,10)
Jesus said to Peter, "And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself;
that where I am, there ye may be also" (John 14:3). He also said,
"I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in
him, the same bringeth forth much fruit . . ." (15:5). Again, He
stated, ". . . if a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father
will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him"
(14:23). Jesus' death, resurrection, and ascension prepared a mansion for
every believer. The mansion is the "staying" of the believer in
Jesus, the "oneness" of being set with God.
Moreover, Jesus said to His disciples: "Ye have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you, and ordained you . . . ." It is unfortunate that most
of Christianity today regard ordained as being "invest[ed] with the
office of minister, priest, or rabbi" (a good example of why the
English dictionary cannot give understanding to the ways of God).
The ordaining Jesus does has nothing to do with an office of ministry.
Ministry will, in fact, occur but the word ordained in this verse does not
relate directly to a man s ministry. It relates to his condition in Christ.
The actual word that is translated ordained contains the essence of
"the mystery of His will," the mystery of experiencing the gospel.
It is the underlying teaching and truth of Jesus Christ as recorded in John
13-15. The word ordain means "to place (in a passive, horizontal
position as opposed to an active, vertical posture)."
Jesus said to Peter and to all of His disciples that they had been chosen to
be placed, horizontally and passive, in a place He was going to prepare.
They could not go until He had gone. However, He would come again and take
them.
They would be taken to the place that Paul referred to as oneness
("gather together in one"). Jesus called it a staying ("in my
Father's house are many mansions"). They would be taken to the secret
dwelling place of the Most High God.
In addition, Paul stated that it would be a place where the believer would
experience "all spiritual blessings" (Eph. 1:3). Jesus referred to
it as the place (15:5) where much fruit would come forth (15:5). Not only
would this abiding place bring forth fruit, the fruit would remain (15:16).
Plus, ". . . whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may
give it you" (15:16).
Is it any wonder the translators of the King James Version would call this
staying a mansion? It is the place where all the blessings of God are
experienced. It is the essence of Jesus Christ being "the way, the
truth, and the life." It is the true gospel.
Jesus said, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained
you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should
remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give
it you" (15:16). Notice, the way the word that is used three times in
this dynamic statement of what it means to be Christian. It gives the verse
a sequential order in its fulfillment, a sequential order to the outworking
of the gospel, Jesus Christ.
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that .
. . ." The choosing and the ordaining by Jesus produce something. It
produces "that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that [this second
"that" is italicized in KJV, meaning it is not in the original]
your fruit should remain." The going, the bring forth fruit, and the
your fruit should remain are products of being chosen and ordained. They do
not produce themselves.
Moreover, the going, the bring[ing] fruit, and the fruit remaining produce
something. They produce "that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in
my name, he may give it you." The "whatsoever ye shall ask . . .
[and it shall be given you]" occurs out of the fruit remaining, the
bring[ing] fruit, and the going. Although the ingredients of the verse may
not be fully understood yet, it can be seen they are sequential in their
order, sequential in how they occur in one’s life.
Jesus said, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained
you, that ye should go . . . ." It would seem that the going would be
the activity of doing something for God: preaching, teaching, evangelizing,
or some other good deed. However, the word translated go in this verse is
not the usual word translated go with it s common meaning "to
traverse."
In this powerful statement of what it means to be Christian, the gospel, it
is revealed that each believer is chosen and ordained "to be led under,
i.e. withdrawn or retired (as if sinking out of sight) [literal meaning of
the word translated go]." It is the part the believer plays in what it
means to be Christian. It is the part each believer plays in experiencing
the gospel, in preaching the gospel.
What a marvelous revelation to understand that the first product of being
chosen and ordained by Jesus is to be led out of sight. To the world’s way
of thinking, it seems foolish to expect life to be found in sinking out of
sight. To those who have experienced the Jesus life, however, it is the
wisdom of God. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Notice, how similar this definition of "to lead under, withdraw or
retire" is to Paul's statement to the Philippians:
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom
I have suffered the loss of all things [Paul became willing to give up his
baking and tree making], and do count them but dung . . . that I may know
him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his
sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead. (3:8,10,11)
"To withdraw, retire, be taken out of
sight" is "the loss of all things." It is to be "made
conformable unto his death." It is to experience the dying-off. It is
to sink out of sight. It is to experience the gospel.
Why was Paul willing to lose all things and count them as refuse? He gave
the answer, ". . . that I may win Christ, And be found in him . .
." (3:8,9).
Why did Paul want to win Christ and be found in Him? Again, he said,
"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."
(3:10).
Why did Paul want to be "made conformable unto his death?" Why did
Paul want to experience this death? In order that he "might attain unto
the resurrection of the dead." In order that his mortality might be
swallowed up by the life of Jesus (2 Cor. 5:4).
Life is only in the gospel of Jesus Christ; therefore, man must continually
experience the dying-off of his life to experience the life of Christ. Man
must continually die to his own living to experience the life of Jesus.
Amazingly, man must even die to his own deeds for God to experience the true
gospel.
In summary, when Jesus said, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen
you, and ordained you, that ye should go . . . ." He is stating that
the believer has been chosen and ordained to go to the place that Jesus has
prepared. The believer has been chosen and ordained to be taken to the
staying. The believer has been chosen and ordained to experience the reality
of oneness in Christ, the reality of the gospel.
This staying is a place of absolute mystery to man for it proclaims that man
lives only when he dies. Jesus told Peter, "Whither I go, thou canst
not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards" (John 13:36).
He also told him,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou
wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but
when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another
shall gird thee [sounds like Paul s "being made conformable unto his
death"], and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This spake he,
signifying by what death he should glorify God . . . . (John 21:18,19)
Peter could not go to the place Jesus was
going until Jesus had been there and returned to do the same work in Peter.
Peter s religious zeal led him to make bold statements of commitment and
dedication, ". . . Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down
my life for thy sake" (13:37). He thought he was willing to die for
Jesus. At this point in his life, however, Jesus said, ". . . Wilt thou
lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock
shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice" (13:38). The rooster
will always crow before man, in himself, can go to the place where Jesus
went.
No man can or will go to that place in himself. Peter would get there, but
it would be because "another [would] gird [him]." Paul would get
there, but it would be because he was "made conformable unto [Jesus ]
death." All men can get there, but they can only get there by Jesus.
It is the simple preaching of the gospel message that will enable men to
experience what it means to be Christian, to be taken to the place of
oneness in Christ. The simple preaching of the gospel message, however, is
not someone saying something about Jesus. It is Jesus Himself speaking the
wonderful words of life, the gospel
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