Actually, this series is from Understanding Bible Truth booklets by Robert Hicks and Richard Bewes (1981), but I have expanded some texts for modern readers (to make it easier to read) and added Scripture quotes (I’m using ESV Bible) into these writings to clarify its points more clearly. My purpose of making this series available in the internet is single: So that you can be clear the essential facts about the Bible’s teaching in a readily understandable form.
First, What is Gospel?
The word “gospel” is derived from the two Anglo-Saxon words ‘God’, meaning ‘good’, and ‘spell’ meaning ‘tidings’ or ‘history’. Therefore, the ‘gospel’ means ‘Good tidings’ or as many understands it as ‘good news’. Good news concerning what? The good news concerning Jesus, the Son of God (Henrietta C. Mears writes a very good, simple and easy-to-read chapter on ‘Understanding the Gospel’ in her book What the Bible is All About. I recommend this Bible Handbook to you).
The four Gospels (according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) present the reader with selected significant events in Christ’s life. The following are of particular importance.
Jesus’ Humble Birth
Jesus was born during the reign of the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus, into an extremely poor family (By the way, many prosperity preachers and religious-motivational books today claimed, “God want you to be rich, because Jesus was rich materially” – this is a cosmic joke). He was born in alien surroundings during a Roman census, and He was born into immediate danger – as King Herod sought to kill Him.
These two elements, the humility and insecurity of Jesus’ birth, were to set the pattern of His whole life.
[Refers Luke 2:1-7, Luke 9:57-58, Matthew 2:1-7]
Jesus’ Sinless Baptism
The Baptism of Jesus marks the beginning of His ministry. John the Baptist was calling his hearers to a baptism of repentance. Jesus, however, had no sin of which He could repent. But by His submission to John’s baptism, He showed His identification with sinful humanity. The descent of the Spirit like a dove and the Father’s words of acceptance, which accompanied the baptism, came as God’s approval of the ministry to follow. Matthew 3:16-17 record this event;
“And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
His Prolong Temptation
Immediately following His baptism, Jesus went into the desert for a period of 40 days, during which He fasted and tempted by the devil.
The temptations that are recorded for us (Matthew 4:1-11) took the form of challenging Jesus to by-pass His mission. Jesus successfully resisted these and all the other temptations that occurred throughout His life. Jesus “in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
His Revealing Transfiguration
Towards the end of His public ministry Jesus took three of His disciples to a mountain-top where He became brilliantly radiant before them (or Jesus Christ in His 'glorified form'). Moses and Elijah appeared, and spoke with Jesus about His coming ordeal in Jerusalem. The disciples also heard a voice of divine approval, as Christ’s baptism, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” The event was clearly a preview, a miniature, of Christ’s glory that lay ahead (Refer to Luke 9:28-36).
His Obedient Death
The tide of events turned against Jesus after His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The Passover meal that He celebrated with His friends was swiftly followed by His betrayal, by a series of unjust trials, ultimately by death on the cross and by His burial. (P.s: God did not substitute Jesus to someone who looks like Jesus to die on behalf of him like heretics were/are claiming. I was really Jesus died on the cross).
It was a dark hour, but it was the hour for which Jesus had come into the world. He made it clear that He had come, not only to teach and heal, but also to suffer and die for all men.
[Refers to Matthew 26 and 27]
His Victorious Resurrection
36 hours (approximately) after the burial, Jesus’ tomb was found empty, except for the discarded grave clothes; “…the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself…” (John 20:6-7). It was sufficient for John who “saw and believed” (v.8).
Then Jesus began to appear to His friends over a period of 40 days. This was not an illusion, for He took food, could be touched, and was seen alive by hundreds of people. And yet He was uniquely and powerfully different – the victor over death.
The Great Commission
The last time the disciples were to see Jesus on earth was on the Mount of Olives. He commanded them to make disciples everywhere (Matthew 28:16-20); and He promised them the gift of the Spirit, who would give them the power to do this. Jesus was then taken from them, visibly, “[Jesus] parted from them and was carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51). He would not be seen again until His second coming – His return.
My Conclusion about Main Events in the Gospels
The main events in the Gospels give us record of how our Lord lived, died and rose again – and now live forevermore. Take one event out in the gospels, and we cease to behold the full ministry of Jesus God-man in our universe. To understand the narrative of the Big Picture of God’s plan in the gospels is to understand where you and I would stand in the future. We confidently hope to be with the Lord Jesus in His Kingdom forever. Amen.
THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.
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