The Good News about Jesus

How should Christians share the good news about Jesus? Good news is what followers of Jesus are all about. Jesus said, “This good news (gospel) of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (Matthew 24.14).

So what do we say when we say the good news? I recommend the following 12 statements
that form a story, with a warning between statement 11 and 12:

(1) God created the world and called it “very good.”
(see Genesis 1-2)

(2) God’s human creatures turned it bad by dis-trusting God and going their own way.
(see Genesis 3)

(3) God promised to rescue His world
and reclaim His people
from sin, death, and the devil.
(see Genesis 3.15)

(4) God promised to do this through Abraham’s family, the people of Israel.
(see Genesis 12.1–3)

(5) Sin proved too strong. Israel also dis-trusted God and went their own way.
God sentenced them to die in exile.
(see Isaiah 1–10 )

(6) But God promised He Himself would come and finish the job as Israel
and in Israel’s place.
(see Isaiah 53–56)

(7) God’s Only Son did it
by being born
among the people of Israel,
receiving the name Jesus,
calling Israel back to God,
then finally suffering
the worst of sin
and dying with it.
(see Luke 22.37 and 23.46)

(8) By raising Jesus
from the dead,
God made a new beginning
for his good world.
(see Luke 3.38 and 24.36–49; also Acts 10.34–43 )

(9) To share
in this new beginning,
trust and follow Jesus.
(see Acts 3.17–26)

(10) Jesus would have you die to your sin
by being joined to His death and resurrection in Baptism.
(see Acts 2.36–39 and Romans 6.1–14)

(11) Jesus would have you live a new life
within His Israel, the Church,
living now to love God
and serve your neighbor.
(see Luke 6.20–49 and 12.22–34; also Galatians 6.16)

Caution: For those who ignore and reject Jesus,
please realize that you remain under the threat of his eternal judgment.
(see Luke 13.5 and 19.11–27; also Acts 3.19–23)

(12) For those who trust and follow Jesus, rejoice,
because he promises to raise you from the dead
and give you a permanent place among his people
when he comes to make God’s world “very good” again.
(see Luke 20.34–38 and Acts 3.19–23)

Note: the images posted are photos of stained glass installed in the chapel of Concordia University, Wisconsin