‘Good News’
I think I would be correct in saying that we all welcome good news. We heard some good news about our granddaughters in Cornwall this week. This is the good news Tracey (mum) shared with us…
Today we were completely caught off guard (in a lovely way). We were invited to a "family event for Guiding to announce the money raised from their fundraising" Nope!!! - instead, unbeknown to us Lowenna had been nominated for the Guiding Star Award! Everyone there except us knew what was going on. Totally unexpected, very lovely surprise and Lowenna is feeling very proud to be given this. Also, it was arranged for Kerryn to receive her Gold Brownie Award! Very proud of our girls.
Mark 1:14-15 ‘After
John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good
news of God. “The time has come,” he
said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good
news!”
Luke 9. 1-2 & 6
‘When Jesus had called the
Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all
demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom
of God and to heal the sick. So, they set out
and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing
people everywhere.’
I remember the time when I looked at these verses
and asked the question, what is the ‘good news’ being proclaimed here? Because
this is all before Jesus’ death and resurrection!
Tom Wright explores this in his book ‘Simply Good News’ - Why The Gospel Is News And What Makes It Good.
This is also further explored in this essay, https://licc.org.uk/resources/jesus-died-to-save-the-planet/#
And this is all well
encapsulated in Colossians 1.19-20
‘For God was pleased to have all
His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things,
whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood
of His cross.’
We have just had a ‘Green
Weekend’ at St Oswald’s, Rugby. On the Saturday morning, we engaged in a Litter
Pick before building a Bug Hotel. All of this was carried over into Sunday
morning All Age Worship. We focussed on Psalm 24.1 ‘The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and
all its people belong to him.’
Pulling all these threads together we recognize
that the ‘Good New’ the ‘Gospel’ is much fuller, richer and deeper than a single
focus on Jesus’ death, resurrection and forgiveness of sins. Although that is deeply
important. The ‘full’ Gospel is that Jesus died to save the planet (see essay above)
and one day heaven and earth will be reconciled as described in Revelation 21
as a Wedding Feast.
Jesus proclaimed the Good News of God’s Kingdom
come upon earth (cf: Lord’s Prayer) and his death and resurrection inaugurated
that reality. The technical term is, ‘inaugurated eschatology.’
The Genesis creation story speaks of Adam and
Eve being called to be good stewards and seek the flourishing of all things
upon earth. Jesus comes as the ‘Second
Adam’ – the obedient ‘Second Adam.’ And now through his death, resurrection and
ascension to the right hand of God, all authority on heaven and earth has been
given to Jesus. (Matt 28.18)
And picking up on John Mark Comer’s book ‘Practicing the Way' we are called to 'Be with Jesus, Become like Jesus and Do as Jesus did.'
"For Jesus, salvation
is less about getting you into heaven and more about getting heaven into you."
And I would want to add it is getting heaven into all the places
you go, into every word you speak, into every action you take, into every
engagement you have with people - and the whole of creation.
Because ‘The earth is the
LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.’
https://youtu.be/Uz5xbqU7msE?si=1ZbyNYY-OJbpQjc7
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