LOVE
2nd Sunday of Advent

"Good News"

Pray

Last week I asked the question: “What Are We Waiting For?”  We expend a lot of time and energy to make this time of year special.  We put up special decorations, we plan special meals, we listen to special music, and we buy special gifts.  This is indeed a very special time of year!  Why do we do it?  What’s it all about really?  What is about to happen that demands so much preparation, that requires so much of our attention?  Could it be that all this excitement is really about the coming of Christ?  Or has it become all about something else?

Two thousand years ago in a remote little country called Judea the Jewish faithful were waiting for a Savior.  They were looking for God’s promised Messiah and they had been waiting a long time.  Several centuries had passed since the prophets had spoken.  Isaiah looked forward to one who would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  He said his kingdom would be endless – a time of justice, of righteousness, and of peace.  Living under the yoke of oppression, the Jewish people longed for such a day.  The ancient prophecy also spoke of a forerunner to the Messiah.  Isaiah heard a voice “crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord.’”  Malachi said a messenger would come to prepare the way.  By the first century many had grown weary of waiting and all but the most faithful had given up hope.  So when a man named John appeared along the Jordan River preaching a message of repentance and baptizing people to cleanse them from sin, the hopes of a nation were rekindled.  They thought the Messiah had arrived.  Thousands thronged to see this new prophet and hear him speak.  “Are you the one?” they asked.  “No,” insisted John, “I am not Messiah.  One who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals.  I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”  Those are the words we read just a moment ago.

Unlike Matthew and Luke the gospel of Mark doesn’t mention the birth of Jesus.  He skips right past it to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  Mark begins with this message from John the Baptist.  Mark has some good news and he can’t wait to share it.  In fact those are the very words he uses to open his book: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”  If the purpose of Advent is to prepare us for the coming of Jesus, that is exactly what Mark does.  

I have always thought it interesting that Mark chose to begin his gospel in this way.  “I have some Good News!” he said.  Mark knew that people were looking for answers.  He knew people were hurting, confused, lost, and lonely.  He knew the world was a sinful place and people everywhere needed a Savior.  Mark was well aware of the conditions in which he lived and he knew that he had found the answer.  The answer is Jesus Christ.  Mark knew the answer and he couldn’t wait to share it.  In rapid succession Mark related John’s prediction about Jesus – he has the power of the Holy Spirit; he recalled the baptism of Jesus and God’s special anointing; he remembered the temptation of Jesus; and moved directly to the ministry of Jesus – all within a few sentences.  According to Mark, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the good news of God.  He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

Three times in the introduction to his book Mark mentions the gospel or the good news of Jesus Christ.  For Mark everything about Jesus is good news.  The coming of Jesus was good news for the people of the first century and it has been good news for everyone since – everyone who has heard the story, who has repented and believed.  So I want to take just a few moments this morning and talk about those two little words: “Good News!”

What is the “Good News”?  Some modern translations still use the word gospel.  Gospel is the Old English word that meant good news.  The word gospel is the seventeenth century English translation of the Greek word εύαγγελίον (evangelion).  The Greek word evangelion is the root for our modern English word evangelism.  It is the term used by the earliest followers of Jesus to describe the life and teaching of their Lord.  They had an encounter with Jesus.  They met him, followed him, learned from him, and were forever changed by him.  It is good news that Jesus has the power to radically change lives.  It was good news for the disciples in their own lives and it was good news when they witnessed the life changing transformation in others who heard their message, repented of their sin, and placed their faith in Jesus Christ.  It was so absolutely amazing that it was all they could talk about.  Everywhere they went they talked about Jesus, they shared the stories of his life, his death, and his resurrection.  Their message was electrifying and contagious.  It was good news for all who heard it, for all who responded in faith and gave their hearts to Jesus.

The Apostle Paul was the first to write about it.  He referred to the message of Jesus as the “gospel” or as the “good news” in all but one of his letters.  The evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke also use the expression to denote the message of Jesus.  In time the first four books of the New Testament came to be known as the gospels since they tell the story of Jesus.  Today the words gospel or good news refer both to the books that contain the message and the message the books contain.  The Good News is the story of Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to earth for us and for our salvation.  It is the story of hope.  It is the story of love.  It is the story of joy.  It is the story of peace.  It is the Christmas story.  It is the message of Advent.  Jesus Christ has come!  He has come into my life and I will never again be the same.  I’m a different person because of my encounter with Jesus. 

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who earnestly repents of the sin in their life, and who puts their trust in God’s saving grace, immediately receives the gift of forgiveness, the assurance of pardon, and the promise of life everlasting.  That is the message of the gospel.  That is the good news we celebrate as we look forward to Christmas.  That is the good news we are called to share with everyone.

PAUSE

What are you waiting for during this season of Advent?  Are you waiting for the perfect opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ with someone you know?  It is a message worth sharing.  It is a message that everyone needs to hear.  And there is someone out there who needs to hear that message from you.  Someone needs to know you care enough about them to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.

In this seasons of giving and receiving gifts, that is the best gift you can give to someone else.  In fact that is the best gift you can give to Jesus Christ.  For Jesus said, “Whenever you do it to one of the least of these, you do it unto me.

The Good News of Jesus Christ is too good not to share.  So, what are you waiting for?

Amen