Reclaiming the Good News

Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain.

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.  For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

– 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

I scanned the news this morning and one after another, without break, headline after headline proclaimed crisis and inspired fear. Coronavirus continues its spread and measures are being taken around the world to contain it by separating people. Cruise ships are held at sea. Schools are closed. Children are hungry. The stock market experienced its worst day in over a decade. Oil prices plummeted. Workers were on strike across Mexico. Our world is filled with fear and fearful messages.  

And this is the way the lord of the world wants it to be. He comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). He comes to rob us of peace. He comes to breed division, mistrust and doubt. He comes to interrupt our focus on God, and to cause us to wonder whether any good news exists, while whispering in our ears that it does not. He comes urging us to rely on ourselves and to focus on ourselves and to seek pleasure for ourselves, and it has been this way since of the Garden of Eden at the beginning of Genesis.

It was likely a time of turmoil when Paul wrote the words first quoted above. Corinth was a cosmopolitan trading hub near two ports, one on either side of the isthmus, with considerable activity, wealth, diversity, and philosophies and beliefs contrary to the word of God. Paul had explained the good news of Christ Jesus to his friends there. In the passage above he writes to remind them of the simplicity of the gospel that they received, upon which they stand and through which they are saved.

Paul describes the good news of Christ Jesus as a matter of utmost importance, and really, what could possibly more important? What could be more important than God coming to earth as a human and then, as if that is not awesome enough, He voluntarily dies so that we might be reconciled with God. But wait, there’s more. He doesn’t just die, He rises again, He conquers death. As Jesus states it, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16).  

As Paul wrote to his friends in Corinth, there must have been questions surrounding the resurrection because while Paul mentions almost in passing Jesus’ death and burial, he discusses at length the evidence surrounding His resurrection. After Jesus died, was buried and resurrected, He appeared to lots and lots of people in His post-Easter form. He appeared to Peter (Cephas is Peter’s name in Aramaic), then He appeared to the disciples, then He appeared before a gathering of over 500 brothers and sisters, most of whom were still alive at the time of Paul’s writing.  

This is amazing! How do we know that Jesus rose from the grave? How do we know that Jesus conquered death? Lots of reasons, but for one, lots and lots of eyewitnesses, people who could have contradicted Paul but did not, saw Jesus in His post-Easter form.

This is certainly good news, but what does it have to do with stock market volatility, coronavirus, hungry children and other conditions surrounding us and generating fear in many? I am by no means belittling the gravity of the tragedy around us, the loss of life, the loss of security, the pain and suffering. In fact, it is because of the tragedy that I urge you to put it in perspective. The worries and fears of this world are temporary, but matters relating to God are eternal, and our fear of things described in the headlines of today should in no way compare to our fear of God. In fact, if we truly fear God and if we truly accept the good news with absolute certainty in the depths of our soul, the headlines will not shake us at all. Our faith will be our foundation.

Consider people in Scripture who encountered God. When they experienced God and His awesome glory, they instantly realized their unworthiness and they fell to the ground in awe and fear. They knew that they were nothing compared to Him. They knew they were sinful and they did not belong in the presence of the Holy, the Pure, the Divine. When Isaiah saw the Lord he said, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among people of unclean lips; yet I have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5). When John saw Christ Jesus in His heavenly glory, he fell at Jesus’ feet as if he were dead (see Revelation 1:17). When Moses encountered God he hid his face, he was afraid to look at God (see Exodus 3:6).

As I consider our fear of worldly pain, suffering and turmoil in comparison to our fear of holy God, I am reminded of something Jesus said. He explained to the disciples that they would suffer persecution on account of Jesus. He said He was sending them out into world “like sheep into the midst of wolves” (Matthew 10:16), and Jesus continued urging them to have no fear. He told them to expect persecution because of their affiliation with Jesus, and to shout the message of Jesus in the face of persecution saying:

What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:27-28

Jesus urges us to fear God more than we fear matters of the world. The world and our place in it and fearful situations we face today are all temporary, but our relationship with God (or lack thereof) is eternal.

In a similar way, Paul urges us to continue progressing along the path of sanctification, to continue enhancing our relationship with God, to continue inching towards holiness, and as we do so, to do so with proper awe and reverence of the One we seek. Paul reminds us to bow before God in “fear and trembling” saying, 

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13

Scripture describes God as powerful and holy and perfect in every way – all beyond our ability to comprehend. His ways are not our ways (see Isaiah 55:8). We do not belong with him. We are not worthy. But He is love; He created creation out of love; and He loves us so much that He desires that we have relationship with Him and that we have true, transparent, righteous, loving relationships with one another. He loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us so that, through Jesus, we might experience relationship with Him.

This is truly good news. And how do we know it is true? Jesus rose again. Paul points to eyewitnesses who were still alive at the time of his writing, eyewitnesses who were available for questioning, eyewitnesses were could have contradicted his testimony if it were wrong.

As we read today’s headlines, words that might generate fear in many, please keep your focus on God, knowing that He is faithful, true, just and merciful, and knowing that He dwells within you, filling you with His power, love, light and life. And please remember, “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).

May you continue experiencing His power, His strength, His peace and His rest, today, tomorrow and always.