themattscott

Rob,

I completely agree with you that Jesus' mission extends beyond some abstract, soteriological "faith." But I think that the entire history of Israel--from the OT right through Apocryphal writings of all Jewish sects and into Jesus' own time--depicts the central problems of the world as Sin and its power over both the personal and corporate life of Israel. The problem in Jesus' own time was that the Maccabean agenda to oust the pagan rulers from the land became the central hope of Israel beyond salvation from its own sins, and this is the central problem that Jesus addresses.

I would assert that Jesus' solution to this problem is not merely a a way, but himself. Jesus own death puts us in right standing with God. His life demonstrates to us way of life that is central to bringing healing to the world, but this healing is spiritual as well. This idea is central to all of the NT writings, with or without Paul. That message is contained in all 4 Gospels taken on an individual basis. That's the whole point of the Last Supper: Jesus is the sacrifice that takes away sins. So I would say that the central point of the Gospel is to reconcile Sin, which has both spiritual and worldly ramifications.

I just read an article/story titled "The Beautiful Creatures: Trees in the Biblical Story"
by Sylvia C. Keesmaatt. She gives the Euangelion a fascinating new perspective. Here is a "snippet":

The trees have noticed a small difference. They have seen, here and there, those who share their groanings, who want to end the violence, who are like that one who so completely imaged the Voice.

Read the full story here: http://www.theotherjournal.com/article.php?id=837

I can go find the supporting scripture for this at a point when I'm not heading out the door, but here's my 2 cents:

Genesis: God creates the world, and everything in it. Quickly, the crown jewel of his creation (us) turns our back on him in a moment of temptation, letting sin and death enter the scene. Relationship with God? Broken. Yet throughout the OT, you see God entering into relationship with his people, and even forming Covenants with them. "I will be your God, and you will be my people." Abraham. Moses. David. Cloud by day, fire by night. God with us. The list goes on and on. And in all of this, there is promise of a day coming where God will swoop in and save his people.

Then, at the end of the OT, God goes silent for somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 years.

If I lose sight of God's presence in my life for 400 MINUTES I tend to get restless, and lose hope and faith, haha... but 400 YEARS? You're talking entire generations of people coming and going, living and dying, without one word from the God who had been with them for so long. I wonder how many of them lost hope. I wonder how many of them began to wonder if their Savior was ever coming.

So if we're going to translate GOSPEL as "good news," I think the absolutely FANTASTIC news that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were all trying to share is that our Savior has come for us! He is the one we've been waiting for! He's the one who fulfills all the prophecies! He's the one who can restore our broken relationship with God! And the best part is... he welcomes ALL with open arms... not just the rich, or the powerful, or the ones society deems that matter. He's for the poor, the broken, the tired, the dejected, the outcast. He came to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and to release the prisoners from darkness (Isaiah 61:1).

I imagine (especially after 400 years of NOTHING) that "good" shouldn't even begin to describe the greatness of this news. But we hardly respond to it as "good news" today. It's just "news." And not even "news" in many cases... more of an "opinion column." Nice if you're in to that sort of thing, but certainly not The Message of Hope to an otherwise hopeless world.

I wonder how we reclaim that. I wonder how I reclaim that in my own life.

Rob:
First I think that you show a very conservative viewpoint to argue God went silent for 400 years. The Apochcrypha which most Protestants don't read was all written in your 400 year gap. Plus, most Bible Scholars would point to books like Ezekial and Daniel and view tham as much closer to the time of Christ.
You mention the Good News of Matthew, Mark, and Luke but have you read them apart from John? Most American Evangelicals read the Synoptic Gospels through the lens of John. When we read the first three Gospels on their own you will find a message much closer to what I mentioned above.

I am not saying that John is not Good News but I think following Jesus has a lot more to do with how we live than that we just believe. I think we were created for more than an escape pod into heaven, there is so much we can do right here, right now to create a kingdom of God amongst us. If that isn't Good News to you well I bless you on your path.

Not to mention the reading of all the gospels through a Pauline lens. (but that's another point entirely, isn't it?)

Amen.

For me the Good News is that I am made in the image of God. I believe that the message of Jesus was not so much about belief as it was about seeking. In Philippians 2:6 it says that Jesus "emptied himself" the Greek word "kenosis". I think he was teaching all of us the Way to follow him was to model this self emptying. Pouring our lives out in love to others (creating with Christ the kingdom of God right here and now). And from our emptyness the Spirit of God fills us with holy love over and over again. That for me is good news.

The Gospel, to me, is the good news that God is restoring everything to where it should be, and he has invited us to be a part of that restoration through the life, death and way of Jesus.

Okay so this actually has nothing to do with your post about the gospel, it is more of a response to your response to my last post. I feel like there should be a better way to communicate but i guess this is it?

Any who, thanks for the encouragement my brother. I believe God has been showing me different things on prayer. Also, i am way aware that the level of daily bread that i mention is more then just food... which i mentioned. Any who, i know this answer will seem trivial but no worries. The world is more then just life, it is death, the world is more then just food, it is hunger and starvation, the world is more then just sunny and happy days, it is hurricanes and storms that take life. All of that to say, to the millions who stave to death every day, where is their daily bread, and honestly what is their daily bread. It is interesting to me that in the midst of all this chaos... just like everything else in life their can be found life and... you guessed it daily bread.

I find this daily bread that i am talking about to be more then our basic needs, which you state in your first paragraph but seem to go back to a daily need which is met when you talk about all of the starving and hurt. What if the people starving did receive their daily bread for that day, they just died. What if they did receive the shelter that they asked for, they just couldn't make it through the night. I think in all of this there are tons of what ifs and how was their daily bread met, if it even was, when the real question is how can we be someone's daily bread. How can we ourselves live like, i am sure you, Matt Scott, want to live... which is a way of having the honor of being someone's daily bread.

So why do millions of people die, i wish i could give the answer and i could always give the feel good people answer of God has it in control and it all points to him, but even though i believe all things are for his glory, i can't explain it sometimes. I can't explain how something horrible like Katrina, or the job market crash, or the Holocaust brought God any glory but through all of these actions i can assure you that these people's daily bread was given, even if not received well.

Matt i hope this rambling made some sort of sense and you can easily delete it when you are through, seeing as it has no reason to be in this section. Know that i heart you long time.

Oh and the gospel, i always thought it related to Jesus and his teaching.