Jesus commanded and they obeyed. They did not vote on the matter or discuss whether His plan was a good one. Jesus Himself could have returned to earth to visit a different people group every month and single-handedly He would have done a much better job than the church has done. But the fact is, He chose us to proclaim the good news. Thus to reject the message about Jesus was and still is a serious matter! The multitudes were still not clear on who Jesus was but, at the very least, they all knew that a great prophet had arisen in Israel. So our text shows Jesus to be the powerful Lord and the providing Lord. By doing this, the twelve were giving a prophetic demonstration that the village was as pagan as the Gentiles were. Yet, to those who "have an ear to hear," the gospel is good news. The author is trying to convince them of the superiority of Jesus. In fact, Jesus said we should do to others the loving things we want them to do to us (Luke 6:31). The disciples were common men whose lives were different because of Jesus. Who can forgive sins, but God alone?â (5:21). But once the purpose for the miracles had been accomplished, the miracles decreased in frequency. But in Matthew and Luke, Jesus prohibits taking a staff, whereas in Mark He permits taking a staff. When they do understand who He is and believe in Him, then they must proclaim Him to others so that they have the opportunity to be saved and not to come into judgment. It's easy to envision a pastor in the pulpit on Sunday morning bringing the Word of God to the gathered people. I have often thought that God could have chosen a more efficient method of spreading the gospel than entrusting it to the likes of me! From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. PROCLAIM the Good News of God In Christ Through Word and Deed And every day in the temple and at home they did not cease to teach and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. The Jews saw Jesus multiply the loaves and fishes and yet they challenged Him to perform more signs (John 6:2, 26, 30). All who hear this good news hear everything in life differently from that moment on. But even so, there are some principles here that we can apply as we seek to proclaim the good news of Christ as He has commanded us to do. The answer is that Jesus was speaking somewhat hyperbolically and graphically to make the point that no extra provisions were to be taken. Q. I am tying together two sections here. There is a place for you among our nearly 10,000 congregations across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands... Martin Luther was eight years old when Christopher Columbus set sail from Europe and landed in the Western Hemisphere. English Standard Version. The miracles that Christ and the apostles performed authenticate Jesus as the promised Savior. What do we proclaim? It’s easy after the year we’ve had … This is made clear by Matthew, Mark and Luke. Each person desperately needs to know Jesus Christ as Savior. Furthermore, Jesus had the authority to summon and send out these men to do His bidding. Good news does not usually attract our attention, it’s the bad news that catches us, and then throws us into slight anxiety. Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 1998, All Rights Reserved. The disciples not only preached, but also healed in Jesusâ name. All Rights Reserved. As the prophet above all of Godâs prophets, Jesus can rightly pronounce Godâs judgment on those who reject Him. Answer: The word gospel literally means “good news” and occurs 93 times in the Bible, exclusively in the New Testament. "All" is from the Greek root word pas. Churchwide office staff are still hard at work â from our homes. Chicago, IL 60631. Although bearing witness for Christ is one of our greatest privileges, it is not an area where most believers feel strong. Because Jesus is Lord, a person ignores or rejects Him at his own peril. The point is this: The issue on judgment day will be, what have you done with the Lord Jesus Christ? While there are miracles reported throughout the Bible, they mainly occur in clusters around the time of the exodus, during the ministries of Elijah and Elisha, and during the time of Christ and the apostles. |, Evangelical Lutheran Education Association, Ethnic Specific and Multicultural Ministries, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, PROCLAIM the Good News of God In Christ Through Word and Deed, Invite others to the church where Christ is proclaimed, Confess our faith through song and word in worship, Offer encouragement to a friend and others who are ill or in need, Show Christ through our daily lives and work, which express thanks to God and care for the common good, Talk about our faith in our homes and with others, Live prepared to give a reason for the hope within us. The real issue of the gospel is sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). The gospel we proclaim is the greatest news in the world. How do we solve this? Proclaim recovery of sight to the blind 5. If a sinner responds to it by trusting in Jesus as Savior and Lord, he is changed for time and eternity! One of the greatest privileges God has entrusted to us is that we have been chosen to carry on the work that Jesus Christ came to this earth to accomplish. The people could see that their lives were in line with the message they proclaimed. It was a pronouncement that they had rejected Godâs good news and that their blood was on their own heads (see Acts 13:51). In witnessing should we emphasize submitting to Jesusâ lordship or should we mainly focus on accepting Jesus as Savior? Good news to the poor. They were proclaiming that in Jesus, the kingdom of God had come in fulfillment of Godâs promises through the prophets. But, having said that, we must also be careful to understand the place of miracles in Godâs working. It is not merely good news for the few who came to know Christ before they died; it is good news for the whole of creation—even for all who died before they ever heard of Christ. What does the Bible say to the church, and to the individual Christian, about the role of politics in the church? He could have picked the angels to proclaim the good news, and it would have gotten done much more quickly. And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Meâ (7:22, 23). Rather, he focuses on Herodâs perplexed question regarding Jesus, âWho is this man about whom I hear such things?â (9:9). Rather, God would provide for their needs through the generosity of those to whom they ministered. We are here today as Christians because someone in the chain was faithful to tell us of the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. The matter of Jesusâ identity has been a crucial one in Luke right from the beginning. 4. If they need basic medical care, we should try to provide it. Our lives must back up our message. It was a unique situation and Jesus gave unique instructions which He later modified (Luke 22:35-36). The very fact that His church is still going in spite of us is a testimony to His grace and power. Some say that if we just had more faith, we would see more miraculous healings. But just as the Law shows us our sin, it also points to Someone who solved our sin problem. "Proclaim" is complementary to the more specific term "evangelize" (euangelizomai) or the phrase "announce the good news, " which contains within its meaning the object that is announced or proclaimed — the good news. And may we respond to Him by praying for and telling people of His great love and salvation for them. Proclaim liberty to the captives 4. In Hebrews 2:3-4, he states, âHow shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? How can it be overcome? In other words, âSeek first His kingdom and righteousness, and all these things [our basic needs] will be added unto youâ (Matt. 1:22-24). "But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." Thatâs how it should be: when we bear witness for Christ: people should either understand or else be haunted by the question, âWho is this man, Jesus?â While you may have to answer some basic questions and objections, donât get sidetracked on peripheral matters. The two tasks were not of equal importance. Jesus is the powerful Lord who can save every person who believes in Him. Is There Any Good News? Simeon and Anna both bore witness to the fact that this child was the Lordâs Christ, the Savior (2:26, 30, 38). For proclaiming the good news involves declaring the truth about the Lord, his coming, and the things that come from him--which have to do with salvation and eternal life. At the end of each episode, after the Lone Ranger had saved the victims from some villain, he would mount his horse, Silver. Or, if the Hebrews were not experiencing such miracles, but should have been, he would have exhorted them to believe God for such things in their midst. May we seek first your kingdom and righteousness in all that we do and say. What is your biggest hurdle when it comes to witnessing? The angel announced to Mary that her offspring, conceived in her by the Holy Spirit, would be the Son of God (1:35). Preaching the kingdom of God was paramount; the healings were to authenticate the message. That makes it the most important news anyone will ever hear. That lesson is further underscored in the next incident, the feeding of the 5,000. To be honest, no thoroughly satisfying answer has been proposed. Does debt affect giving in modern times in light of the Israelite tithe and slaves? The kingdom of God is the realm where God is King. Jesus has that power and authority. Whoever trusts in Him is reconciled to God and receives eternal life as His free gift.â God has entrusted to us the great task of carrying on the work of Jesus. "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose." It would have been a much stronger argument to appeal to their common experience of miracles as a proof of Christianity than to appeal to miracles they had not even seen. Jesus is the Savior and Lord, coming to judge the world and reign as King! This means also that we must perform deeds of mercy that minister to the whole person. The gospel is that if anyone will turn from his sins (see parallel, ârepent,â in Mark 6:12) and submit to Jesus as King, God will graciously forgive his sins and welcome him into His kingdom. The ultimate confession comes from God the Father, who testified at Jesusâ baptism, âYou are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleasedâ (3:22); and, again at His transfiguration, âThis is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!â (9:35). Certainly we can and should pray that God would heal the illness of the one with whom we are sharing the gospel. Jesus, anointed by the Spirit of the Lord (see Luke 3:21–22), is the One to preach the gospel, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty, heal the blind, free the oppressed, and proclaim the “acceptable year of the Lord.” In short, Jesus proclaimed Himself to be the long-awaited Messiah of Israel. While we can pray that God would graciously heal a person of some disease, and He may do it miraculously, our emphasis should be on the personâs need of a Savior from sin. We need to go beyond the anemic, piecemeal gospels of “heaven when we die” or “justice here and now” and learn to proclaim the gospel that Jesus and the apostles announced: the good news of the kingdom of God. Direct people to who Jesus is and to what He did on the cross. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nationsâ (Matt. God reveals this good news through Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection ( Mark 1:1; Rom 1:1-4 ), as in Matt 11:4-5: “Jesus answered … People can gawk at miracles, but if they are not convicted about their sin and need for a Savior, they will not be saved from Godâs judgment. As the Church, acting together and as individuals, we have a story to tell. People will be forever changed, they will die to their old life and live a new life in Jesus – a change symbolized and solemnized in baptism. We are to proclaim His kingdom in His power and authority. Thus it refers both to the millennium and to the rightful lordship of Jesus over all creation, especially over the hearts of people right now. Proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. May the Lord speak to our hearts to love people and to proclaim the gospel to them. He is the only way to God. Relying on His authority and power, we tell people about the saving grace to be found at the cross of Jesus Christ. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Christology, Soteriology (Salvation), Evangelism, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. 4:4). The disciples proclaimed “the kingdom of God” (9:2), which is also called “the gospel” (9:6). The rescued victim would ask Tonto, who always managed to be standing nearby, âWho is that masked man?â Tonto would reply, âDonât you know? Encourage them to read the gospel accounts. To what extent should we emphasize sin and judgment in our witnessing. They did not negotiate the terms in order to get the best contract. Lord Jesus, even as you once sent out your first disciples to preach the good news of the kingdom of God, so you have sent us. There are two questions to explore: Who is Jesus? Instead, we are free to do good works for the sake of those in need. For these, the sober action of shaking the dust from their feet signals that they had rejected the reign of God and thus could only await His impending judgment. Jesus' command is akin to a herald shouting out what needs to be heard. First, God is just as able to perform miracles through His servants today as He always has been. You never know how far your witness for Christ will reach. Join us as we do God's work in Christ's name for the life of the world. We would be mistaken if we took these verses as normative for all believers or even for all those who are called to preach. Later, when Jesus was having dinner with the Pharisee and He forgave the sins of the woman who anointed His feet, the other guests grumbled, âWho is this man who even forgives sins?â (7:49). "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound" – Isaiah 61:1 Jesus walked into the synagogue, as he would any other Sabbath. If they welcomed the offer, they were forever different, under Godâs rule, looking ahead to the day when they would see the King and be with Him for eternity. As Jesus here implies, some will not submit themselves to His rule. The miracles that Jesus and the twelve performed gave assurance to the people that He was indeed the promised one. None of the twelve spoke directly to Herod, but their message still got to him. When they went, they lived simply and stayed in homes. I had already done a couple of morning’s work in order to write my piece at the end of last week on a Christian response to the possibility of lockdown —but there was more to do. “The good news about kingdom of God” does not just refer to the future millennial kingdom, when Jesus will literally reign on earth. Herod had the authority to behead John, but he couldnât stop the powerful spread of the gospel. Since none of us are without sin and all stand guilty before the holy God of the universe, we can’t save ourselves by trying to outweigh our bad deeds with good—our good deeds are like filthy rags in the sight of a perfect God (Isaiah 64:6). Q. We have the story of God's movement in our lives through the saving actions of Jesus Christ. It would have been unlikely for anyone to travel barefoot over the rocky terrain of Israel. In Greek, it is the word euaggelion, from which we get our English words evangelist, evangel, and evangelical. Response: We do, and ask God to help and guide us. As Peter instructs us, âSet apart Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to every one who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; ...â (1 Pet. The purpose of those increased miracles was to authenticate the word of God or His messengers during critical times in the history of His people. When you compare the parallel accounts (Matt. And, what are we to do in light of that? The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news. But He then changes the instruction and tells them to take along money and other provisions. Thus He instructs the twelve to shake the dust off their feet in witness against any village that rejected their message about Godâs kingdom (9:5). Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in holy baptism: hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s Supper; proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed; serve all people following the example of Jesus; and, strive for justice and peace in all the earth?”. Up till now, they had watched Him do it, but now He sends them out to proclaim the kingdom of God. Paul said, âThe Jews ask for signs, and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of Godâ (1 Cor. While Jesusâ instructions to the twelve on this occasion are not to be applied literally, there is a valid principle here for all of His followers, namely, that our focus in life should not be on acquiring the worldâs junk, but on spreading the message of Godâs kingdom. But as we examine the context, we learn three things about Jesus as Lord: Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons, and to heal diseases (9:1). If you reject Him, you remain under Godâs righteous condemnation. Of course, the most important background for what the New Testament means by “good news” or “gospel” is the Old Testament. 2:15-16). Why the change? If it is, we can trust Him to provide for our needs (not all our wants). But in a true sense, Jesus was also the prophet par excellence, the one predicted by Moses (Deut. Jesus sent back the reply, âGo and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them. The true gospel is the powerful message of God's government, now over individuals in God's … âYou shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnessesâ (Acts 1:8). This “good news” finds its particular expression in the word it brings to the poor. Our focus should be on ministry, not on things. I wonder if the people in these towns realized the tremendous fork in the road of life that stared them in the face when the disciples passed through proclaiming the kingdom of God. New Testament authors use this term to mean the news of salvation, or liberation from sin, brokenness, and estrangement from God. With gratitude for those who have gone before and hope for the future, the ELCA gives thanks to God for the ministry of women. Completion of the first call process completes candidacy for all people, including those ordained in another Lutheran church or Christian tradition, moving them toward first call and admittance to the appropriate roster in the ELCA. Later, Jesus refers back to this incident and comments on how they did not lack anything (22:35-36). It is one thing for a person to have power over demonic forces and power to heal, but quite another thing to be able to confer this power on others. So many can attest that living in friendship with God is truly the most satisfying way to live. It can mean "each and every," or it can mean "some of all types." THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound, [Rom. 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