The Greatness of the Gospel

When John the Baptist was in prison he wrestled with the Shadow of a Doubt. The Shadow whispered in his ear that he had made a big mistake, that Jesus of Nazareth was not the Messiah. John sent messengers to Jesus with a question: “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:2) Knowing that actions speak where words fail, Jesus said simply, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind are seeing, the lame are walking, lepers are being cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the Gospel is preached to the poor.” Jesus placed the preaching of the gospel among the great miracles He was performing. All around the world a miracle happens every time someone preaches, teaches, or tells another person about, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The preaching of the Gospel is a perpetual miracle, born over the fields of Bethlehem on the night the angels announced, “Glad tidings of great joy”. Mark begins his account of the life of Jesus by writing, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” These words are like the firing of a starters pistol at the beginning of a race. Mark is off like a runner to tell with excitement the greatest story ever told. He is inviting his audience to come close and listen intently to the story of Jesus, the greatest person ever to live on planet earth. The angel Gabriel said to Mary, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” (Luke 1:31, 32) How great would He be? Jesus grew up in the shadows of Israel’s great heroes. Moses, Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, and a host of others who occupied the Jewish Hall of Fame. At some point in His life an awareness came to Him of His own preeminence in this Hall of Fame. Throughout the gospels Jesus declares Himself to be greater than all of them, greater even that the Temple and the Sabbath day. The theme of greatness runs throughout the gospels, either explicitly stated or implied. “Unto you is born a Savior”, is good news of great joy. “Come unto Me and I will give you rest”, is the greatest of all invitations. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”, is the greatest message the world has ever received. After the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says that the fate of those who ignore His teachings is like someone who built their house upon the sand, and when the storms came, the house fell. He adds, “and great was the fall of it.” The loss of one soul is the greatest of all disasters. Jesus tells about the greatest of all bargains in the parable of the Field Hand and the Merchant. Each sold everything they had to possess the object of their desire. The greatest decision anyone will ever make is the one put forward by Pilate at the trial of Jesus: “What am I to do with Jesus of Nazareth?” The death of Jesus on the cross is the greatest of all sacrifices, and His resurrection from the dead is the greatest victory ever. The gospel of Jesus Christ is like the first sprig of green in a dusty heart; it is a fresh breeze across our barren hopes; it is like a gentle rain on our inflamed passions. It is by far the greatest story ever told. In this collection of meditations, we will consider the Greatness of the Gospel in several of its various facets, from the Greatest Beginning to the Greatest Victory. Quite often the gospel writer uses the word “great” to describe an event or a person, other times the greatness is inherent in them. Scripture references are offered to assist in your meditations.