Westside Church of Christ

It’s the most amazing news in the world. We are bombarded daily with the events on our streets, wars around the globe and political shenanigans in our nation’s capital; but none of these can compare to the 2000-year-old gospel message. Jesus looms over all of history. Nations have risen and fallen. Powerful men and women have dominated the headlines, but they eventually meet a common end. The one born in Bethlehem remains the central figure of all-time.

His introduction into this sin-stained world was unimpressive. Shepherds were miraculously informed of what was happening. The announcement didn’t come through the royalty or the religious authorities. No, it was shared first with ordinary people. No surprise there. The One who would give His life for humanity’s sins remained in the shadows of a carpenter shop for three decades. It hardly seems a heroic beginning. Little did they know.

It was an unacceptably bitter pill for His own people. He came to them first. They rejected Him. He didn’t meet their expectations. His mission crossed forbidden lines. He bashed cultural norms. He swigged water from a woman, and not just any woman but a Samaritan (John 4). He stirred up controversy by declaring the forgiveness of sins (Mark 2). He enraged virtually everyone in the establishment and drew love from many of those outside of it. Who was this man?

He gathered a handful of regular guys: fishermen, unknowns and even a tax collector to spend time with Him. He was a mentor to them, and they were tardy to the table. A dozen men who He continually questioned about their faith. They watched, learned, stumbled and puzzled over their Lord’s activity. Some of their questions remained unanswered even after His resurrection (Acts 1:6). He advised them that there were some things that they simply would not know. It was to this crew that He entrusted the most important news in history.

The greatest surprise might be that it worked. We are living proof that the gospel survived and spread. It did so in spite of internal troubles, persecutions, imprisonments and even executions. They were not the most educated nor were they particularly articulate, but they had something more persuasive than oratory skills. They had a message. It suited neither the Jews nor the Greeks. One wanted power. The other wanted wisdom. The gospel seemed weak and foolish to them. They were wrong.

The apostles provide evidence that the power of God is in the gospel (Romans 1:16), not the one who presents it. Smooth words often obscure the centrality of the cross and the empty tomb. The Christian commitment is to the living Lord who endured the savagery of crucifixion and rose to reign. He is at the core of history and of our faith. Lead people to Christ. That is where salvation is, and that is the greatest news ever.