We know the angels announced the Saviour’s Birth to poor shepherds, as, Good News of Great Joy for All. How can this reconcile with the brutal death of Christ on the Cross? This would be a reasonable question for many.
The famous Simon Peter himself, disputed that such was needed, when the Lord declared to them about His impending death.
Mat 16:21-22 From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. (22) Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.”
Adding insult to injury, the Twelve on their way to Jerusalem on Jesus’ last journey for His Past Passover, quibbled over who is greatest among them & who would be greatest in the succession.
Mat 20:20-22 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. (21) And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She *said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” (22) But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.”
Mat 20:24 And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers.
Gospel of Hope
Despair and turning to false hope given by charlatans, is a common human malady. “Man is incurably religious”. Good News gave hope for the poor, that poverty was man made and not how God did the world. Good news gave hope to the rich, as we see a filthy rich Zachaeus, being transformed to give away his ill gotten gains to the poor. Despotic tax gatherer, Rome’s filthy lucre boss, became a beacon of light. Gospel has hope for the toughest and the broken. Gospel is a great equalizer. Such a Gospel caused aristocrat, William Wilberforce, to fight to abolish slavery in 18th century England. The same Gospel turned the heart of ruthless John Newton, a captain of a slave ship, to change heart and compose the Amazing Grace.
Gospel of Truth
Human capacity to deceive ourselves is phenomenal. Consumerist extravaganza denuded ecology and polarized the world into 1% super rich and majority into poverty. Yet we talk peace. We do massive cruise liners 100 times the Titanic and warships dumping petroleum waste into oceans and talk how to reduce carbon print by reducing animal husbandry & agriculture. Scientific terms have helped us to deceive ourselves to oblivion.
Yet the towering Truth comes to us from the Lord Jesus, “I am the way, the truth, the Life”. Pilate asked what is Truth while Truth in Person stood before him and disregarded his wife’s advice, not do any harm to Jesus. Pilate suffered drastic reversals of political fortunes, soon after.
Gospel of Power
Power is the flame that attracts the human moth to his destruction. Science, knowledge and intellect are what some use for power. Wealth and work have become tools of power to others. Family and societal connections puff and push others to zenith. Though only political power gets castigated.
Why do humans masquerade in power? The real reason is our fear and our belief that we have to be first in the struggle for existence. That might I right. That fittest only will survive. Into this cauldron was born the almighty God as Babe of Bethlehem. He chose Palestine, a vassal nation and in it the poorest region, Galilee and a poor couple as earthly parents. As a poor Rabbi he overturned bastions of Jewish religious power and Rome’s bloody boots. In His sacrifice, He cried Father Forgive and It is Finished. Rome’s representative, the centurion cried, “Truly He was the Son of God”
Bethlehem defeated Rome by the Hope, Truth & Power of the Gospel. The Triune Force will do the same to echelons of power even today, as we give our heart’s terrain for Saviour’s rule and Pray and Live, “Let Your Kingdom Come”.
Dr. Lalith Mendis