It’s the Gospel Chorus
Scripture Reading — Luke 4:40-44
“This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations.”
I suppose we all have people we don’t trust. For one thing, it’s hard to trust somebody who doesn’t tell the truth. But sometimes untrustworthy people do manage to tell the truth. And sometimes even demons do.
As Jesus cast out demons at Simon’s house, those demons said, “You are the Son of God!” It was the truth, of course. Somehow the demons knew Jesus was the Messiah.
As the Son of God, Jesus was the long-promised “Anointed One” (Messiah, Christ) who would bring a new era of peace, justice, and righteousness for God’s people (Isaiah 42-43; 49-53). This was the good news (“the gospel”) that would go out to all nations.
So Jesus came as the king of God’s people (Israel). No wonder he said he was sent to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God. What else would the king do? The “good news” is “the gospel”—and that makes “the kingdom of God” the gospel chorus, the repeating theme of God’s great work through Jesus.
The apostle Paul sang this chorus. He told the elders of the church at Ephesus that he was given “the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” Then he described that task as “preaching the kingdom” (Acts 20:24-25).
For Jesus and for Paul, the kingdom of God is at the center. It can’t be any other way because that’s the gospel truth.
King Jesus, I welcome the good news about you and your kingdom. That news can change the way I see everything. Please make it so. Amen.
About the author — Bob Arbogast
Bob Arbogast is the pastor of Celebration Fellowship church in Ionia, Michigan. In his spare time, he plays guitar in a West Michigan blues band. He and his wife Jan have been married forty years and have three adult daughters. Bob has been praying the psalms since 2002.
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