The Gospel

In the beginning, before God created the heavens and the earth, there was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh(Gen 1/John 1). As it was written by the prophets long ago, for the Messiah will come to us and a virgin will conceive the child, and name Him Immanuel(Isa 7). Through woman, sin was introduced to man, and through woman, salvation will grace man(Gen 3). And so an angel of God appeared to the blessed virgin, a young woman soon to be married. And the angel told the woman, “Be not afraid, favored one, for God has found favor with you. You are to conceive a child who will deliver your people”(Luke 1). And it was so, the Virgin Mary, now wife of a poor carpenter, Joseph, son of David, conceived and bore a child. And from the east came 3 wise men following a new star, foretelling the coming of the Christ(Num 24/Mt 2).

Now there was a king, Herod the Great, and he heard of a child who was to be ‘King of the Jews.’ Herod was a jealous and vain man. “Bring me the child so that I may see and honor Him,” he asked of the wise men. Returning to his palace, an angel appeared to the wise men, and he spoke to them in a dream. “Do not return the child to Herod, for he will kill Him.” When they did not return to Herod, he was furious. Not wanting to be dethroned, he ordered the execution of every baby boy from the age of 2 and down in the city of Bethlehem. The family went into exile in Egypt until he died(Mt 2).

When He was 30 years old, the carpenter’s son from Galilee began His ministry. He preached love and repentance to the people. “I bring you a new commandment, to love one another just as I have loved you. You will love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. You shall love them so much that you are to forgive all their trespasses against you, for if you do, your heavenly Father will also forgive you”(Jon 14/Mt 6/Mt 22). He met people where they were at and brought them to repent of their sins and to change. There was an adultress who was to be stoned, but the man from Galilee told the mob, “he who has no sin may cast the first stone.” And He turned to the woman, “Go on and sin no more.”(Jon 8). The religious authorities at that time hated Him. The start of the end began when the carpenter’s son from Galilee began not only saying that He was the Messiah but that He too was God. “‘My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one’”(Jon 10). 

The officials were infuriated. A conspiracy began brewing. Now, the man from Galilee had 12 loyal followers, the disciples. There was one among them, corrupted by greed. This disciple was approached by the Pharisees and offered 30 silver coins under a condition. Deliver the Galilean to them(Mat 26). It was two days before the passover, and the Galilean, along with His disciples, had dinner. “I tell you, one of you will betray me; it is he whom I will pass the bread to after I dip it.” “Go, do what you must.” The traitor leaves in shame(Mat 26). The day before passover came, and once more they came together. Judas Iscariot leaves early. At The Last Supper, the Galilean holds up a piece of bread. “Eat, for this is my flesh.” He holds up a cup of wine. “Drink, for this is my blood”(Mat 26). “I tell you, unless you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood, you will have no life in you”(Jon 6).

At the Garden of Gethsemane, after supper, Jesus prayed until His traitor and the mob arrived to arrest Him. Judas stepped forth to show the mob who to arrest. “Judas, you betray the Messiah with a kiss?”’ The Galilean was brought to the temple to be questioned. “Tell us plainly, are You the Messiah? Are You the Son of Man?” “You say that I am.” And so an uproar among the crowd arose, and they beat him(Luk 22). The Jews brought the man to Pontius Pilate to have Him condemned to death. Even after finding Him not guilty, the people said they'd rather release Barabbas, a treacherous murderer, than Him. The governor did not want to have another rebellion, and so he had the carpenter’s son flogged. Even still, the Jews cried out. “Crucify Him!” Pilate washes his hands and declares, “His blood is not on my hands.” Judas, seeing what he had done, killed himself earlier that day. The soldiers mocked Him, crowning Him with thorns. “Hail, all hail the King of the Jews”(Luke 23/Mat 27).

“A truly righteous man, after being wrongly deemed unrighteous, will suffer greatly, including being scourged, tortured, and ultimately crucified” -Plato.

The Romans marched the scourged Galilean through Jerusalem and towards Calvary Hill, making Him carry a cross. Along the way, the women of the city cried for Him. He falls. His blessed Mother, soon to be Queen of Heaven, meets with her son to console Him. Simon of Cyrene is forced to help the Galilean carry His cross. Another woman, Veronica, comes to wipe His face. He falls a second time. Finally, the man from Galilee speaks to the woeful women. “Do not cry for me, but weep for your children instead.” He falls a third time. Arrived at Calvary, they strip Him of his garments but leave the crown of thorns. They nail the Christ and a sign to the cross. It read, ‘Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.’ “If you can save others, surely you can save yourself.” “If you are the Christ, bring yourself down and then us with you.” Of the two thieves crucified with Him, the one on the right shuns the one on the left. “Have you no fear of God? We deserve our punishment, this man does not.” He turns to Jesus and asks Him not to forget him. “Worry not, for today, you will be with me in paradise.” He suffers, suffocating for hours. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” “It is finished. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” He dies. Darkness covered the land, and the grounds cracked open. “Truly, this was the Son of God.” They bury Him in a sepulcher and close it with a boulder. The Messiah is dead(Mat 27/Mk 15/Luke 23/Jon 19/Ps 22/Isa 50, 53/Gen 22/Zec 12/Am 8).

The Pharisees were afraid, for Jesus of Nazareth had completed the messianic prophecies. All but one from Hosea. “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him” (Hosea 6). They ordered Pilate to guard the door, for if the Galilean’s disciples removed the body, they might claim He had returned from the dead, and there would be a riot(Mat 27). Later, Mary Magdalene and other women from Jerusalem went to visit the tomb. It was open, and an angel was there. The tomb was empty. He is risen(Mat 28/Mark 16/Luk 24/Jon 20).

“‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’”

(1 Cor 15)