The Good News I Speak of

This is kind of an intro to "The God Who Sends: Who is He?"

I believe the Good News is this: Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.

I believe we respond appropriately by accepting the truth of that. How? We begin with the confession that his lordship and salvation are true and absolute. In our confession, essentially, we renounce all rulers and false gods. We are baptized into that name with the intention of loving and honoring that Lord and accepting the effects of his salvation on us and around us. We continue in this truth by letting our lifestyles become congruent with his goodness and telling the news through both words and actions that Jesus Christ is our Master and Redeemer, our King and Deliverer. He is the only Ruler who actually brings eternal peace and declares victory over death.

Why do I say this is the Good News? Besides Scripture . . . I was reading some inscriptions found in the first half of the first century in places like Ephesus. They also mention "Good News" in relationship to Caesar Augustus. I think it gives us a clue to what the New Testament writers meant when they used the term "Good News". Here is a quotation from a decree dated 9 B.C.:

"Whereas the Providence which has regulated our whole existence, and which has shown such care and liberality, has brought our life to the climax of perfection in giving to us [the emperor] Augustus, whome it [Providence] filled with virtue for the welfare of men, and who, being sent to us and our descendants as a Savior, has put an end to war and has set all things in order; and [whereas,] having become manifest, Caesar has fulfilled all the hopes of earlier times . . . , not only in surpassing all the benefactors who preceded him but also in leaving to his successors no hope of surpassing him; and whereas, finally, the birthday of the god [Augustus] has been for the whole world the beginning of good news [euaggelion] concerning him [therefore, let a new era begin from his birth, and let his birthday mark the beginning of the new year]." {Translation in _Ancient Roman Religion_, 174.}

Compare with Mark 1:1, "The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

I should probably also mention the tradition on which the Good News is based: God created the universe. He made humans in his own image and they ruled over the animals, but they broke their relationship with him by sinning. Jesus was spiritually anointed by God to bring good news to the poor and enslaved, the blind and the oppressed. They followed him and put their faith in him. He suffered shame and died for the world's sake. He came back to life and was clothed with an immortal body. He ascended into Heaven to sit on the throne until he will return like a thief in the night. Then, everything will be burned up, but he will create a new universe. Righteousness will be at home and humans will exercise proper dominion over the animals in this new age which as actually already begun in part because Jesus Christ conquered death.

In brief, I guess I should have said that the good news of Jesus Christ is set in the context of the tradition of the eternal history to which the Bible testifies.

What do you understand the Good News to be?