At one point in His ministry Jesus had a young man ask Him, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" (Matt 19:16) Jesus, unaware that salvation was by grace through faith, mistakenly told him the works he needed to do to be saved: follow the laws (Matt 19:18) and sell all you have and give it to the poor (Matt 19:21). It was that last good deed, apparently, that the man lacked, so he was pretty high up on the "godly" ladder, so to speak. Unfortunately, he just couldn't reach that top rung (Matt 19:22). Jesus went on to give His disciples (who wondered, "If the rich can't make it, how can anyone?" (Matt 19:26)) what we call today the Prosperity Gospel. "Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for My name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life" (Matt 19:29). So we have this dilemma. Paul claimed we are saved by faith apart from works and Jesus claimed we are saved by selling all we own and giving to the poor ... but don't worry; when we do, we get rich. Who was right? Hang on. The question gets worse. If the two, Jesus and Paul, are categorically opposed -- if one is wrong and the other is right -- then where is your "Word of God" now? In what possible sense can the Bible be God's Word if it is obviously and blatantly wrong? First, let's put that to rest. Jesus and Paul don't contradict each other. The man asked how to inherit eternal life, not how to be saved. How does one inherit, on his own, eternal life? Live perfection. This man didn't and Jesus pointed it out. So what was Jesus's gospel?
The Gospels tell us that Jesus preached the gospel. Of course, His gospel was not "Believe that I have died and risen again and you will be saved" because, well, He hadn't yet. No, Jesus preached a "kingdom" gospel -- "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt 4:17; Mark 1:15). Matthew wrote, "He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people" (Matt 4:23). He sent His disciples to preach the same (Luke 9:2). In fact, the first proclamation of the gospel -- of "good news of great joy" -- came at His birth. The angel told the shepherds, "I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10). The gospel -- the good news -- then, is Jesus. He is the good news, the gospel.
How? First, there is the gospel -- good news -- that He came ... came at all. Second, there is the gospel that He is the Savior promised from old, the Messiah, the Lord. So it would stand to reason that He would preach a gospel -- good news -- of His kingdom which was promised before and was "at hand" -- coming to its fruition now. That kingdom would be established on His death and resurrection (Php 2:5-11). That kingdom includes "All authority in heaven and on earth" (Matt 28:18). Our typical gospel is "Jesus died to save us." Jesus's gospel was much, much bigger ... and no less. Did Jesus preach His death? Sure! He told His disciples repeatedly. He told them about the "new covenant" at the Last Supper (Luke 22:20). He referenced perhaps the most explicit prophecy of the death of the Messiah (Isa 53) and applied it to Himself (Isa 53:12; Luke 22:37). He told of the praying sinner who went home justified because he looked to God and not self (Luke 18:9-14). Jesus did preach that gospel ... and more.
The Philippian jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?" to which Paul answered, "Believe that Jesus died and rose for the forgiveness of your sins and you will be saved." Oh ... wait ... no he didn't. He said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). Paul's gospel was "the Lord Jesus." What does that include? It includes a Son who clothed Himself in flesh and came to Earth to die (Php 2:5-8). It includes "that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Cor 15:1-9). It includes this life -- the "here" -- and the next -- the "hereafter." It includes faith in the Son of God and faith in the Risen Lord. It includes, in the words of the old hymn, "Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow." There are those who would have you believe the gospel is "A better life now." There are others that are quite certain it is "In the sweet by and by." Both are right ... and wrong. The gospel is for now and later. The gospel is the kingdom of God now and forever. It is both better now and better later and so much more. Both exceed our limited views. And, no, Jesus and Paul don't contradict.
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