How does the Gospel that Jesus of Nazareth preached 2,000 years ago affect our evangelistic ministry today? Keep in mind that Jesus Christ is the Creator of our world and everything in it (e.g. John 1:1-4; Colossians 1:15-16). Also, remember that God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit designed salvation and the Gospel message before time began, before the foundation of the world (e.g. Ephesians 1:3-6; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; 1 Peter 1:20). It is logical and reasonable to look to the way that our Creator, Jesus Christ, preached the Gospel and taught His disciples to preach and see it as a clear directive for our Gospel preaching ministry today.
To think that Christians today need to change the methodology of preaching the Gospel from the way Jesus and His apostles preached is ludicrous. However, that’s exactly what many Christians have done. They’ve changed both the Gospel and the way it’s presented to unbelievers. Big mistake.
The Pure Gospel
The Gospel (good news) that God designed in eternity for Jesus Christ to preach in time is “pure.” That means the message Christ preached is not “mixed or adulterated” with any other message.
One of the primary reasons the Apostle Paul was so upset with what happened in the churches of Galatia was because they were allowing the Gospel of Christ to be adulterated with another message. Paul called the mixed-adulterated gospel “a different gospel.” Paul told the Christians in Galatia that anyone who preached any other gospel than what he had preached to them was attempting to “trouble” them by “perverting” the true Gospel of Christ. He went on to write –
“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8-9
The pure Gospel of Christ is free of perversion and contamination. It is the pure Truth of God. Change it in any way and it becomes a false Gospel.
We can learn much about the importance of purity by looking at the Mosaic Laws concerning purity. Why so much emphasis on cleansing, washing, and purification? Because that is what God demands. He is Holy and those approach Him must come to Him as He commands. People are not holy, thus they must approach God through a purification process. You can read through the Old Testament writings of Leviticus and Numbers to learn more about what God’s people were required to do. You can also read through the Old Testament to see how God required blood sacrificial offerings of animals and birds. They had an important purpose — to point us to the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Notice the number of times that purification and atonement are mentioned in these verses —
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’ Leviticus 17:11
The anointed priest shall bring some of the bull’s blood to the tabernacle of meeting. Then the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the Lord, in front of the veil. And he shall put some of the blood on the horns of the altar which is before the Lord, which is in the tabernacle of meeting; and he shall pour the remaining blood at the base of the altar of burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. He shall take all the fat from it and burn it on the altar. And he shall do with the bull as he did with the bull as a sin offering; thus he shall do with it. So the priest shall make atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them. Then he shall carry the bull outside the camp, and burn it as he burned the first bull. It is a sin offering for the assembly. Leviticus 4:16-21
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Hebrews 9:11-15
Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation. Hebrews 9:23-28
For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: ‘Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, But a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come— In the volume of the book it is written of Me— To do Your will, O God.’ Previously saying, ‘Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.’ He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,‘ then He adds, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:1-22
The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the message God designed in eternity. It is pure and must be presented in all its purity. Anything less, as Paul wrote, is anathema – accursed.
Jesus Preaches the Pure Gospel
Jesus lived a sinless life. He was the spotless Lamb of God —
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29
Jesus obeyed the Mosaic Law at every point throughout His ministry. In fact, He came to fulfill the Law —
Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. Matthew 5:17
Jesus lived a pure, sinless life. He was perfect in every way. Every Word He spoke was perfect. Jesus was unlike any man who had ever lived before Him.
For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever. Hebrews 7:26-28
It is from that position of perfection that Jesus began His Gospel preaching ministry —
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4:17
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. Mark 1:15
Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.’ Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’ Luke 4:14-21
As we read through the Gospels we see how Jesus preached His Gospel. He did so with great purpose, organization, and power. Jesus never wasted a moment of time – never wasted a Word – never wasted a movement. He was and is the Perfect God/Man. Though we are human beings and subject to so many fallacies, we can still learn from the Master about how to best use our time, talents, and energy to accomplish His will for our lives.
Jesus never compromised His Gospel. He never allowed it to be polluted, corrupted, or watered down. He never became too tired or frustrated so as to let His Gospel become less than perfect and pure. We should aim for that same thing in our lives. Let us never allow anything in life to corrupt what God has entrusted to us – His pure Gospel.
eBook
You can download a free eBook of Chapters One – Five of this study here. Please share with family and friends as God leads.
You can download a free eBook of Chapters Six – Twelve of this study here. Please share with family and friends as God leads.
Next Time
We will look at how Jesus preached in the next part of our special series, Evangelistic Apologetics – A Closer Look.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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