The God of Israel Has come
personally in Jesus Christ
Pastor Butch Yu / March 8, 2023
What really is the gospel in the Gospels? What exactly was the Good News the gospel writers were writing about? In Mark 1:14-15, we are told that after John the Baptist was arrested by Herod Antipas, Jesus went throughout the region of Galilee preaching the good news of God in every synagogue. He repeatedly proclaimed, “The time is fulfilled. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the good news!” This was Jesus’ overarching message throughout His life and ministry. He was announcing to the nation of Israel that the long wait was over. The anticipated rule of God had finally come. He openly claimed it when He read the scroll of the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue of his hometown: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come.” Then Jesus said, “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day” (Luke 4:18-20 NLT). The four canonical gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, all presented the story of Jesus as the climax of the unfinished story of Israel; i.e., the inauguration of the long-awaited Kingdom of God; the fulfilment of the long-promised New Exodus that would set them free completely; and the dawn of God’s renewed creation. In other words, all the gospel writers are telling us that the God of Israel has come personally in Jesus Christ. He is the Immanuel (God with us), the eternal Word became flesh, the incarnate creator, and the image of the invisible God. The Lord Almighty had pitched His tent (tabernacle) in our midst as He had always desired and promised. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, the New Passover from evil, sin, and death had been accomplished. God’s kingdom was launched and the promised New Creation of the Spirit has been set in motion from that time on. Jesus was not only the bringer of the greatest news in the world, He himself is the good news in person. So are we, believers, today. We are not only called to be heralds of the good news but we are also sent to be good news people to the world.
Why wouldn't God intervene in every situation we face? Our lives could have been perfect if He had always rescued us like how He delivered Daniel and his three friends from the Lion's Den and the Fiery Furnace in Babylon. The truth is, we all struggle to accept the reality that although God is able to rescue, He does not always do so. But why? Why wouldn’t God save his people at all times? Why would He heal some and allow others to suffer? Only God in his perfect wisdom knows the answer to that. He invites us to draw nigh, instead
of wondering why. God wants us to seek Him with all our hearts and know Him. He knows what He is doing and wants us to fully trust in Him. Our prayer and faith must be directed to Him regardless of His answer. Let us learn to submit to God’s will, His unpredictable timing, and in His mysterious ways. In the Gospels, Jesus modeled what it means to obey and submit to God’s plan not only in good times but also in trying times. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He showed us that the will of the Father is not always easy to follow, but it is always good. Jesus saw the cross as His Father’s will for our redemption and embraced it. He taught us that trusting God is never about taking the easy way out, but rather it is about the relationship of trust that no matter what happens, we remain loyal to Him. Our God is faithful, which means He is with us through thick and thin. He promised to never leave us nor abandon us. So, just like the three friends
of Daniel, we too must never waver in our faith in God even if He does not intervene to rescue us from our situations. Having a Christlike attitude means entrusting our lives in God’s loving and secure hands at all times and circumstances.
If there is one truth I held on to during these pandemic years, it is that GOD IS INVOLVED NO MATTER HOW THE WORLD REVOLVES. We may not know what tomorrow will bring; we may not see God’s hand moving nor even feel His presence during this global crisis, but one thing we know for sure is that God is present in this world. He is neither distant nor uninvolved. God is actually at work. He is sovereign and it means God is in charge. Nothing happens without Him knowing. Nevertheless, what God allows does not mean He wills. It is important to remember that we live in a world broken by sin. Since the fall of Man, evil has taken over the world. Consequently, sin leads to death, illness, and suffering. This has resulted in natural calamities because nature has been affected. Humanity, too, was morally infected, and that is why there is corruption and evil of all sorts. The combination of both natural and moral evil made the worst of things imaginable. However, in the midst of all this pain and suffering, God has never abandoned us. Despite the losses, He has sustained and provided comfort and strength for his people. In Jesus, God has promised that He will one day fully redeem and restore the whole of creation. Hence, let us keep our confidence in God and remain true to our public witness for Christ, knowing full well that He is constantly involved no matter how the world revolves. So, take courage! Our God is in charge!
God is involved no matter how the world revolves
Pastor Butch Yu / January 13, 2023