It seems to me that the first presentation of the Gospel message–the Good News– might be a surprise to many. Do you have an idea when it was? Follow along for just a moment and I think I can show you that the spread of the Gospel is not limited to expected channels. Jesus’ command to “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15) is probably more inclusive than many of us realize.
John Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, had been preaching the coming Messiah for six months or so before Jesus began His ministry. John’s twofold message was clear and concise: 1. Repent and be baptized; 2. The coming of the promised Messiah, the Christ, was imminent. (See Matthew 3:1-2). John’s ministry was transient, for he would soon be replaced by the promised One.
The Gospel message is a bit different: certainly not contradictory, but with a different, eternal, focus. The Gospel is also centered on Jesus Christ, the Son of God, but it also presents His mission to mankind: through His willing and intentional death on the cross, full and free salvation is available to every man, woman, and child who would follow Him: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).
The need was clear: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God had revealed through His written word, the Bible, that He alone was to be worshipped as creator and sustainer of everything; that He was a righteous God who expected His created creatures to be the same. Man had proved, however, that this was not possible without His intervention, His assistance, in individual lives. That’s where Jesus came in.
Jesus explained, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Man and woman were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), but chose their own will over His, which is sin that separates each person from God (see Genesis 3). If this sounds familiar, look in your mirror as I look in mine, for the face we see reflects our walk along the same path as Adam and Eve: we continue both to choose our way instead of His, and suffer the consequences of that disobedience.
The only remedy acceptable to God the Father was for Jesus to reconcile sinful men who could choose to follow Him. His death on the Cross was a legal remedy to allow God to bring those who choose to follow Jesus back into fellowship with God:
“16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16-18).
This is the Gospel message: Jesus saves lost men and women, boys and girls, who accept His offer, and brings each into a personal relationship with Him. The process is simple—almost too simple for today’s complex and complicated world where opinion outranks fact. Social media, political rhetoric, and mass marketing promote the “I want–I deserve” all illustrate the point. The common point here is that both are unearned—in the case of salvation, we can do nothing to earn that salvation, for it is the gift of God, but we must accept that gift.
Back to my original argument: the first presentation of the Gospel message came from an unexpected source at an unexpected time in an unexpected place. John’s gospel records Jesus’ first miracle. Jesus, His family, and disciples were attending a festive occasion in Cana of Galilee: a friend’s wedding. But all didn’t go quite as expected, for when the guests called for more wine, Mary, Jesus’ mother, told her son that there was none left—a serious faux pas (John 2:3).
Let’s step back for a moment and look at Mary. As a teenager she was approached by an angel and told that she would become the mother of God the Son incarnate without “knowing” a man. When she delivered, still a virgin, angels again appeared, shepherds worshipped the Baby, wise men came with gifts and violated the terms of their welcome by leaving without reporting back to the king; the family fled to Egypt to avoid the governmental mandate to kill male children; Jesus was “lost” on a journey home from Jerusalem to be found in conference with the wisest men of the Jewish nation, and he She “pondered” these things in her heart, Luke wrote (Luke 2:19). She watched as her Son “increased in wisdom and stature, and favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Mary represents one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind: a godly mother.
Now at the wedding, eager to help out and, just maybe, show off her special Son, that proud mother told the servants, “Whatsoever He saith unto you do it” (John 2:5). Her clear implication was that if the servants would listen to Jesus and do exactly as He said, all would be well. And it was. They did as they were told, clear water became fine wine, and the “governor of the feast,” not privy to the problem or its cure, was impressed: “Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now” (John 2:10). Mary had promised that obedience to Jesus would turn out well. He delivered on the Gospel promise. He always does.
Thus, Mary introduced the Gospel in brief and practical terms that all can understand: “Whatsoever He saith unto you do it” and all will be well with you. Today that promise is found in the Bible. You will not be lifted out of the world and its problems. You are not promised worldly riches, leisure, and unlimited pleasures. Jesus warned that, just as He, the very Son of God, suffered among men, His followers would do the same (1 Peter 2:20:22). The transformation is internal, not situational. Paul explained it this way: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17). The Holy Ghost is the Comforter that Jesus sent to live within His followers when He returned to Heaven after His resurrection. Joy is not a feeling, but a verb, an activity aided by the Holy Ghost for believers, a source of inner peace and strength: “we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we now have received the atonement (or, salvation)” (Romans 5:11).
So, I give you the Gospel as Mary gave it to the servants at the feast, the servants who believed, acted, and reaped the rewards. “Listen to Jesus and do exactly as He tells you; all will be well with your soul.” Listen to Jesus as you seriously read the Bible, asking the Lord to lead and inform you, to give you knowledge and wisdom. These are all promised to those who seek and follow Him. Paul gave the outline: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23).