Our mission team of twelve is currently on the way to eastern Europe to conduct two Bible camps for children next week. One of my roles on the trip is to teach the Bible story over the course of five days, sharing with these young people what Jesus has done for them. As I’ve been preparing over the last couple of weeks, I have been burdened by several aspects of this opportunity. How do I teach the gospel in language that young people can understand clearly, even though they’ve never heard the name of Jesus before? How do I simplify it even more so that it can be translated efficiently into at least one and maybe multiple different languages without losing that clarity? This is especially difficult for someone who has been practicing law for 25 years, a profession that prides itself on its loquaciousness! (you get that word free of charge)
For Christians who are reading this, take a few minutes and think about what you would say if someone asked you to explain the gospel as simply as possible.
The exercise was good for me as I wrestled with how to answer questions like, “What does it really mean to accept Christ as your savior and how do you do that?” and “Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?” Or how about “What does it take to follow Jesus?” and “Why did Jesus have to be born as a human in order to save us?” As I continued to try and avoid “Christianese” – that special language known only to those who have been in the church for a while – and explain the gospel as clearly and succinctly as possible, I was reminded of three wonderful things about the gospel: the “good news” of what Christ did for me.
First, this process reminded me of the simplicity of the gospel. Sure, the gospel can be complex as we explore all the theological foundations and ramifications with words like propitiation and election. Enough books to fill a library have been written about the gospel analyzing various aspects of its meaning and impact. But the gospel is also simple enough that a child can understand it completely enough to be saved by it. The Bible sets it out simply enough. Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 says that the gospel is “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, and that he appeared” to his disciples and many more. And, of course, the familiar John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
The way we will be presenting it this week is that God is perfect and holy and he created everything. Everything created by God was perfect but humans sinned and were separated from the relationship with God they were supposed to enjoy. Humans live now with guilt and shame and constantly try to work their way back into being right with God, but we can’t because we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. But Jesus came as God in the flesh and lived a perfect life. Even though He was the only human who didn’t deserve death because He had never sinned, He was crucified and paid our penalty for sin, creating a way for us to be reconciled to God. Three days after he died, he rose again to prove that He had power over death itself. Now that Jesus has made it possible, we are right with God again when we stop trying to live life on our own and doing good to earn what we cannot earn, and simply believe that Jesus has accomplished it and live the life He wants us to live. It’s that simple.
The second thing I was reminded of was the beauty of the gospel. Once we sin, it is humanly impossible for us to get out from under the shame, guilt, and condemnation that separates us from God, although just about every human spends their life trying to be good and do good in the hopes that in the end, they will somehow be alright. It’s an exhausting and futile way of living. The beauty is that God, the one who was wronged by our sin, took the initiative to make a way for us to be saved from sin. The way was for God himself, in the form of Jesus, to become man and suffer and die in our place. All we have to do is turn from our sin and accept the grace that Jesus provides. That’s crazy! But it’s true – and it’s beautiful.
Finally, I was reminded again of the importance of the gospel. It’s so important that the twelve of us are flying around the world to share this good news with people in another place. It’s important because it determines whether we waste our lives working hard to earn our salvation or live our lives in joy and gratitude for what Jesus has earned for us. Ultimately, it’s important because it’s the difference between heaven and hell. Jesus said He is the only way to the Father, so we better get this decision right.
We look forward to what God will do in this next week as we follow his call to make disciples of all the nations. I will post updates and pictures on this blog as I am able during our trip. Even as I have prepared to present the gospel, I am also aware that the power of God does not rest on whether I say just the right words or not. He has promised to save whoever believes in the name of Jesus and his Spirit is the one who works to open eyes and hearts. I just can’t wait to have a front row seat for it!
[…] the Bible story each day to the campers. Before our trip, I had spent some time thinking about how to explain the gospel to them and especially the cross. Why did Jesus die on the cross and what did His death mean for […]