Have you ever had good news that you couldn’t help but share?
It is not hard to share exciting or new updates in our lives. Maybe you recently got engaged or found out you were going to have a baby. A new job or promotion is something that we just can’t keep to ourselves. High school seniors can’t wait for the day to spread the news that they got into the college of their dreams.
Good news is not a chore to share, it is a intricate part of who we are. We all are heralds of some sort. We all “sell” people on our preferences, by sharing an idea, possibility or event. Luckily we live in a day and age when we have the technology and know how to acquire and deliver information the second it happens. We have never had such a great opportunity to share, proclaim, include, allow and answer a question that so many of us have probably struggled with since we understood that our toes are connected to our body.
Why are we here?
The good news is that are existence on this planet wasn’t accidental. It was not a random act of events that somehow allowed you to feel emotions like happiness, fear, jealousy and embarrassment. The good news is that you are exactly where you are, in life and in this moment in time, by design, by a creator who desperately loves and yearns to know you.
Good news, by design, is a opportunity to share and connect with others, allowing them to be invited into the story with excitement and anticipation. People are drawn to excitement, they are drawn by the story teller explaining the joy and contentment that can be had by the good news in which they get to tell others. When something earth shattering is to be told, rarely do we share it as Eeyore would to Tigger. We would also not use a monotone voice like Ben Stein in Ferris Buller’s Day Off. Our voice’s decibel seems to rise and fall based on our stories details. The animation that can be seen through our body tells the story without someone having to hear what we are saying.
We have no problem getting people’s attention when sharing something that we are passionate about, even if they don’t necessarily agree with what we are saying. Our heart’s default is to share news that can or will change lives for the better. If we are willing to be a spokesperson for a great sale or a new product that just came on the market. Then we should be able to share the good news about Jesus Christ. If Jesus really is who he says he is (the Messiah, the Lord of our lives, God with skin, the perfecter of our faith) and we believe that he is, then shouldn’t we be God’s spokesperson? Or do we not really think that he is who he says he is?
Greg Laurie says that there is 3 reasons we don’t share the good news that Jesus is Lord: it makes us uncomfortable, we are unconvinced, and we are uncaring. So which one is it for you? There have been times in my life I have been all 3, but more often than not it is because it makes me uncomfortable and I don’t like feeling that way. At one time I was unconvinced, but through countless hours of study and a willingness to look at all faiths with an open mind, I placed my trust and faith in Jesus Christ almost 11 years ago due to the evidence of the resurrection. Often, I will be uncaring towards others and literally forget that I have a responsibility to live life on purpose in front of them while being prepared, if asked, to answer any questions that may pertain to my God. When I reflect on sharing the good news with others, 1 Peter 3:15 always comes to mind:
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
It is hard to swallow, but often times we answer questions no one has asked. We get so excited to share the hope that we have that we forget to wait for the God given opportunities to share. Easter, like Christmas, can be a great time of year to look for those opportunities. This is the time of year when people will accept invitations to church and start spiritual conversations out of pure interest. When these opportunities arise, answer their spiritual questions and let them know what this season is all about.
What is the Gospel? (Good news)
The apostle Paul writes it very clearly in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8:
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
Paul goes on to say in verses 13 & 14:
If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
So we can either trust Jesus because he is who he says he is (he proved it by rising from the dead) or we can deny him and who he claimed to be. But it all hinges on the resurrection, because either we can worship and know a personal, living God or we can’t. If he rose from the dead… he is who he says he is and he wants a deep and personal relationship with you. Instead of arguing with friends, or trying to convince someone that God created the heavens and earth in 6 days and then rested on the 7th, let’s make the main thing, the main thing:
God came to earth as a man. Lived among us. Died for us, taking the punishment we all deserved because of our sin (defiance of God’s will for us). After 3 days in a grave, defeated the one thing that no one before or since can lay claim to: death. He then appeared to over 500 people, over a 40 day time span, and then told us to go and tell others this good news (matthew 28:18-20). He made a way for everyone to receive this invitation into God’s story of reconciliation. Jesus ascended to heaven and promised that one day he would be coming back for his children (those who trust in him as Lord and Savior).
So the question is… do you believe Him and do you trust Him? Have you made Jesus more than just a earthly teacher in your life, but your King and Master? Because if you have/do, he will do more than just give you a ticket into heaven at the end of this earthly life, but he will lead and use you to change this world for His purposes and Glory.
And if you have trusted him, are you sharing this good news with others? Are you living life in such a way that people around you take notice and want to experience what you experience each day by following Jesus? Are you living for Jesus so that people take notice and ask “what makes you different?” Are you then taking the opportunity to share the hope that you have in Christ? It is good news! And no matter Jew nor gentile, black or white, religious or non, everyone should get a opportunity to hear about this great God, who loves us enough to take death away from each of us that would trust him. May the God of the heaven woo you in such a way that you are compelled to love Him, and tell others about his great love for all of us. Amen!
Author: Tim Reilly