The Gospel is Good News

The word Gospel is the Greek word for "good news." The Gospel is that Jesus did what we couldn't do. He took our punishment and penalty for sin. You don't have to pay it now. Even though other people may sometimes make you feel like you have to, you don't. You are free. You are forgiven. You are loved. He was crushed and bruised, so I didn't have to pay for the things I did. Perfect love came down and touched humanity and took in His own body the sins of all mankind, past, present, and future. You don't have to pay for it. He became flesh and blood, died for you, and rose for you, so you could become a new creation.

And you didn't do anything to earn it. It's free.

We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.-Acts 10:39-43 (NIV)

A Foundation of Grace: Water Into Wine

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.  Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.  And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.  And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.-John 2:1-11 (NKJV)

Welcome to the second day of the Write 31 Days series, A Foundation of Grace.  Each day I am going to free write about a passage of Scripture where I will discuss Jesus and the grace that came with Him as our foundation. Today, I will be discussing the passage of scripture in John 2 where Jesus turned water into wine.

This was the very first miracle of Jesus.  Up until this point, He had done no miracles, no healing, nothing of any kind.  Those things only took place after He was baptized in the Holy Spirit when John the Baptist baptized Him in the Jordan River.  

Jesus, and his disciples, and his mother were all at a wedding in Cana in Galilee.  Wine was one of the party supplies in use at weddings during this time.  At some point they run out, so Jesus' mother comes to Him. At first, it seems as though He is not going to act.  But then, by what seems the prompting of his mother, he does something that demonstrates who is, what He can and will do, and what He came for.  This is a beautiful picture of His ministry.

There are six waterpots of stone, the Bible says "according to the manner of purification of the Jews," sitting there.  Jesus chooses those in which to perform this miracle.  It would make sense that this was a significant act on His part.  Jews used these jars to wash their hands and their eating utensils, as part of purifying themselves.  In Nelson's Bible Illustrated Dictionary, it says the definition of purification is  "the act of making clean and pure before God and people. The Mosaic Law provided instructions for both physical and spiritual purification."

Then Jesus comes. And He takes something that the Jewish people had been using to purify themselves and He replaces the water with wine.

"Fill the waterpots with water," He tells them. So, they do what He says, and then they draw some out and it is changed. They take some to the master of the feast and Jesus' command, and the master says this:

Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the best wine until now!-John 2:10 (NKJV)

When I was thinking about writing this post, I was reminded that wine was present at the Last Supper.  It is symbolic of the blood of Jesus.  Jesus was replacing their purification rituals with Himself.

If you take this all back to the scripture I shared in my introductory post, "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ," this story is a perfect picture.  The Jews (and the rest of the world) were coming into a new time.  The Old Covenant was being fulfilled by Jesus in the new!  He is the new wine!  He is the best!


To read more in the series, please join me here, at A Foundation of Grace.

Salvation

In the Bible in John chapter 3, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

So, how does someone become born again?

Romans 10:8-13 tells us.

"But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”


Jesus came into the world as a man. He was tortured, beaten, and bruised and nailed by Roman soldiers to a cross to put him to death. But it was all for you and me. After three days of being sealed in a tomb, He was raised to life by the power of God. If you believe this to be truth, and that He did it for you, simply talk to God right now.

You can pray, "Jesus, I ask you to come into my life and make me a new person. I believe you died on the cross and were raised again. I confess you now as Lord. Thank you for making me a new creation. Amen!"

If you prayed that prayer, I encourage you find a church that believes the Bible and start attending so you can spend time with other believers that can encourage you in your faith. Many blessings to you on this new journey!

This Good News

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world.  It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God's wonderful grace.-Colossians 1:6

What is the Good News?  IT is the news that Jesus loves me and has paid my penalty for my sins. He has redeemed me. He bought me, purchased me with His own blood so that I might be His bride and walk beside Him in white.  I am pure, unblemished, without stain because of Him.

 That Good News changed my life and continues to do so to this day.  It is constantly moving me forward into my destiny, into His plans.  As I go, I hope to be spreading His fragrance and bearing fruit by being a light for others.

It has the power to change your life.  He is as near as your breath, waiting for you to receive Him.  He loves you and has grace, His love unending, full of mercy for you.  Grace like was given to Queen Esther when she received her crown.  HE longs to place a crown upon your head.

 You are his daughter, his sister, the reason He lived and died.

What great love that He has lavished upon us that we should be called the sons and daughters of God.

-1 John 3:1  and 2 Corinthians 6:18