![]() ![]() ![]() When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, the city where David once reigned, he did not use violent force to inaugurate his kingdom. Jesus announced the arrival of Israel’s long-awaited messianic King, but the way he asserted his rule was surprising. ![]() Israel’s God is the true King of the world, and he’s coming one day to restore hope to God’s people. While it may look like the evil kings of Israel or Babylon are running the world, there is still good news. But first, Israel’s corrupt kings had to be dealt with, which we see in the exile of the Israelites to Babylon (1-2 Kings). In the book of Isaiah, the prophet announced the good news that Israel’s divine King, the Creator of all things, was going to come to Earth and be crowned as the new king of Israel (Isaiah 40-55). This is a problem because God had promised Israel’s ancestors that through this nation all other nations would find God’s blessing. Throughout the Hebrew Bible, we see that the kings who rule Israel are as corrupt and violent as the rulers of any other nation. So if we’re looking for clarity, the best way forward is to go back to the original source of this word in the biblical story. For others, it may refer to the general idea that God loves us or that we will spend eternity with him. For some, gospel refers to the message that Jesus died for the sins of humanity. However, the exact meaning of gospel varies from church to church, based on the larger tradition or denomination. In Christian communities, the word gospel is often used as a shorthand for the core message of the Christian faith. ![]()
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