(And no, this is not Fake News!)
The arrival of a new-born baby always fills everyone with awe at the wonder of a new life, made in the image and likeness of God. So touching!
But at the same time, in the back of our minds we also know: the baby is born to die. We think about losing loved-ones one day - saying a last goodbye - and it's sad!
Not to mention that everyone born into the world soon faces the sorrows and oppression of life, even before we die.
But then some afternoons you see a glorious sunset - beauty still shines through - and you know: creation wasn't meant to be like this - something went wrong.
Something did go wrong. All have sinned. There is not one who was righteous - no, not one. Death entered the world through sin. The devil held the sway of death over creation - because of sin.
SO WHAT'S THE GOOD NEWS?
Before we look at the 'news' part of this - let's first say something about the future-part. Well, partly still-future.
God isn't going to leave His good creation to this problem. He is going to come!
He promised to judge the devil; take all our sins away; put down all oppression and tyranny; abolish death - raise the dead; and make all things new - make a new earth - restore the original paradise, and better - and dwell with us, and us with Him forever and ever!
Beautiful! All creation awaits. That's a sure hope, for the future. (But as we shall see, it's only partially still-future. More on that soon.)
You may be wondering: How can I be sure of that? Or, how can I be part of it?
Okay, this is where the 'news' part comes in. And you'll see: it's not just 'news' - it's 'good' news (actually, GREAT news!)
If God was to break-in to history, what do you think that would look like? What do you think He would do? How would He do 'kingdom'?
The news is that He has already now done so: God has come into the world - and it looked like JESUS CHRIST.
How did He do it? Jesus announced the GOOD NEWS that God's reign was now at hand.
He healed the sick; cast out demons; healed the broken-hearted; opened the eyes of the blind; caused the dumb to talk and the deaf to hear and the cripples to walk; and raised many dead - and He spoke the words that lead to eternal life.
Jewish leaders were envious, and cohorted with Rome, to have Him crucified. Jesus submitted to God - that's how God did 'kingdom'! He was buried. But on the third day God raised Him from the dead!
The fact God raised Him from the dead, meant He hadn't died a criminal like many thought. He had been innocent.
The fact God had allowed His holy Servant to die, despite being innocent, meant He had died not for any sins of His own, but for OUR sins.
The fact that God has dealt with our sins by His death, meant God didn't only given His Son victory over death - but we also have victory over death: because our sin, which was the entry-point of death into the world, has been removed, and the devil has been judged.
All oppression and tyranny intrinsically lost its power, at the point of Jesus' death and resurrection. New creation was launched!
Jesus was seen alive after His resurrection by upwards of 500 people. After He arose, many other graves were also supernaturally opened and many saints came out of their graves and they walked into the city.
But for the rest of the dead in Christ - it will be when JESUS comes the second time that they will rise. He will bring the dead in Christ with Him, and they will rise. Death will be abolished.
He will bring the full and final rollout of everything that His cross has achieved and His resurrection has inaugurated. He'll bring the final rollout of the new creation which His resurrection has already inaugurated.
That Day will be the reunion of reunions!
40 days after His resurrection, Jesus was caught up into heaven, and sat at the righthand of God.
10 days later He poured-out the Holy Spirit on believers. They went everywhere announcing the good news. And the Lord worked with them and confirmed their message with signs-following - like, they cast out demons in His Name; they spoke with new tongues; they laid hands on the sick, and the sick recovered.
Whoever heard, and confessed with His mouth: JESUS is Lord; and believed in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, was SAVED. Saved from sin; from death; from wrath and from judgment.
That's where we are at now. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
You become a new creation! All things pass away. All things become new. He gives you new birth. You become a child of God. A partaker of the Divine nature.
Without needing to become a proselyte to Judaism - God declares you to be righteous, just because you have heard this good news and live by faith in Him.
This new creation happened to me, when I was 12 -I could feel it!
When you get baptised into Jesus, washing away your sins, you are baptised into His death, and come up out of the water into His eternal resurrection-life.
He promises to give you His Spirit - as a foretaste of the restoration to come. When you walk in the Spirit, and walk in love, you find that you don't live in a way that can be condemned by proper ethical and moral requirements.
It's our privilege to believe on Him - but for now, also to suffer for Him - while we still await His return. It is through much tribulation that we must enter the kingdom of God.
Then He Who will come will come and will no longer delay.
All of this was planned from the start of the world. This is precisely what Abraham was promised and all the prophets foresaw. The ancient Jews' Law foreshadowed this.
You can become part of this - new creation - eternal life - right now - through JESUS. GOD has already inaugurated it, in His Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
We are experiecing it now. Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In a certain hope of His coming, and its final rollout.
Just by believing this good news!
That is good news, isn't it!
No, it's GREAT news.
