Joy is better than happiness.

When I was young, there was a popular chorus for children to sing that went: « If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. If you're happy and you know it, and you really want to show it, If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. »

However, apart from Lamentations 3:17, I am unaware of any reference to “happiness” in the written Word of God (at least in my RSV!). However, there are some 200 references to “joy” - which is a different concept. You see, “happiness” is dependant upon circumstances; “joy” is beyond circumstances.

Jeremiah is not usually thought of as a "joyful" prophet, yet he states: "Thy words were found, and I ate them, and Thy words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I am called by Thy name, O YHWH, Elohim sabaoth." (Jeremiah 15:16)

People today seem always to be looking for fun or entertainment. “Fun”, of course, is never mentioned in the Bible, so it is evidently not considered to be a very significant part of the Christian life. The word “entertain” is used to speak of hospitality, and such activities as “play” and “revelling” only receive condemnation. (Playing is appropriate for children and animals, of course.)

Christians, however, have something far better than worldly fun - they have heavenly joy! This is the unique privilege of the redeemed, and there are many channels through which this joy can be experienced.

First of all, Christian joy comes through the Word. As even Jeremiah said, “Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” . Then we rejoice in God’s great salvation: “I will rejoice greatly in Yahweh; My soul will rejoice in my God, For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,” (Isaiah 61:10; LSB).

There is great joy also in the privilege of prayer and having our prayers answered: “Hitherto you have asked nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:24). Christian service and witnessing are a source of tremendous joy when their fruits are finally seen. “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy. He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, carrying his sheaves with him.” (Psalm 126:5-6; LSB).

And there is much, much more! Paul, writing from a Roman prison - no holiday camp! - can encourage the disciples of Jesus in Philippi to: “Rejoice in the Lord always:” and, just in case they thought that he had made an error (or completely lost his mind!), he repeats: “and again I say, Rejoice! ” (Philippians 4:4). 

After all, he might have added, we have a personal knowledge of the very Creator of all that is good and, as Peter points out: “Without having seen Him you love Him; though you do not now see Him you believe in Him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy.” (1 Peter 1:8). 

Do you know Him? If not, this may well be, for you, the moment to humbly approach Him, claiming the salvation that He has provided, freely, through the atoning sacrifice of the Son. If I may be of any help, please feel free to contact me, using the e-mail address at the top of the blog.

The Babe in Bethlehem

Micah is one of the "Minor Prophets" - minor, not because they are, in some way, less worthy than the "Major Prophets" (Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel), but because the books named after them are much shorter in length.

To confirm the importance of Micah's little volume, we need look at only one verse:

"But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days." (Micah 5:2)

This is an amazing prophecy, explicitly predicting, more than 700 years before He finally came, that the future King of Israel would be born in the little village of Bethlehem. And, to assure its fulfilment, the great Emperor Augustus had to decree a comprehensive census, compelling Joseph to take Mary with him to Bethlehem for her child to be born.

 

That the prophecy involves an actual birth is clear, not only from the phrase "come forth," but also from the succeeding verse which warns that God will "... give them up until the time when she who is in travail has brought forth;" (v. 3). We may also note that the preceding verse had  predicted that "... with a rod they strike upon the cheek the ruler of Israel." (v. 1), speaking of His initial rejection and execution.

 

But that is not all. The prophecy not only foresees the birth of the Christ-child in Bethlehem, His repudiation by His own people, and His eventual installation as King over all Israel (not merely the southern kingdom of Judah), but also that this same remarkable person was none other than God Himself! His "origins" had been "from of old, from ancient days." That is, He is eternally proceeding forth from His Father. He did not become God’s Son when He was born in Bethlehem; He has been coming forth eternally.

 

There is still another truth implied in the remarkable Hebrew word for "come forth." It is also used for such things as the flowing of water from a fountain or the radiations from the sun. Thus, the never-ending coming forth of power from God the Father, through the Son is nothing less than the sustaining energy for the whole creation, as He is "upholding the universe by His word of power" (Hebrews 1:3). And this was the Babe in Bethlehem! 

As we anticipate the celebration of the birth of the Lord Jesus (which we should really have done in Sept/Oct, but that's another message!), let us give thanks that the Babe of Bethlehem became the Christ of the Cross, and that He will soon return as the conquering King. Are you ready for that world-shaking event? May all of us see beyond the tinsel, the turkey, the other trappings of the "festive season", and commit ourselves to the service of the Lord.

Lost!

The parable for this post is actually only the first part of a parable! It is found in Luke's account of the Gospel, and in chapter 15. In v.3 of that chapter, we read: "So He told them this parable:" The following words lead us into the parable of the lost sheep - but Jesus goes on to deal with the lost coin, and then the lost son. The parable is a parable of the lost, with three examples being used, and three lessons being taught.

So, we begin by looking at the lost sheep. Sheep, in God's Word, are usually portrayed as foolish creatures, prone to wandering off and getting into trouble. It was its own foolishness that led to the sheep being lost. That, of course, is why sheep need a shepherd! 

But it is not only the four-footed animal that acts so foolishly. Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet stated: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;" (53:6). In other words, you and I can be as foolish as any sheep! The Pharisees and the Scribes would have had no difficulty in seeing the tax collectors and sinners thus described - but they would never have applied such a description to themselves! Yet the prophet made it clear that "all" are involved! Peter told his fellow-believers that "you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls." (I Peter 2:25); while Paul states, quite bluntly, that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Rom.3:23). "All" includes even those who are "religious" - even those who hold high office in the church!

Leaving the ninety-nine sheep was not an indication that the shepherd didn't care for them. Of course he did. But they were together and, even in the wilderness, were safe. However, when he went to look for that foolish sheep that was lost, he showed that each individual animal was important to him. Note, too, that when the shepherd finds the lost sheep, he doesn't treat it harshly for its foolishness. No, "he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing." (v.5).

And there is rejoicing! We are not told how the sheep felt but, remembering that the sheep represents the sinner who has been saved, those who have been touched in that way, and have become children of the heavenly Father, know this joy - and God's Word confirms it. When the Ethiopian eunuch to whom God the Holy Spirit had directed Philip was baptised as a disciple of Jesus, "the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing." (Acts 8:39; emphasis added). The shepherd, we have noted, was also rejoicing. And I guess that the event that comes second to our rejoicing when we are saved, is being used in the salvation of another. Finally, Jesus assures us that "there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." (v.7). Yes, the very angels rejoice when a lost sheep is found - when a sinner is saved. By the way, there is actually no-one who does not need to repent! Jesus is here referring to those who think that they have no such need - the "self-righteous". Remember the Pharisee in the Temple, in another parable! (Luke 15: 9-14).

Are you still a "lost sheep", lost in sin through your own carelessness? Then let the Good Shepherd find you, and bring you into the fold of His body. You will never regret it.

Guidance - Introduction!

It was just this week that my wife and I received an e-mail, from a very dear friend that, while not using the word, was all about the subject of guidance - "What should I do next?"; "Did I make a mistake in what I have just done?" Now I should make clear, at the outset, that our friend and her husband are disciples of Jesus, and that her concern is that they may have stepped outside God's will for their lives, and that they want to be back in it! However, I suspect that we all seek guidance in the different situations that we experience in our lives.

Many things make it difficult to believe in the guidance of Almighty God. When astronomers inform us that the nearest star (other than our own Sun!) is approximately 4.25 Light Years away; and when we realise that a Light Year is the distance that light travels in an earth-year (travelling at more than 186,000 miles per second!); and that that computes to more than 25,300,000,000,000 miles: and when we compare this with the 70 - 100 years of life that some humans attain: it seems impossible to assert that such creatures as ourselves can possibly be under the care of, and even have fellowship with, the Being Who created all of this (if you accept that it is all just the result of random events, then I would respectfully suggest that you need to expand your horizons!).

We may consider the words of the psalmist:

"When I look at Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers,
    the moon and the stars which Thou hast established;
4 what is man that Thou art mindful of him,
    and the son of man that Thou dost care for him?" (Ps.8:3-4)

In the bewildering vastness of the known universe, and as we peer down the long vista of time, it does seem to be pitifully naïve to ask: "Does God care for me?"; "Is He interested in my doings?"; "Will He direct me in every detail of my life?"; "Does He long for the worship, and adoration, of my heart?" 

When such questions are asked, the answer seems to be, to many people, a resounding "No! God, if there is a God, isn't interested and, if that is the case, we can't expect any guidance."

However, there is another side to this! Neither the vastness of the universe, nor the apparent endlessness of time, have the final word. A baby, surely, is more than a mountain, even although it is nothing by comparison of size, for even a baby can love. A man is more than a star, for a man can think. And even although a tortoise may live for well over 100 years, a child is much, much more.

Astronomy, and other sciences, may conspire to prove the utter insignificance of mankind - but man is still the astronomer, and the scientist in other disciplines! More than that, we are made in the image of Almighty God - although not in any physical sense. Even more, it is only a human being who may be born again of the Holy Spirit, and become the very child of God!

So I believe that, certainly for the disciple of Jesus, God's guidance can be very real indeed. And even the unbeliever, who doesn't seek that guidance, may receive it! Cyrus, the Persian king of the 6th century B.C., was a worshipper of idols, but the Hebrew Scriptures assert that he was a chosen instrument of the living God. The prophet Isaiah speaks these words concerning the Persian king: " ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfil all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem. ‘She shall be built,’  and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’” (44: 28), and "Thus says YHWH to His anointed, to Cyrus, ... ... 'I will go before you and level the mountains, I will break in pieces the doors of bronze and cut asunder the bars of iron, I will give you the treasures of darkness and the hoards in secret places, that you may know that it is I, YHWH, the God of Israel, Who call you by your name. For the sake of My servant Jacob, and Israel My chosen, I call you by your name, I surname you, 'though you do not know Me.'" (45: 2-4, emphases added).

Unaware of it though he was, this great conqueror was being guided, and girded, by the Divine hand. Behind all of his conquests and empire building, the purposes of YHWH could be found.

However, it is in the context of disciples of Jesus that I propose to spend the next few posts looking at the subject of guidance. Not that the posts will be, in any way, exclusive, and I trust that those who would not claim to be His disciples will still read, and consider what they read!

Until next week!

A past long gone.

I have tried to find the story online - but have been unable to do so! Of course, it may be entirely apocryphal, but even if it is just a parable, it has an important lesson. It is the story of a nun who had, in her youth, committed what she considered to have been a grievous sin. She had, as a Romanist, gone to her priest, and had received 'absolution'. However, this brought her no peace at all. Day after day, she would mentally chide herself for her foolishness, and seek forgiveness.

One day, as she prayed and, again, asked for forgiveness from the only One Who can truly grant it, she believed that she heard a voice asking: "For what do you require forgiveness?" She named the sin, and the voice responded: "But why. I forgave you that sin on the first occasion on which you asked!"

According to the English novelist, Aldous Huxley, "There are no back moves on the chessboard of life"! Yet is it not true that we remain aware of things that we have done in the past, and things that we failed to do? Often, our sins worry us. They motivate us to wish that we could undo the past!

That is why those of us who have placed our trust in the Lord Jesus can be thankful for the message of Father God, found in both the First and Second (aka Old and New) Testaments. The great prophet, Isaiah, urges us to "Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that He may have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." (Isa 55:6-7).

Another of the Hebrew prophets asks: "Who is a God like thee, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? ... ... Thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:18-19; emphasis added). 

When Paul preached in Antioch, he said: "Let it be known to you therefore, brethren, that through this man [Jesus] forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by Him every one that believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:38-39; emphasis added).

John, on whose letters my third book - Defending the Faith - is based, writes: "... if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1:7-9; emphasis added).

Are you worried about your past? Rejoice! God has cast all of your sins into the depths of the sea. Are you still concerned about your sins? Rejoice! If you are in Jesus, and He is in you, (in other words if you are His true disciple, born again by the work of God the Holy Spirit in your life), they are forgiven, and you are cleansed from all unrighteousness. 

Permit me to share just two further scriptures. The writer of the great Letter to Hebrew disciples of Jesus quotes from the prophet Jeremiah when he states: "I will remember their sins and their misdeeds no more." (Heb. 10:17); while the psalmist-king, David writes: "... as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us." (Ps. 103:12).

If you have truly put your faith in the Lord Jesus, and received the salvation that He gained for you at Calvary, then the past is truly forgiven and, as the Spirit does His sanctifying work in you, the future is assured!

I love singing, and have many favourite songs and hymns. But if I was forced to choose just one as my "favourite favourite", it would be "When peace, like a river, attendeth my way" (aka "It is well with my soul".) Of that hymn, my favourite verse - and one that I seldom sing without a tear in my eye - is the one that reads:

"My sin; O the bliss of this glorious thought; My sin, not in part, but the whole is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord; Praise the Lord, O my soul."

May that be your personal testimony as well!

Amazing Grace

In about 1736, a young boy named John Newton went to sea with his father, on a Merchant ship. A few years later, his father retired and, some time after that John was "press-ganged" into the British Royal Navy. Facing intolerable conditions, he tried to desert, but failed. He was punished, severely, in front of the full ship's complement. Eventually, he was able to transfer to a ship that was going to Africa to collect slaves who would be taken to the British colonies in North America. 

Newton hardened himself to the trafficking of human beings and, eventually, became captain of his own slave ship. He denied God and goodness in every way. Even after he was enslaved himself and escaped, he lacked empathy and went back to being a slaver. However, on May 10th, 1748, his life was changed forever. Off the north-west coast of Ireland, his ship encountered a terrifying, violent storm. As it appeared that the vessel would sink, Newton cried out, "Lord, have mercy upon us!" The storm began to die down, and the ship limped into Lough Swilly. 

Newton recognised, and began to reflect upon, God's mercy. It was the beginning of a spiritual journey that led him to faith in the Lord Jesus, the Christ, and His atoning sacrifice for the sins of mankind, at Calvary. He experienced the amazing grace of the amazing God. In time, he left the slave trade, and entered Christian ministry in the Church of England. Although he became a well-known preacher of the Gospel he is, of course, best known for his much-loved poem (later set to music): "Amazing Grace; how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me" - an amazing testimony of his own experience. 

Not all of us go through physical storms at sea. However, each of us does go through the storms of life, when we feel totally overwhelmed by various experiences. Like John Newton, we may cry out to Almighty God, seeking His mercy. 

In the book of the prophet Isaiah, we read these words: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or His ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you so that He does not hear." (Isa 59:1-2). 

At Calvary, the Lord Jesus bridged that gap of separation by His sinless sacrifice. As God the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin we respond to that love, and are born again. God the Holy Spirit now dwells within us, and gives us the power to forsake our sin - doing for us what we are incapable of doing for ourselves. That is, truly, amazing grace. May it be your experience, today!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/6OZMThBZz2w

The Romans' Road, Part 2

In yesterday's post, I introduced the Romans' Road - a 'map' that uses Paul's great Letter to the early disciples of Jesus, in the city of Rome, to set out a path, or road, to full salvation.

In that post, we had looked at the need to believe that Almighty God exists; the need to realise that you and I are sinners who need forgiveness; and the need to accept that Father God, out of His great love for us, has demonstrated that love by providing the potential for a new life, in Him, through the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus, the Christ - Almighty God in the very human flesh that He had created.

However, as we move on to step 4, we need to realise that knowledge without action is of no use at all! If we remain sinners, we will die both physically (as is the lot of everyone until the rapture of the saints) and spiritually. However, if we repent of our sins, and accept the Lord Jesus as our Saviour and Lord, we shall have, here and now, eternal life - that is, the very life of Almighty God in us! 

So Paul writes: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 6:23). Centuries before, the Jewish prophet Isaiah had written these inspired words: "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or His ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you so that He does not hear." (Isa 59:1-2). This is an Old Testament call to repentance! 

Perhaps the best-know words from the New Testament - John 3:16 - go further than those specific words: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God." (John 3:16-18). Please note the high-lighted words. That word "have" is in the present tense. That means, as I have indicated above, that the new life in Jesus is not just something for after our physical death. It's something that we experience, and enjoy, here and now! And notice the phrase that is highlighted. Again, the tense is the present. When I believe (and the Greek word could be translated "have faith in" or "put my trust in") the Lord Jesus, I am no longer under Gods' condemnation! What an offer! And it is free to all who come to Jesus, in simple faith; confessing, and repenting of, their sin; and asking for His salvation!  

Step 5 is simple to understand - but not always easy to do! Paul writes: "... if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved." (Rom 10:9-11). Oh, and ladies - "man" is used here generically, so you are fully included! Paul further writes, to the disciples of Jesus in Ephesus: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9). This is a reminder that we bring nothing to our salvation - except the sin, and sinfulness, from which we need to be saved. All is of Him - His love; His grace.

That leads us on to Step 6. There are no special rituals; there is no "magic formula"; "... there is no distinction ...; the same Lord is Lord of all and bestows His riches upon all who call upon Him. For, 'every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved'." (Rom 10:12-13). 

The final step encourages you to determine, in your own heart, to make Jesus, the Christ, Lord of your life - today! "I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Rom 12:1-2).

The "Romans' Road" shows you the pathway. Are you ready to set out on that path? If you have decided to receive Jesus as your personal Saviour, and Lord, then may I welcome you to the biggest, and most wonderful, family in the world?! May I also encourage you to follow up on your commitment, and grow closer to Him by:

• telling someone else about your new faith, and life, in Jesus;
• being baptised, on your own confession of faith, as commanded in the Scriptures;
• spending time with God, each day, by reading His Word, and praying to Him. This doesn't need to be a long time, at the beginning, although as you are drawn ever closer to Him, you will discover that you want to spend more time in His presence!;
• seeking fellowship with other genuine disciples of Jesus. This is often done, most easily by
• finding a local group of believers, who accept the Bible as God's Word, and who seek to live by its teaching, in the power of God the Holy Spirit. I would be happy to help you find such a group in your area. Sadly, just as not every person who claims to be a "Christian" is a genuine disciple of Jesus, so not every group that refers to itself as "church" is Christ-, and Bible-centred!

It's a wonderful life, That I have been travelling for, now, more than sixty years. I have not been Jesus' best disciple - but that's why I am so glad that my salvation depends, not on anything that I may have achieved, but solely, and completely, on His finished work on the cross of Calvary. 

Hallelujah! Thank You, Jesus.

Independence - in the U.S.o A.

July 4th - and celebrations all over the United States of America as they recall the signing of the Declaration of Independence (although that signing did not actually take place until Aug 2nd, 1776!) from Great Britain.  

Perhaps the best-know section of the Declaration comes from the preamble: 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.  

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. 

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."  

Some of those words, by the way, may be considered to be particularly appropriate within the context of the result of the recent U.K. referendum on continued membership of the E.U.!  However, I would also have to contend that the "just powers" of any government are derived, not "from the consent of the governed", but from Almighty God! (see Rom.13:1).

Today, for citizens of the USoA, is a reminder of the liberties that such a people, in general, enjoy. Indeed, all of us who live in "the West" enjoy freedoms and rights that are still denied to millions of people in many countries around the globe!  The problem is that most of us tend to take such things for granted, and display little concern for those who are not likewise blessed!  Often, we insist upon our own rights, and make unfair demands on others without due regard for their interests and welfare!  However, is it not true that few of us are concerned about the rights of Almighty God?

In the book of the prophet Isaiah, is a song that pictures the nation of Israel as YHWH's vineyard.  It contains these words: "... He looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes." (Isa 5:2).  The song teaches us that God has a right to expect love, worship, obedience, and willing service from those whom He blesses. Sadly, like those in Isaiah's day, most of us show little gratitude, but flagrantly break His laws.  When we do so, God has the right to act in judgement - and the histories of the nations reveal that whenever they choose to deny His existence, and reject his Word, they do indeed reap a bitter harvest.

Disciples of Jesus, at least, surely need to recognise that He is the Lord of the vineyard, and expects us - as He expected the Children of Israel - to produce "... the fruit of the Spirit [which] is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law." (Gal 5:22-24).

It is interesting that it is in Isaiah 5 that we find words that I have seen quoted, frequently, in recent months: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" (5:20).

Dr Jim Denison, in his "CulturalCommentary" for today ends with these words: "The greatest gift we can give our nation is to help her citizens be people God can bless. So let's choose to reverence God and place our hope in his love. Let's pray for others to do the same. And let's pray what we sing: "God bless America." Today and every day, to the glory of our Lord."  Let even those of us who are not citizens of the USoA pray for our own nations; and let us not forget the rights of God!

What's so "good" about Good Friday?

It does seem to be a strange way in which to refer to the day in which the focus for so many is the excruciatingly painful death, of an apparently innocent man, almost 2,000 years ago.  "Bad Friday"; "Black Friday"; even "Miserable Friday"; would surely be much more accurate!  So why "Good Friday"?

To understand this, we must go back to the very beginning of the human race, in that beautiful Garden "... in Eden, in the east;" (Gen 2:8).  Have you ever stopped to imagine it?  Planted by the Creator Himself, in a world in which there was no sin - in which mankind could meet with, and converse with, his Creator in a perfect relationship.  Truly paradise on earth!

However, such an idyllic state of affairs didn't last for long.  The story is there for all to read (Gen.3:1ff).  mankind - male and female - the pinnacle of creation, disobeyed even a simple command, and sin entered the world.  What could be done?  Mankind was punished; but a promise was given.  In what theologians refer to as the protoevangelium (literally, the first gospel), Almighty God says to the serpent, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." (Gen 3:15).  That "seed" is Jesus - the Christ (Messiah); and it is He Who hung upon that cross on that first Good Friday.

And that is why it is good!  The essence of the Gospel is that God loved the world so very much that, in Jesus, He paid the penalty that we owed; He took upon Himself the punishment that we deserved; He made it possible, again, for us to enjoy close communion with Him.  But it all depends on that Figure on the Cross at Mount Calvary (Golgotha).  Centuries before, the Jewish prophet, Isaiah, was granted a peek into the mists of future time.  He wrote, concerning the Lord Jesus: "He was despised and rejected by men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. By oppression and judgement He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made His grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence,and there was no deceit in His mouth.  Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief; ..." (Isa. 53:3-10).  And for us - you and me - that's Good News!

Hallelujah!  What a Saviour!  Praise Him for this Good Friday!