The book of Acts gives us numerous examples of the preaching of the apostles, starting with our focus this Sunday in Acts 2.
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:36-38
The video above, and the sermon series from 2018 (The Gospel) provides a detailed exposition of the good news of Jesus Christ in His 10 saving acts: 1) Jesus is Lord; 2) Jesus came; 3) Jesus lived; 4) Jesus calls; 5) Jesus died; 6) Jesus rose; 7) Jesus forgives; 8) Jesus gives (the Holy Spirit); 9) Jesus reigns and; 10) Jesus is coming soon!
The first and central message of the gospel is that Jesus is Lord. In today’s culture we often emphasize the fact that Jesus is love (John 3:16). But in all the preaching of the apostles in the book of Acts, guess how many times they said that? How often did Peter or Paul preach, “Jesus is love”? The answer is – in the text of Acts – not once. What they repeated over and over is “Jesus is Lord.” In fact, for every one time in the New Testament that we see “Jesus is love” there are 20 examples of the assertion, “Jesus is Lord.”
This is not to say that it is unimportant or untrue to say “Jesus is love,” for He certainly is. But it does invite us to be sure the gospel we preach includes the same emphasis of the New Testament – on the Lordship of Christ. And it calls us to understand the full meaning of the claim that Jesus is Lord. It does not just mean that He is enthroned with power and authority over all things. It also means He is Lord in perfect humanity and in perfect divinity. This is the 3D Gospel.
Because Jesus is Lord in every dimension, His salvation applies in every direction – it covers our past, present and future. His perfect righteousness is sufficient to pay for all of our sins and declare us justified. His perfect authority is sufficient to set us free from sin’s power and enable us to live for Him each day. And His perfect divinity gives us full assurance that He will complete the work He has started in us and in the world.
Understanding the fullness of the Lordship of Christ sets us free from the burden of religion. Because we are saved by the work of Jesus and not our own work, we don’t have to perform to win God’s favor but rather we have God’s favor already in Christ. We don’t work for salvation but rather from salvation. This is why Jesus could say, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:30). If Christianity feels stressful and difficult for you, take a closer look at the gospel!
Notice in the Gospel 10 video at the top the “V” shaped ministry of Jesus. The all-glorious Son of God, eternally enthroned in heaven, lowered Himself to become a fully human baby and then lived a downward aimed life of service, suffering and sacrifice. Because Jesus humbled himself “to the point of death, even death on a cross, therefore God has highly exalted him” (Philippians 2:8-9). When Jesus walked out of the tomb, His exaltation had begun, which will culminate in His return and the eternal establishment of His throne on earth.
Now Jesus invites us into this same “V” shaped life. We must follow Him on the downward path of humility, service, sacrifice and suffering. We should expect to face persecution and opposition as He did. But we know that “we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Rom. 8:17).
Know the gospel. Believe the gospel. Live the gospel. This is how we are transformed and it is how the world is transformed!