Gospel Articles
Nowhere does the Bible say the gospel is that Jesus Christ came to die for our sins! Instead, the true gospel tells us why He did so. More than that, it reveals the momentous purpose that God is accomplishing, what it means to be born again, how to receive eternal life, what salvation is, and the reason reconciliation through the blood of the Lamb is necessary.
'After Three Days'
Summary: A scriptural explanation of the time of Christ's death, burial and resurrection, showing that He died on a Wednesday and rose from the dead on the Sabbath.
'Seventy Weeks Are Determined...'
Summary: The Seventy Weeks Prophecy is a bone of contention among prophecy experts. Richard Ritenbaugh shows that simply taking the Bible at face value makes the meaning of this prophecy crystal clear!
An Unpayable Debt and Obligation
Summary: When God calls us and redeems us through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ, we suddenly come under obligation, an immense debt we cannot pay. Were we to somehow pay it ourselves - which we could do only by dying - we would have no hope of eternal life, just the finality of death. John Ritenbaugh illustrates the magnanimity of God's gracious redemption and the response it compels the redeemed to give Him in turn.
Appeasement (Part Two)
Summary: Part One introduced the concept of appeasement—“granting concessions to potential enemies to maintain peace”—and provided a few examples of the policy at work before World War II and during the more recent Antifa riots in Portland, Oregon. ...
Are You Drinking of the Master's Cup?
Summary: When we partake of the tiny cup of wine at the Passover service, we usually think of its symbolism as Christ's blood shed for our sins. However, the cup itself and its contents have another, vital meaning for us!
Christ, Our Passover
Summary: Many people, even in the church of God, believe that Passover focuses on our sins—but they are wrong! We are certainly to examine ourselves to take it worthily, but the Passover's central figure is Christ, the Lamb of God. John Ritenbaugh explores His awesome, gracious sacrifice that enables forgiveness of sin and opens a relationship with God. How well do we know Him?
David the Prophet
Summary: In thinking about David son of Jesse, we immediately bring to mind that he was King of Israel, a shepherd, a warrior, a psalmist, and a man after God's own heart. But we often fail to realize that, among his many other accomplishments, he was a significant prophet. Richard Ritenbaugh examines Psalm 22, a most clearly recognizable prophecy of Christ's suffering among the many psalms of David.
Death of a Lamb
Summary: Since the church no longer keeps the Passover with the slaughter of a lamb, we miss important and poignant details that could enhance our observance. A personal experience with two ewes serves as a springboard to explain greater, spiritual lessons.
Evaluating the Price of Redemption
Summary: Of all of God's appointed times, the Passover is one that we should not just rush into without thought and preparation. If we do so, we will miss the awesome depth of its meaning, placing ourselves in danger of taking the Passover unworthily. ...
Hope and Refuge (Part Two)
Summary: The author of Hebrews writes in Hebrews 6:17-18: "Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things ..."
How Did They Overcome? (Part Three)
Summary: We all know the titanic struggle Paul describes in Romans 7, where he talks about wanting to do what is right yet doing what is wrong instead. He cries out, “O wretched man that I am! . . .”
How Did They Overcome? (Part Two)
Summary: God is keenly interested in whether His people overcome Satan, including this world, which the Devil has shaped, and our own human nature, which he has corrupted and continues to influence. ...
I Am Barabbas
Summary: Many, reading the accounts of Jesus Christ's trial and crucifixion, note the story of Barabbas, the criminal Pilate freed that Passover instead of Jesus. Some realize a few of the parallels between the two men and see Barabbas as an anti-Jesus, a sinner whom the people chose rather than the Savior. But the lesson of Barabbas goes much deeper, affecting us personally as sinners who received unmerited pardon through Christ.
In the Heart of the Earth
Summary: It is amazing that people who claim to be followers of Christ do not take Him at His word. In His only sign of His Messiahship, Jesus prophesied He would be "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." Yet, each year, they celebrate Easter, which rests on a sunset Friday burial and a Sunday dawn resurrection. Richard Ritenbaugh observes that the Bible consistently supports a complete 72-hour burial period, exactly three days and three nights.
Is It Fair?
Summary: In our society today, a great deal of talk about fairness leads to laws and policies to address unfairness. In Matthew 20, in the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard, fairness becomes an issue. ...
Is the Symbol of the Cross Idolatry? (Part One)
Summary: Most of us have watched a baseball game. Chances are we have all seen a batter about to enter the batter's box make the sign of the cross. Or perhaps we are basketball fans. We have seen it there too ...
Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God (Part One)
Summary: Scripture is replete with types, most of which appear in the Old Testament, and antitypes, which are spiritually fulfilled in the New Testament or will be fulfilled at the end time. The lamb the ancient Israelites slew on that first Passover in Egypt is a significant type, fulfilled in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. John Reiss examines five details of God's instructions in Exodus, comparing them to the events surrounding His death in the gospels.
Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God (Part Two)
Summary: The death of Jesus Christ fulfilled the ancient Passover sacrifice almost 2,000 years ago. He is, as John the Baptist says, "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). The New Testament Passover, a type of the peace offering, pictures the harmony, peace, and satisfaction that exists between God, the High Priest, and us. John Reiss urges us to meditate on these things.
Jesus' Final Human Thoughts (Part One)
Summary: "While [Jesus] was being tortured, hated, and crucified, was He 'thinking' of all the dirty sins for which He was dying?" asked a correspondent. The Bible shows that Jesus' thoughts were elsewhere—and more constructively—engaged.
Jesus' Final Human Thoughts (Part Two)
Summary: What was Jesus thinking about during His last hours as a human? It seems highly unlikely that our pure and sinless Savior spent much time thinking about our sins. The gospel accounts reveal what Jesus knew about His suffering, death, and resurrection, as well as His relationship with the Father.
Jesus' Sufferings on Passover
Summary: The leaders of the Jews—the chief priests, elders, scribes, and Pharisees—had begun early in Jesus’ ministry trying to undermine Him and find a way to get rid of Him. ...
Leadership and Covenants (Part Eleven): Signs
Summary: After Noah and his family left the ark, God set the rainbow in the sky as a sign of His covenant with all living creatures not to flood the world again. Ever since, John Ritenbaugh explains, God has been providing additional signs, particularly those that promise that He will provide a Savior and Redeemer to free mankind from its bondage to sin and death.
Led Outside the Gate
Summary: Meekness, we should understand, is not weakness. Though scoffed at by an assertive and bruising world, meekness demonstrates tremendous strength, for it is power under internal restraint. ...
Lessons From a Worm
Summary: The old Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course on Passover (Lesson 33) exhorts the reader to study Psalm 22, which prophesies of Jesus Christ’s suffering. In particular, Psalm 22:6 ...
Life Doesn't Work on a Balance Sheet (Part One)
Summary: We hear the phrase so often that it has become a cliché: “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
It is typically asked in times of catastrophe, such as when natural disasters strike or the apparently undeserving suffer violence. ...
Life Doesn't Work on a Balance Sheet (Part Two)
Summary: As we saw in Part One, Hebrews 5:7-10 describes a facet of Christ’s suffering: "... who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications ..."
Light Affliction?
Summary: Affliction seems to be an integral part of Christianity. Our Savior Jesus Christ and His apostles suffered a great deal during their ministries, and though modern Christians' burdens cannot compare to theirs, they are still significant enough to cause great pain. Pat Higgins demonstrates the relative nature of Christian affliction, urging believers to take the Bible's long view of their suffering.
Of Sponges and Spears
Summary: When we study the great sacrifice of our Savior in preparation for the Passover, we often are too busy hitting the "big points" to see the tremendous spiritual instruction in the little ones. This article draws our attention to Jesus' cup, the gall, and the Roman spear that appear in the gospels' crucifixion narratives.
Passover, Obligation, and Love
Summary: In the Model Prayer, Jesus mentions the forgiveness of sin in terms of paying off debt. Anyone with an unpayable debt that was redeemed by another would feel an immense sense of gratitude and obligation to his benefactor. John Ritenbaugh discusses how Christ's redemption of us from our massive debt of sin obligates us to obey and serve Him by doing good in acts of love and service to others.
Priceless
Summary: Christians commemorate the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ every year with the Passover. Because it is an annual observance, some members may, over time, fail to appreciate each year what Christ did for His people. His sacrifice was profound in both execution and accomplishment. Richard Ritenbaugh lists fourteen costs Jesus and the Father had to pay for our redemption.
Remember Me (Part One)
Summary: In I Corinthians 11:23-30, the apostle Paul reiterates what took place the night our Savior was betrayed and His instruction regarding the proper observance of Passover: "For I received ...
Remember Me (Part Two)
Summary: The apostle Paul teaches Christians in I Corinthians 11:27-29 to appraise themselves carefully before partaking of the bread and the wine in the Passover service: "So if anyone eats ...
Thanking God for Jesus Christ
Summary: The world will soon celebrate Christmas. Everywhere we look, we see reminders of the season — mostly colorful lights, evergreen trees, stockings hung on mantles, and white-bearded men in red and white ...
The Awesome Cost of Love
Summary: We assess costs and values all the time in our daily lives: Is it better to buy used or new? Should we prefer traditional or contemporary? Paper or plastic? John Ritenbaugh employs the same process to God's love for us in giving His Son as the sacrifice for sin. What costs have been paid for our redemption?
The Cross: Christian Banner or Pagan Relic?
Summary: Is it alright to wear a crucifix? Earl Henn reveals the origins of the cross and shows why it is NOT a Christian symbol!
The Elements of Motivation (Part Four): Obligation
Summary: No one likes to be indebted to someone else. However, when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, and He pays for our sins by His blood, we owe Him our lives! But rather than being onerous, our spiritual obligation produces good, leading to a deeply held, personal loyalty to Him. John Ritenbaugh explains that our redemption should make us strive to please Him in every facet of life.
The Miracles of Jesus Christ: Healing Malchus' Ear (Part Two)
Summary: Even while in the process of being arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus showed mercy on the stricken Malchus, healing his detached ear. Martin Collins continues to explore this incident in the life of Christ, showing that He was true to His Father's will even during the most agonizing night of His life, drinking the cup He had been given.
The Price of Atonement
Summary: The Day of Atonement stands out among God's holy days because it is the only one that requires those who observe it to fast. This solemn appointed time, however, means far more than just afflicting our souls! It focuses on the work of the Savior in cleansing His people of their sins and completely removing their iniquities. Richard Ritenbaugh considers the incalculable value of the Sacrifice made for our atonement.
The Prophecy in Psalm 22
Summary: Psalm 22 rivals Isaiah 53 as a thorough prophecy of the crucifixion and death of our Savior Jesus Christ. From David's pen, we can grasp the gist of Jesus' suffering and the weight of sin that the Father placed on Him. Richard Ritenbaugh focuses on seven prophecies in Psalm 22 that the gospel writers explicitly mention as fulfilling prophecy.
Was God's Law Nailed to the Cross?
Summary: Many point to Colossians 2:14 to "prove" that it is no longer necessary to keep God's law, but is this really what the apostle Paul means? Was the law nailed to Christ's cross? What is the "handwriting of requirements" he writes of? Using the immediate context and supporting scriptures, Earl Henn untangles the apostle's intent in this verse.
Was Jesus Christ's Body Broken? (Part One)
Summary: How often have we heard the phrase “Christ’s broken body”? Many have heard it throughout their lives and have used it countless times. It rolls off the tongue easily and with hardly a second thought. But is it accurate? ...
Was Jesus Christ's Body Broken? (Part Three)
Summary: Conceptually, the image of a “broken body” is one of defeat. An image that springs to mind is of a warrior beaten and dead on the battlefield. However, Jesus Christ was not ...
Was Jesus Christ's Body Broken? (Part Two)
Summary: In Part One, we saw that the word “broken” does not actually appear in the oldest and perhaps best Greek manuscripts of I Corinthians 11:24: “.. . and when [Jesus] had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body ..."
Was Jesus Resurrected on Easter Sunday?
Summary: Most people who claim to be Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ on a Sunday, usually with a dawn service. Is this biblically accurate? Jesus Himself said He would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Can that period of time be squeezed into a Friday sunset to Sunday dawn scenario? If we allow Scripture to define its terms and follow the clues, our Savior's resurrection cannot have happened on a Sunday!
What Does It Mean to Take Up the Cross?
Summary: Beyond the fact that our Savior Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross of some sort, He used its imagery to instruct His followers: He bids us take up our cross and follow Him. David Grabbe analyzes what Jesus' command would have meant to those who heard Him, showing that our Savior is asking us to follow His example of sacrifice in our own Christian lives.
What Happened to the Thief on the Cross? (Part Four)
Summary: Even though interpreting Luke 23:43 as saying that Jesus Christ and the criminal would both be in Paradise that very day contradicts many clear scriptures, some still hold onto this idea because of the unique construction of the sentence. ...
What Happened to the Thief on the Cross? (Part One)
Summary: In Luke 23:43, Jesus Christ tells one of the criminals being crucified next to Him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise. ...
What Happened to the Thief on the Cross? (Part Three)
Summary: If the thief on the cross lived again the day that he was crucified, ascending to heaven, not only would he have gone there without Jesus Christ, but he also would have been a jarring exception to the Bible’s clear statements ...
What Happened to the Thief on the Cross? (Part Two)
Summary: Scripture shows plainly that Jesus’s body and soul were in “Hades”—the grave—for three days and three nights, starting on the day He died. ...
What Is Propitiation? (Part One)
Summary: God and humankind are very different. God is spiritual, immortal, righteous, holy, and pure. Human beings, on the other hand, have the opposite attributes: physical, mortal, sinful, profane, and corrupt. Martin Collins begins a short series on the subject of propitiation to explain how God and man can be reconciled and experience a profitable relationship.
What Is Propitiation? (Part Two)
Summary: The subject of propitiation can be deeply complex. However, understanding three related Greek terms will help to frame propitiation properly, as the expression of God's mercy and grace. Martin Collins explains that Christ's propitiatory sacrifice satisfied both the law and God's holiness, allowing Him to extend mercy to believing, repentant sinners.
What Is the Passover Anyway?
Summary: To someone not familiar with the Bible's instructions regarding the keeping of Passover, this festival can seem strange and confusing. This article explains the basic points of the Passover, showing from Scripture what God commands and why.
What Is This "Advent"?
Summary: The world around us is celebrating what many call Advent, the month-long buildup to Christmas that the more devout among them treat as a period of more intense prayer and fasting. ...
When Is Passover?
Summary: This year, Passover observance begins Monday evening, April 21, which is Nisan 14 on the Hebrew calendar. Is that the right time? Are we sure? ...
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat— Satan or Christ? (Part Three)
Summary: The offering on the Day of Atonement is unique in that it is a singular offering in two parts, each goat representing a separate aspect of Christ's sacrifice. In Part Three, David Grabbe explains why the goat of departure cannot be connected to the binding of Satan (Revelation 20:1-3), as well as how Hebrews 9 and 10 clarify the Atonement ritual's meaning through the complete—and completed—sacrifice of Christ.
Who Fulfills the Azazel Goat—Satan or Christ? (Part Two)
Summary: In the pivotal ritual on the Day of Atonement, two goats play significant and separate roles to represent specific divine purposes within the process of salvation. As David Grabbe explains, understanding the role of the live goat hinges on recognizing whose sins are in view, as well as who is actually responsible for sin.
Why Did Jesus Have to Die by Crucifixion?
Summary: Crucifixion is man's most cruel, inhumane form of capital punishment. Why did our Savior need to die this way? What does it teach us? This article also includes an inset, "Was Jesus Stabbed Before or After He Died?"
Why Do We Observe Unleavened Bread? (Part Two)
Summary: Exodus 12:19-20 gives a third, vital aspect of this Feast: We must eat nothing leavened nor have leavening in our houses. ...
Why Was Jesus Not Crucified as Passover Began? (Part One)
Summary: Many Bible students scratch their heads over a seeming discrepancy in timing between the Old Testament instructions about Passover and Christ's fulfillment of it in His crucifixion. Contending that the spiritual fulfillment is far more important than physical rites, David Grabbe relates that Jesus did indeed fulfill the Passover—just not as one might expect.
Worthy to Take the Scroll
Summary: When reading the book of Revelation, we often pass quickly through chapters 4 and 5, perhaps because very little of significance seems to happen in them. To many, they contain just a fantastic description of God's throne room. David Grabbe, however, explains that chapter 5, especially, narrates an event of tremendous magnitude for those whom God has chosen.
For more on the true gospel, God's plan, mankind's destiny, and the coming Kingdom of God, see the Gospel Sermons page.
