What is The Good News?

It’s a history of what God did.

I did not invent this story, but I am retelling it in my own words.

I cite the bible exclusively, and in good faith; meaning that when the cited text is interpreted literally, grammatically and historically, you may expect a direct teaching or implication of that text to support the point at which I cite it.

At the the core of this story is the fact that God paid for our guilt himself, He freed us from slavery to sin and added a credit of good to us that someone else earned.

This post is about who God is, what God did, how God did it, and how His finished work relates to you.

This is the gospel, the good news.

TLDR;

He (God) made Him (Christ) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:21)

God is

God is

God is spirit,1 infinite,2 eternal,3 and unchangeable,4 in His being,5 wisdom,6 power,7 holiness,8 justice,9 goodness,10 and truth.11

God is one Being and God is Three Persons

God is one, this one God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.12 , 13 , 14 , 15

The Father is the Father of the Son.16

The Son is the Son of the Father.17

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and the Son.18 , 19

Regarding their mutual relation, the three persons are distinct from each other.20 , 21 , 22

God has spoken

God spoke His word through His prophets.23 Men moved by the Holy Spirit, spoke from God.24 Approximately two thousand years ago, God spoke through his son.25

What God said and did was written down and preserved until the present day26 in the books of the Old Testament and the books of the New Testament, these writings are called scriptures, they are inspired by God27 and are therefore free from error in the original autographs.

God revealed Himself in creation

God created everything and everyone28 for his own glory.29 God created angels to be his ministers.30 One of God’s angels led a rebellion against Him.31

God also created mankind after his own image;32 no other creature is made this way.33 God made his attributes known to all mankind in creation.34 God created mankind to rule over creation,35 commune with God,36 and to glorify God.37 As mankind does this, God rejoices over man.38 , 39 Knowing God, being loved by God,40 and enjoying God is the greatest purpose of mankind.41

Mankind rebelled against God

The first man rebelled against God

Eve, (the first woman) was deceived by the rebellious angel (identified as the serpent, the dragon, the devil and Satan42) to disobey God’s command and rebel against Him, and her husband Adam (the first man) joined her.43 Through Adam’s transgression, sin entered the world, and death through sin.44 Sin is any lack of conformity to or transgression of the commandment of God.45

Death spread to all men because all have sinned in Adam,46 who was the head and federal representative of the human race.47 Since then, all mankind is under a sentence of death and in a state of sin and misery.48 Shortly after their fall, God promised Adam & Eve that a seed of the woman would come and crush the head of the serpent.49 In sinning against God, Adam and his descendants after him rejected God and chose to worship the creation instead of the creator.50

God judged the world by a flood

As Adam’s descendants multiplied, the earth was filled with violence,51 and every intent of the thoughts of man’s heart was only evil continually.52 God decided to judge the world.53

A man named Noah found grace in God’s eyes,54 and God told him to build a massive boat (an ark).55 Noah built the ark, God brought two of every kind of beast, bird, cattle and insect into the ark. Noah’s family entered the ark and God shut the door.56 That same day, the underground aquifers burst open, and rain fell from the sky for the first time.57 , 58 The resulting deluge covered the entire surface of the earth with water.59 Aside from the eight people in the ark and the creatures with them, everything living on the face of the earth died.60 After nearly a year, the water subsided. Noah, his family, and the creatures with them exited the ark.61

God chose Abram and justified him

In Northern Mesopotamia around 2055 B.C. lived a descendant of Noah named Abram. God told him to move his family to the land of Canaan and promised him blessing, a son, and the land of Canaan.62 , 63 God changed his name to Abraham.64 Abraham believed God, and God counted Abraham’s faith as right standing before Him.65

God revealed Himself in His law

Abraham’s descendants (the Hebrews) emigrated from Canaan to Egypt and were eventually enslaved there.66 God rescued them and judged the Egyptians.67 When judging the Egyptians, God passed over the Hebrews and did not pour out his judgment on them.68 Both groups deserved his judgment,69 but God told the Hebrews to sacrifice a lamb and mark their door posts with its blood.70 The angel of death passed over the homes with blood on the door and did not kill their firstborn.

After they left Egypt and were on their way back to Canaan, God gave his law to Israel. God’s law is an expression of his character.71 It is summarily articulated in the Ten Commandments:

  1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
  2. You shall not make for yourself an idol
  3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain
  4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
  5. Honor your father and your mother
  6. You shall not murder.
  7. You shall not commit adultery.
  8. You shall not steal.
  9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
  10. You shall not covet.72

God’s law included prescriptions of animal sacrifice to atone for the uncleanness, transgression and sin of the people of Israel.73

Israel repeatedly rebelled against God

Upon leaving Egypt and having seen God’s power, the Israelites rebelled against God.74 God judged that generation by prohibiting them entrance to the land he promised to Abraham. Instead, for 40 years they wandered in the desert.75 When that generation died, God brought the Israelites into the land of Canaan which he promised to Abraham.

In the centuries that followed, the people of Israel were repeatedly unfaithful to God.76 , 77 God promised that a deliverer from king David’s line78 , 79 would come.80 , 81

The Israelites were exiled entirely from Canaan in 587 B.C.82 A Jewish remnant came back from Babylon 70 years later to rebuild the temple.83

In 63 B.C., Pompey the Great conquered Jerusalem and made Judea a client kingdom of the Roman Republic. The history of the Jews further showed man’s fallen state, worshiping the creature instead of the creator.84

God, in His grace, provided redemption

God revealed Himself in His Son Jesus Christ

In 4 B.C., during the reign of Caesar Augustus and Herod the Great, The eternal Word,85 The Son of God,86 The Lord of Glory,87 who created all things,88 took on flesh89 and was born to a virgin named Mary,90 , 91 a descendant of David, a descendant of Abraham.92 He was named Jesus. Not being a physical descendant of Adam, the guilt of Adam’s disobedience was not imputed to him.93 He lived a life under the law that Israel received and kept it fully.94 He proclaimed the coming kingdom of God, urged the Jews to turn away from their evil practices and believe in him as their deliverer,95 he worked miracles 96 , 97 , 98 to authenticate himself as the promised messiah, king, and God in the flesh.99 , 100

Jesus Christ was rejected and murdered by the Jews and Romans

The leadership of Israel, fearing the Romans,101 rejected him as their deliverer and plotted to kill him.102 One of his disciples betrayed him to the Jewish leaders.103 The Jewish leaders seized him, tried him,104 and on false charges of blasphemy,105 judged Him worthy of death. The Jewish leaders handed him over to the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate, who first proclaimed him not guilty,106 then, under pressure from the Jewish leaders and the crowds, had him scourged, and sentenced to death by crucifixion.107

Man still worshiped the creature rather than the creator, who then stood before them in the flesh.108 , 109

Jesus Christ willingly bore God’s wrath on the behalf of sinners

About seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ,110 the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the deliverer would bear the punishment for the transgressions of others.111 The Lord Jesus Christ affirmed that he was doing this willingly.112

When he was on the cross, God the Father laid all the guilt of all the sinners that will ever be forgiven onto Christ.113 God hid his face from His Son114 and poured out His wrath on Christ as he was bearing the sins of his people.115 When the outpouring of wrath was over, Christ was still alive116 and in an act of will, He gave up his spirit and died.117 After he died, a Roman soldier pierced his side with a spear to make sure he was dead.118

The Lord Jesus Christ was God’s willing perfect blood sacrifice on behalf of sinners.119 , 120

Jesus Christ was buried

After Christ died, Joseph of Arimathea (one of his disciples)121 asked Pilate to release his body for burial. Pilate got confirmation that he was dead and released the body to Joseph. Joseph then laid it in a new tomb122 on Friday afternoon.123 , 124 (Isaiah had prophesied before that the deliverer would die as a criminal and be buried as a rich man.125) The Jewish leaders had the tomb sealed and guarded.126 His body lay in the grave all of Saturday guarded by soldiers.127

Jesus Christ arose from the dead

Early Sunday morning, The Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead.128 , 129 An angel descended from heaven and rolled the stone away. The terrified guards130 ran to the city and reported what happened.131 The Jewish leaders bribed them and instructed them to lie about what took place.132 Jesus Christ appeared to his disciples.133

Jesus Christ ascended to heaven

Forty days after his resurrection, The Lord Jesus Christ commanded his disciples to witness about Him to all the nations and make disciples.134 , 135 He then ascended into heaven136 and sat down at the right hand of God.137

Be reconciled to God through Christ

More than two thousand years after his death burial and resurrection, and His command to his disciples to witness about him and make disciples, the good news of the redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ has found its way to you.

God provided His beloved son, The Lord Jesus Christ as sacrifice to make atonement for the sins of everyone who trusts in him, and give to everyone who trusts in him the merit of Christ’s perfect life.138

God invites you to put your trust in Christ,139 , 140 and calls you to turn from your sins and submit to Him.141 , 142 Call out to Him! Since he is infinite in His being, He hears you, since He is unchangeable in his goodness, He will not reject the plea of a sinner143 seeking to be justified by Christ;144 He loves sinners.145 If you call on him, on the authority of God’s word, I testify that you will find him to be a perfect savior.146

I also have to warn you. If you despise God’s grace and reject His son, choosing to keep worshiping the creature rather than submitting to your creator and rightful lord, God will reveal himself to you in judgment and you will face infinite, eternal and unchangeable justice.147

  1. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (Jn. 4:24 NASB) ↩︎

  2. “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty? (Job 11:7 NASB) ↩︎

  3. Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. (Ps. 90:2 NASB) ↩︎

  4. “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. (Mal. 3:6 NASB) ↩︎

  5. God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exod. 3:14 NASB) ↩︎

  6. Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite. (Ps. 147:5 NASB) ↩︎

  7. “Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” (Gen. 18:14 NASB) ↩︎

  8. In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” (Isa. 6:1-3 NASB) ↩︎

  9. He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD. (Ps. 33:5 NASB) ↩︎

  10. Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. (Ps.25:8 NASB) ↩︎

  11. But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth. (Ps. 86:15 NASB) ↩︎

  12. ‘See now that I, I am He, And there is no god besides Me’ (Deut. 32:39 NASB) ↩︎

  13. ‘Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!’ (Deut. 6:4 NASB) ↩︎

  14. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matt. 3:16-17 NASB) ↩︎

  15. When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, (Jn. 15:26 NASB) ↩︎

  16. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3 NASB) ↩︎

  17. “Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said,“Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, (Jn. 17:1 NASB) ↩︎

  18. “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;” (Jn. 14:16 NASB). ↩︎

  19. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit . . . You have not lied to men but to God.” (Acts 5:3-4 NASB) ↩︎

  20. A Psalm of David. The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.” (Ps. 110:1 NASB) ↩︎

  21. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. (Jn. 17:5 NASB) ↩︎

  22. For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. (1 Cor. 2:10-11 NASB) ↩︎

  23. You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. (Exod. 4:15 NASB) ↩︎

  24. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Pet. 1:20-21 NASB) ↩︎

  25. God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. (Heb. 1:1-2 NASB) ↩︎

  26. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. (Matt. 24:35 NASB) ↩︎

  27. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; (2 Tim. 3:16 NASB) ↩︎

  28. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Gen. 1:26-27 NASB) ↩︎

  29. “Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.” (Isa. 43:7 NASB) ↩︎

  30. And of the angels He says, “WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS WINDS, AND HIS MINISTERS A FLAME OF FIRE.” (Heb. 1:7 NASB) ↩︎

  31. “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. (Isa. 14:13) ↩︎

  32. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Gen. 1:26 NASB) ↩︎

  33. For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. (1 Cor. 11:7 NASB) ↩︎

  34. because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. (Rom. 1:19-20 NASB) ↩︎

  35. What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. (Ps. 8:4-8 NASB) ↩︎

  36. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. (Rev. 21:3–4 NASB) ↩︎

  37. “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” (Rev. 4:11 NASB) ↩︎

  38. Isaiah 62:5 For as a young man marries a virgin, So your sons will marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So your God will rejoice over you. (Isa. 62:5 NASB) ↩︎

  39. For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. (1 Cor. 2:10-11 NASB) ↩︎

  40. for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father. (Jn. 16:27 NASB) ↩︎

  41. but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD. (Jer. 9:24 NASB) ↩︎

  42. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; ↩︎

  43. but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” (Gen. 2:17 NASB) . . . Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. (Gen. 3:1-6 NASB) ↩︎

  44. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned (Rom. 5:12 NASB) ↩︎

  45. Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. (1 Jn. 3:4 NASB) ↩︎

  46. Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned (Rom. 5:12 NASB) ↩︎

  47. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. (Rom. 5:18 NASB) ↩︎

  48. The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant. Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. (Isa. 24:5-6 NASB) ↩︎

  49. And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel. (Gen. 3:15 NASB) ↩︎

  50. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. (Rom. 1:21-23 NASB) ↩︎

  51. Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. (Gen. 6:11 NASB) ↩︎

  52. Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Gen. 6:5 NASB) ↩︎

  53. Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. (Gen. 6:13) ↩︎

  54. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (Gen. 6:8 NASB) ↩︎

  55. “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. (Gen. 6:14) ↩︎

  56. Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the LORD closed it behind him. (Gen. 7:16) ↩︎

  57. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. (Gen. 7:11 NASB) ↩︎

  58. Now no shrub of the field was yet in the earth, and no plant of the field had yet sprouted, for the LORD God had not sent rain upon the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. But a mist used to rise from the earth and water the whole surface of the ground. (Gen. 2:5–6 NASB) ↩︎

  59. And the water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered. (Gen. 7:19 NASB) ↩︎

  60. And all flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and all mankind; of all that was on the dry land, all in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, died. (Gen. 7:21-22 NASB) ↩︎

  61. “Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you.“Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him.Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by their families from the ark. (Gen. 8:16-19 NASB) ↩︎

  62. Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Gen. 12:1-3 NASB) ↩︎

  63. Abram passed through the land as far as the site of Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. Now the Canaanite was then in the land. The LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the LORD who had appeared to him. (Gen. 12:6-7 NASB) ↩︎

  64. You are the LORD God, Who chose Abram And brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees, And gave him the name Abraham. (Neh. 9:7 NASB) ↩︎

  65. Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. And He said to him, “I am the LORD who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” (Gen. 15:6-7 NASB) ↩︎

  66. God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. (Gen. 15:13 NASB) ↩︎

  67. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. (Exod. 20:2 NASB) ↩︎

  68. And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today. (Deut. 15:15 NASB) ↩︎

  69. And it will come about when your children will say to you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’ that you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to the LORD who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.’” And the people bowed low and worshiped. (Exod. 12:26-27 NASB) ↩︎

  70. ‘The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.’ (Exod. 12:13 NASB) ↩︎

  71. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. (Rom. 7:12 NASB) ↩︎

  72. Then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.“You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth.“You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. 8"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you.“For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.“You shall not murder. “You shall not commit adultery.“You shall not steal. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exod. 20:1-17 NASB) ↩︎

  73. “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. (Lev 16:15-16 ESV) ↩︎

  74. All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! “Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” (Num. 14:2–4 NASB) ↩︎

  75. Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness. (Num. 14:33 NASB) ↩︎

  76. They turned aside like a treacherous bow. For they provoked Him with their high places And aroused His jealousy with their graven images. (Ps. 78:57–58 NASB) ↩︎

  77. They did not keep the covenant of God And refused to walk in His law; (Ps. 78:10 NASB) ↩︎

  78. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land.“In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, ‘The LORD our righteousness.’ (Jer. 23:5-6 NASB) ↩︎

  79. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. (Isa. 9:7 NASB) ↩︎

  80. “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD. “And as for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.” (Isa. 59:20-21 NASB) ↩︎

  81. ‘I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. ‘And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. (Deut. 18:18-19 NASB) ↩︎

  82. in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the city wall was breached. (Jer. 39:2 NASB) . . . The Chaldeans also burned with fire the king’s palace and the houses of the people, and they broke down the walls of Jerusalem. As for the rest of the people who were left in the city, the deserters who had gone over to him and the rest of the people who remained, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard carried them into exile in Babylon. (Jer. 39:8-9 NASB) ↩︎

  83. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. ‘Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. (Ezr. 1:1-3 NASB) ↩︎

  84. “But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘It was not to Me that you offered victims and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, was it, O house of Israel? ‘You also took along the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god Rompha, the images which you made to worship them. I also will remove you beyond Babylon.’ (Acts 7:42-43 NASB) ↩︎

  85. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 NASB) ↩︎

  86. Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!” (Mark 9:7 NASB) ↩︎

  87. My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. (Jas 2:1 NASB) ↩︎

  88. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. (Jn. 1:10 NASB) ↩︎

  89. By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory. (1 Tim. 3:16 NASB) ↩︎

  90. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus. (Matt. 1:20-25 NASB) ↩︎

  91. Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. (Luke 2:1-12) ↩︎

  92. The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez was the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David the king. David was the father of Solomon by Bathsheba who had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon was the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa. Asa was the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah was the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, and Amon the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jeconiah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. After the deportation to Babylon: Jeconiah became the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor. Azor was the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud. Eliud was the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations. (Matt 1:1-17 NASB) ↩︎

  93. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven. (1 Cor. 15:47 NASB) ↩︎

  94. “Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? (Jn. 8:46 NASB) ↩︎

  95. Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mk. 1:14-15 NASB) ↩︎

  96. “But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. (Lk. 11:20 NASB) ↩︎

  97. 43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” (Jn. 11:43-44 NASB) ↩︎

  98. “But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”– He said to the paralytic– “I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. (Lk. 5:24-25 NASB) ↩︎

  99. Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these bear witness of Me. (Jn. 10:25 NASB) ↩︎

  100. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Luke 5:21 NASB) ↩︎

  101. “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” (Jn. 11:48 NASB) ↩︎

  102. So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. (Jn. 11:53 NASB) ↩︎

  103. Now he who was betraying Him gave them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the one; seize Him.” Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, “Hail, Rabbi!” and kissed Him. (Matt. 26:48-49 NASB) ↩︎

  104. Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, (Matt. 26:59-60 NASB) ↩︎

  105. Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; (Matt. 26:64-65 NASB) ↩︎

  106. Pilate came out again and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you so that you may know that I find no guilt in Him.” (Jn. 19:4 NASB) ↩︎

  107. So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified. (Jn. 19:15-16 NASB) ↩︎

  108. But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, (Acts 3:14 NASB) ↩︎

  109. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it. (Acts 7:52–53 NASB) ↩︎

  110. The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. (Isa. 1:1 NASB) ↩︎

  111. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. (Isa. 53:5-6 NASB) ↩︎

  112. “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.” (Jn. 10:17-18 NASB) ↩︎

  113. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death (Col. 1:21-22 NASB) ↩︎

  114. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” (Matt. 27:46 NASB) ↩︎

  115. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:21 NASB) ↩︎

  116. When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit. (Jn. 19:30 NASB) ↩︎

  117. And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, “Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT.” Having said this, He breathed His last. (Lk. 23:46 NASB) ↩︎

  118. The soldiers therefore came, and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other man who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs; but one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water. (Jn. 19:32-34 NASB) ↩︎

  119. The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29 NASB) ↩︎

  120. These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Heb. 9:6-14 ESV) ↩︎

  121. After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. (Jn. 19:38 NASB) ↩︎

  122. And behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the Council, a good and righteous man (he had not consented to their plan and action), a man from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who was waiting for the kingdom of God; this man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. And he took it down and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid Him in a tomb cut into the rock, where no one had ever lain. (Lk. 23:50-53 NASB) ↩︎

  123. And it was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. (Lk. 23:54 NASB) ↩︎

  124. And when it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. (Matt. 27:57 NASB) ↩︎

  125. His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. (Isa. 53:9 NASB) ↩︎

  126. And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone. (Matt. 27:66 NASB) ↩︎

  127. And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone. (Matt. 27:66 NASB) ↩︎

  128. And the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.“He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. (Matt. 28:5-6 NASB) ↩︎

  129. “And when they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.“But God raised Him from the dead; (Acts 13:29-30 NASB) ↩︎

  130. Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his garment as white as snow; and the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. (Matt. 28:1-4 NASB) ↩︎

  131. Now while they were on their way, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. (Matt. 28:11 NASB) ↩︎

  132. Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ “And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day. (Matt. 28:12-15 NASB) ↩︎

  133. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. ( 1 Cor. 15:3–8 NASB) ↩︎

  134. but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NASB) ↩︎

  135. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20 NASB) ↩︎

  136. And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. (Acts 1:9 NASB) ↩︎

  137. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; (Heb. 1:3 NASB) ↩︎

  138. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:21 NASB) ↩︎

  139. Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other. (Isa. 45:22 NASB) ↩︎

  140. Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. (Matt. 11:28 NASB) ↩︎

  141. Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. (Isa. 42:1 NASB) ↩︎

  142. “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, (Acts 17:30 NASB) ↩︎

  143. A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise. (Ps. 51:17 NASB) ↩︎

  144. for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” (Rom. 10:13 NASB) ↩︎

  145. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8 NASB) ↩︎

  146. Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Heb 7:25 NASB) ↩︎

  147. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:1-15 NASB) ↩︎