When I was growing up, I had a narrow understanding of
the term which consisted of the story of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and
resurrection. It also included the
process of claiming the assurance of salvation. While I do not discount those
things, I’ve come to realize there was more to Jesus’ good news.
The good news is that God is not the vengeful, warlike
entity that we might understand from earlier writings, but rather more like the
doting, overindulgent father of the tale of “The Prodigal Son.” Or he’s the shepherd who loses all
perspective and leaves everything to find the one lost sheep.
The good news is that God is the Great Physician who
looks at sinfulness and sees it as sickness which he can cure. He repairs, restores, and revives us rather
than rejecting us if we don’t measure up.
The good news is that the kingdom of God has different
values than other kingdoms. In God’s kingdom the first are last and the last
are first, the poor are more important than the rich, the weak are honored over
the strong, and the children get more attention than the adults. Furthermore,
though it may honor the weak, the kingdom of God is stronger than any earthly
kingdom. It continues to advance, cannot
be destroyed, and will last forever.
The story of the cross is about atonement, but it is also
about triumph where evil is overcome with good, darkness is overcome by light,
and death is defeated by life.
As we celebrate Holy Week, let’s remember the full
blessing of the Good News.
