“This world needs the Gospel.”
I’ve uttered that phrase quite a few times over the years while driving or walking or otherwise spending time in my small town. My reasons for saying these words have varied widely — sometimes it’s a half-imprecatory observation directed at the driver who just somewhat aggressively cut in front of me in the construction zone in front of Frosty’s Donuts, and other times it’s because my heart broke as I happened to walk past a couple of broken, drug-addled young adults slumped up against the brick wall of the Walgreens.
“This world needs the Gospel.”
Maybe it’s because I saw yet another tall, steepled church-way-older-than-me adorned with rainbow flags situated right by our town’s rainbow crosswalk which itself sits under a rainbow banner. Or maybe it’s because I watched an irritated dad at the restaurant practically dragging his little boy by the hand back to his seat after using the restroom — the dad has an annoyed, disgruntled look on his face, but the boy’s visage is nearly expressionless, almost completely hiding the hints of sorrow for being an inconvenience to his family for existing.
“This world needs the Gospel.”
I say it so much. Maybe too much. Certainly I say it far more than I actually do anything. It’s almost like a mantra for me. Sort of empty, almost. Maybe you say it, too, or something like it. Maybe, “this world needs Jesus.” Or, “come quickly, Lord,” or some other burdened exhale of exasperation or grief.
But what does this mean, really?
That is, what do I mean when I say that the world “needs the Gospel?”
Do I mean they need to say a prayer and “get saved” and punch their ticket to heaven when they die? Do I mean they need to get baptized and catechized and start attending church regularly?Really, what do I mean when I say this world needs the Gospel? In other words, what difference would it make in each of the circumstances that prompt me to utter this little wistful wish?
What impact does the Gospel have on the person who cut me off in traffic or on the hollowed-out husks of humanity strung out on drugs? What kind of difference would the Gospel make for the church embracing false doctrine or the angry father and hurting son?
If I believe the Gospel can help these people, then this means that I have to believe that the Gospel is more than just a profession and final destination. I have to believe that it is more than just a quick trip to the baptistery or membership in a church or parish.
And thankfully, it is. It is so much more. It is everything.
The Gospel is the news that there is a new King in town — King Jesus — and that he has come to rule (or shepherd) this world, his world, in justice, rightness, and honesty. It is the invitation to come and follow Jesus and ally oneself to this King and live under this rule. So the Gospel, then, is more than a profession or dip in the font. It is a grateful and privileged change of life, of alignment, of direction, or citizenship. It is to recognize and reckon with the fact that while Caesar may be the “little k” king, Jesus is the King. And that’s really good news.
This is why Jesus talks so much about eternal life being for those who will “obey” or “follow him” or “keep his commandments” or “do his will.” It’s because the Gospel is oriented around the reality that Jesus is not passively standing by waiting for people to say a passcode or phrase that will magically alter their final destination and that’s it. No, he desires to step into our lives now and transform us into his image as we submit ourselves to his rule in our lives.
This means that eternal life is both now and not yet, as it waits at the end of the road for those who truly believe the Gospel — those who believe that Jesus is King and naturally adjust their alliances and behaviors to reflect this reality. After all, what is a belief that doesn’t affect behaviors? James would say it’s not really a belief at all.
This isn’t scary news or bad news or “works-based” this or “lordship” that. It’s the Gospel that Jesus taught over and over again, and it’s nothing but good news: Jesus, who is Rabbi and Lord and King and Savior, sits on the throne today, tomorrow, and forever — and those who submit to his kind and merciful and good rule now will rule alongside him in the life to come.
It’s this kind of Gospel that affects how we drive in traffic. It’s this kind of Gospel that affects how pure we live. It’s this kind of Gospel that guards our tongues from gossip, our eyes from pornography, and our hands from violence. No other Gospel will do.
