It is one of the simplest of all statements made in the New Testament. The words at the end of Mark 12:37, “And the common people heard Him gladly.” Jesus did not come to be heard by the elite, the rich, or the famous. Jesus came to be heard and listened to by the common. The gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek (Romans 1:16). The gospel is not for any class, race, or gender. The gospel is available to all men. God shows no partiality, but in every nation whoever works righteousness is accepted by Him (Acts 10:34-35). Consider four characteristics of the gospel and let us not think more highly of ourselves than we ought, nor less of any of our fellow man!
The gospel is free. Even the poor can hear and be saved by it. In Matthew 11:5, Jesus said, “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them,” (emp. mine). Peter told the poor, lame man, in Acts 3:1-8 that he didn’t have silver or gold, but in the name of Jesus made him whole. The point being made here is that the gospel is available for all men. God does not look at how much is in your bank account – the gospel is free!
The gospel compensates. The downtrodden are rewarded by it. The Lord never promises great riches in this life for obedience to the gospel, but the words of Jesus should warm the hearts of all who will hear. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life,” (Matthew 11:29). It costs no money to obtain, just a serving attitude, and Jesus says that even if everything must be given up, it is totally worth it because you will receive the greatest reward of eternal life!
The gospel is plain. Even the uneducated can understand it. Many generations gone by barely completed grade school. Some of our greatest preachers were men who didn’t have much formal education, but the gospel is plain, it is understandable. Peter and John were called, “uneducated and untrained men” in Acts 4:13, yet they were able to go about preaching the gospel and were heard gladly by others uneducated and untrained. The gospel is not hard to understand, God has delivered His saving message and plan in a way that can easily be understood – we should be the most grateful!
The gospel is comforting. The sorrowful are consoled by it. When one obeys the gospel, they are placed into that special bond with God, becoming one of His children (2 Corinthians 1:3- 4). How comforting to know that you serve a God who is full of mercy and able to bring comfort even in the darkest of times! Paul wrote those words, and he was letting the Christians in Corinth know that there would be difficult times, but just as surely as they would suffer, they one day would also be partakers of the consolation. What comfort the gospel can bring to those who need it the most!
No matter who you are my friend, the gospel can save- if you will choose to obey it! No matter who we come across in life-the gospel has the power to save! Let us strive to hear Him gladly!
-Adam Orr
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