For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

— Romans 1:16

He [Christ] Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

— 1 Peter 2:24a

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree.

— Acts 5:30

29 When they had carried out all that was written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb.

38 Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.

39 Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

— Acts 13:29; 38-39

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace and joy to you from Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul said that he was not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. What is the gospel Paul was referring to? The word gospel means good news. It’s the good news about the work God did for our salvation through Jesus Christ on a particular weekend in history nearly two thousand years ago. It is a message that must be believed. The four Gospel books give extensive explanation of that world-changing event.

That event is: (1) Christ Himself bore our sins in His body on the Cross; (2)a group of Jews asked Pilate to crucify Him, carrying out what was written concerning Him in the Scriptures and they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb; (3) God raised Him up from the dead on the third day and for many days the resurrected Jesus Christ appeared to many, who became the witnesses to the people and started preaching the good news that God had promised in the Scriptures. Through Jesus Christ, forgiveness of sins, freedom from Law’s curse and justification of believers have been proclaimed to Jews first and then to everyone who believes. This is the gospel.