The Gospel's First Mention

Introduction: The Gospel is the only message that can change the life of people! But for us to say such a huge statement we must understand what the Gospel is and its relationship to Jesus Christ the provider of the Gospel.

In this message we plan to look at the first time the word Gospel is mentioned in the Bible in the story of the tempting of Jesus and the imprisonment of John the Baptist and look to learn more about what the Gospel is.

The Story In Matthew 4:

The story of Matthew 4 starts out with Jesus being tempted by the devil. Satan is tempting the Saviour trying to give up His deity for a little relief in His earthly situation. Now before we look at this tempting we have to remember what the Bible says in Hebrews 4:15 where the Bible says...

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

We see here that Jesus was all God and all man at the same time and though He was still God he had given up some of His qualities such as His ability to be in every place at once. At this moment we see that Jesus gave Himself over to be tempted, and to go through the pains of being human in order to pay the price and to endure the pain needed to save each and everyone that chooses Him and also so those who choose Him can have a Saviour that truly understands what they’re going through.

With that in mind we see that Satan is trying His hardest to get Jesus to bow the knee to Him but instead Jesus uses the word of God to send them packing. Showing us the power of scripture, an example of how we overcome temptation and also we see that Jesus is God.

We see this back and forth in verses 1-11 of Matthew 4 where the Bible says

Matthew 4:1–11 KJV 1900

Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Jesus hasn’t eaten at all in 40 days and was hungry as could be, Satan named the tempter in this text comes to speak with Him and to tempt Him. The devil request of Him a miracle that if Jesus would have done would have been submission to satan. Jesus comes back with the word of God (The Bible being quoted to satan) and withstands this temptation. Then satan takes Jesus up onto the highest point of the temple, the temple was the place of worship in Jersualem. He tempts Him to jump off to once again prove that He is God. This once again would have been submitting to satan and Jesus overcomes this temptation by the word of God again. At this point satan leaves Jesus alone and our text continues.

Matthew 4:12–17 KJV 1900

Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

At this point Jesus hears that John the Baptist (John the Baptist was a prophet chosen by God to introduce Jesus to the world) (Matthew 3)

Matthew 3:1–17 KJV 1900

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

was put into prison and then goes out of Galilee preaching the same message that John the Baptist preached in Matthew 3:2. The message was to repent (this word means to change ones mind) because the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. The kingdom of Heaven being God’s heavenly kingdom, the reason Jesus and John the Baptist were saying that it was at is because access to Heaven is about to be paid for by the blood of Christ via the death burial and resurrection of Jesus.

Romans 10:9–13 KJV 1900

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

After this Jesus meets up with several men who will become his disciples the word disciple means one that is taught or trained and Jesus taught and trained them as they followed Him. Notice that when Jesus calls these two men Andrew and Simon Peter He required several things , first He required that they follow Him, this required them to leave everything they knew and loved and to go after Jesus. Then notice that their following Jesus gave them a new vocation fishing for men.

From this account and the verses we’ve looked at I want you to notice several things about Jesus and the Gospel.

1. Jesus Is God (vs. 10)

Matthew 4:10 KJV 1900

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Jesus refused to submit to satan because Jesus was God and knew that submission should only be given to God. If Jesus would have failed any of these temptations it would have been obvious that He and the father weren’t one as Jesus said in

John 17:11 KJV 1900

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

In order for someone to be saved and to truly believe the Gospel they must understand exactly who Jesus is, He isn’t some mortal man He is God. Some other verses to prove this are...

1 Peter 2:21–24 KJV 1900

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

Philippians 2:5–8 KJV 1900

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

1 Corinthians 2:6–8 KJV 1900

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

James 2:1 KJV 1900

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2. Jesus Message (VS. 17)

Matthew 4:17 KJV 1900

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

We see in this verse the message of Jesus and that is a message of repentance, it takes a change of mind to come to Jesus and follow Him. We cannot keep our same beliefs about sin, religion and self and deny Christ, we must turn from those things and change our minds about those things and realize that Christ is the only way.

We must come to Christ in full faith and belief, it cannot be Christ plus anything, so with that in mind we must change our mind about religion and beliefs that are contrary to Jesus Christ and the Gospel (death, burial and resurrection of Christ being the only way to God)

Some verses to further show the need of repentance and turning to Jesus are...

Luke 15:17–21 KJV 1900

And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

Acts 19:13–20 KJV 1900

Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

1 Peter 2:24–25 KJV 1900

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

3. Jesus Call (VS. 18-25)

Matthew 4:18–25 KJV 1900

And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.

Jesus call to the disciples was to follow Him to be trained in how they should live their life and to be like Him.

IN THE SAME WAY JESUS IS CALLING TO YOU NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE TO FOLLOW HIM! YOU CAN FOLLOW JESUS TODAY AND BECOME A BELIEVER!

A few things we notice about the disciples and the cost it took to believe that you must consider!

Jesus wanted them and Jesus wants you (VS. 19)

They left all that hindered them from going after Jesus and you must repent and leave all beliefs and mindset that keep you from believing wholly in and following Jesus (VS. 20)

They followed Jesus and for you to believe you must follow Him and decide that He is the only way (VS. 20)

John 14:6 KJV 1900

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

In Conclusion: Jesus is God, and His message makes a way for you to come to Him but you must act and follow Christ.

Invitation: Follow Christ