† The Gospel, Part 1 †
Why do we need the Gospel?
We cannot really understand how good the message of the Gospel is until we understand how bad our situation is without it. We are poor miserable sinners. We sin daily and deserve nothing but God’s wrath and punishment.
Without Jesus Christ, our situation would be totally hopeless. The Scriptures describe human beings as dead in trespasses and sin. Without the mercy and cleansing of God through the blood of Jesus Christ, there awaits for us only everlasting punishment in hell. Thus, we need the Gospel— desperately!
What is the Gospel?
The word “gospel” is a translation of a Greek word that means,“an announcement of good news.” The Gospel is the good news that God the Holy Trinity decided not to abandon humanity when Adam and Eve first fell into sin. God decided then and there that sin and death would not have the last word. He promised to send a Savior.
When the time was right, God sent His Son into our world to be born of the Virgin Mary. Our Lord Jesus Christ lived a perfect life for us. On the cross, He received the penalty and punishment for the sins of the whole world, offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. Jesus rose from the dead, victorious over our ancient enemies: sin, death and the devil.
Therefore, each Christian is able with great joy and confidence to declare before the whole world: “My Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.”
What glorious good news! The one, true eternal and all-powerful God came into our world to live, suffer, die and rise again for us. We, who are unholy and unrighteous, receive the forgiveness of all our sins and thus receive the perfect holiness and righteousness of Christ our Savior—as a free gift—purely because of His love for us. That is good news! That is the Gospel!
from Dr. A.L. Barry’s “What About the Gospel?”
† To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul! †
O Lord Jesus Christ, only Savior of the world, to You I lift up my heart, will, and intellect, and I thank You again and again that, through Your boundless grace, You have protected me through the night against the cunning and power of the enemy and that I have awakened once again restored and fit. O Lord Jesus Christ, You who are my possession and inheritance, my salvation is in Your hands. I do not know of any other helper, whether in heaven or on earth, save You alone. Therefore, I implore You on account of Your unspeakable martyrdom, suffering, and most humiliatingly bitter death, that You would be gracious and merciful to me, both today and for the rest of my life. You, dearest Jesus Christ, have suffered out of great love for me, a poor sinner. Forgive all my transgressions against You. Protect me and keep me safe from sin and from every evil, until You graciously call me away to eternal joy and salvation; hear me on account of Your most holy name. Amen.
Lutheran Book of Prayer, Concordia Publishing House
Trinity Lutheran Church 
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