Reading the Gospel

The angels announce the birth of Jesus to a group of wisemen from the East in a different way than to the shepherds in Bethlehem. God meets people where they are, taking into account their education and experience. As students of natural wonders, the wisemen, who may have heard of Balaam's messianic prophecy, were guided by angels all the way to Bethlehem, via Jerusalem.

Forty days after birth, Jesus was presented at the Temple in Jerusalem as a ceremony of purification, dedication, and firstborn redemption. In His providence, God brought to the Temple those actively waiting for the Consolation of Israel, that is, for Messiah. God will bring into your life those who have similar values and hopes. Be ready for those moments.

Even if He is called "Everlasting Father," Jesus stepped down from the throne of the universe to be born in a humble condition, outside the house, in the animal stable. He started His human existance from a low point. By doing this, most of us can identify with Him and be convinced that He is able to understand us and save us from any situation. No place is out of reach when He searches for us.

The angel Gabriel came to Zechariah and Mary in person, probably in the form of a vision. He came to Joseph in a night dream, as an aswer to Josph's inner struggle to remain righteous before God. He was planning to divorce Mary quietly because she was pregnant, without putting her to shame. The angel commanded Joseph to take Mary as his wife and to call the son "Jesus."

When the baby was born, they named him John, as the angel said. His father Zachariah regined his voice and received the gift of prophecy. Looking at this baby, Zachariah said: "You, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High!" Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, his parents raised John in a different way and in a different place, preparing him to become the greatest prophet ever. 

This event brings face to face two women who, under the influence of the Holy Spirity, prophecy for the first time in the New Testament. God has individual people who worship Him in spirit and truth, whom He will bring together as a remnant of believers to accomplish His plans at specific moment in history. 

Angel Gabriel announces the birth of Jesus in a similar way he announced the birth of John the Baptist, with much joy and anticipation. However, Mary's answer was different from Zachariah's. She didn't ask for proof and didn't express doubt. Just wanted to understand how. This is a typical story of God's willingness to cooperate with human beings in fulfilling his plans. By accepting Gabriel's pro...

This is the first episode about John the Baptist. Gabriel, the angel, came to Zachariah, the priest, to answer his prayers and announce the birth of John the Baptist. The most intriguing part of the story is the contrast between one Zachariah, who was righteous and blameless when he did not see God, and another Zachariah, who doubted when he saw  divine power and glory. Do we believe or doubt when...

Matthew and Luke present different genealogies of Jesus from different perspectives. Each evangelist speaks to his audience and provides support for his purpose. This long and boring list of hard-to-pronounce names, including specific women, teaches that each person has a place in God's memory and heart. Knowing that our names are written in the books of heaven, especially in the Lamb's Book of Li...

Luke's prologue is different than John's. Luke is a second-generation believer and missionary, who listened to the preaching of the apostles, then went to the original sources of each story to personally talk with those people. His gospel, which was addressed to a government official or to a generic lover of God, was intended to be a follow-up to preaching and was written to build a solid spiritua...

John's prologue is the most profound of all. Jesus is called God twice, He's identified as the Creator from the Book of Genesis and the Word of God that came to the prophets of the old. That Word became flesh to be able to dwell among us and interact with us. Isn't that amazing? How is John's prologue to the Gospel speak to you?

When reading the gospel, ask yourself four questions. These questions help you be focused and get the most out of a story or event. 1. What did I learn about Jesus? 2. What is Jesus telling me? 3. What am I going to do about it? 4. Who can I share this with?

There are 170 - 250 unique events in the four gospels, according to different Bible scholars. An attempt to organize these events in chronological order is called "harmony of the gospels." The most chronological gospel is Luke. There are seven sections of this timeline of events:  Childhood to Manhood , Early Ministry , Judean Ministry , Galilean Ministry , Retreat & Perean Ministry , Last Wee...

Why do we have four gospels in the Bible? Well, important decisions in life should be based on solid evidence, such as two or three witnesses. There are four authors with different life experiences, having different perspectives or angles to see the life of Jesus, and addressing different audiences. However, there is one more gospel. The gospel according to ... you! Your life may be the first gosp...

Receiving the Gospel is receiving Jesus. Rejecting the Gospel is rejecting Jesus. Jesus and the Gospel are synonymous. The parable of the four soils teaches about four different ways to receive the Gospel. The Gospel produces fruit in our lives. Our lives should be “in step with the truth of the Gospel.”

In Daniel, the Gospel is presented in many ways and to many people, far beyond the borders of Israel. The good news is not just a promise of deliverance but a Person who is present in the darkest moments of life. That Person will come as the promised Messiah. When Jesus started preaching the Gospel, His first sermon pointed to Daniel's prophecy about the time of the Messiah. Jesus said that the fu...

Isaiah is the "evangelist of the Old Testament." Isaiah prophesies what the Gospel of John declares as fulfilled: a Son was given to us! The Son took our nature, with its limitations and weaknesses. Multiple chapters in Isiah describe in detail the character and ministry of the coming Messiah. And this Messiah will establish an everlasting covenant with the Father that He will forgive our sins and...

The Psalms - written in a dialogue format - are the most helpful resource for conversations with God about things that matter most in life. On one side is the cry of a troubled heart in distress. On the other side, God’s response is like the voice of the Gospel. The good news of deliverance, God’s intervention in moments of silence (selah), and the promise of Messiah are ways to weave the Gospel i...

Speaking of the Old Testament Israel, Hebrews 4:2 says that “the gospel was preached to us just as to t hem." The Gospel was promised to Adam, demonstrated to Abraham, and experienced daily by the Israelites. It is called the sanctuary service, a step-by-step illustration of God's salvation. The concept of "Goel," the redeemer of the next kin's property, was part of the Israelites' civic responsib...

God “preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham" (Gal 3:8). As in Adam's case, the Gospel becomes "good news" when one looks for a way out of a desperate situation. The “good news” may start with one's temporary needs, but God uses life experience to teach eternal truth. Because he believed the "good news," Abraham became the father of all believers. 

The first time in the Bible when the Gospel was preached was in the Garden of Eden. The Gospel becomes "good news" when one looks for a way out of a desperate situation. Sometimes, the good news may be shrouded and choked by bad news. The "first promise" was clouded by curses, but the "first gospel" shines throughout history as the cornerstone of God's plan of salvation.

The gospel is more than the story of Jesus narrated in four books of the Bible. The gospel brings immortality, we are saved by the gospel, stand in the gospel, are judged according to the gospel, and are called to live in step with the truth of the gospel. The word gospel refers to the revealed will of God or to God's plan of salvation. 

Josh and Gabriel discuss why the gospel is "good news" and then analyze the four components of the gospel.

Josh and Gabriel introduce themselves and share a brief history of the Bible Reading 365 program, then they introduce this new podcast Reading the Gospel

This is the trailer for the upcoming podcast series Reading the Gospel as a continuation of the Bible Reading 365 program.