The Kingdom of God Is Not Good News
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By John Piper
About The Gospel
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Yes, Jesus reigns. Yes, the King and the kingdom have come. But, no, that is not good news. I get frankly very tired of people building their theologies around that as good news. It’s not — not without blood, and his in particular. Not without substitution. There is no good news in the resurrection of Jesus. I’m going to be slaughtered by this deathless king. No good news in his reign. No good news in his coming. Not until he becomes a bloody Savior do I feel any hope at all before the reign of God Almighty.
Be careful that you don’t buy into these naïve celebrations of what is gospel. Think, brothers. Think. The glory of the King is going to be upheld and, wonder of wonders, rebels are going to be pardoned, even adopted into the King’s family, because the King became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). In his flesh, our sin is condemned (Romans 8:3).
Piper: “Until Jesus becomes a bloody Savior for me, I do not feel any hope at all before the reign of God Almighty.” Tweet Share on Facebook And now, for all of us who are in Christ, the wrath of God is spent and justice is satisfied and what makes that good news is that when he died, he bought for his own faith in Jesus Christ, resurrection from spiritual death, eternal life, forgiveness of sins, justification, or the imputation of his own righteousness, peace with God, escape from hell, and the enjoyment of all the new covenant promises, the best and highest of which is, “I will be your God, and I will be with you, and you will be my people.”
Christ suffered the righteous for the unrighteous that he might bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18), in whose presence is fullness of joy, and at whose right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). If you don’t end up there, you don’t have gospel. God is the gospel, in the end, enjoyed, treasured, known, shown.
