Simple Gospel?

Simplicity of the Gospel

Is the gospel simple? If someone asked me this question, I'd respond with a yes and no. I believe it is easy for us because we are to believe it. Sure, it's work but it's a lot easier than what my boy Jesus had to go through. Yes, Jesus was willing, but he also had to deal with human and spiritual pain.

Remember for me what I have to believe and follow. Jesus had to be beaten, verbally abused, and left alone (spiritually, as well as physically). The easiness of this gospel for us came at the price of Jesus. Jesus had to bear all of mankind's sin upon the cross. 

He felt God's wrath. God's wrath has to be pretty bad because remember God hates sin. It's like Batman's feelings towards guns but a million times worse (not even Batman punching someone can amount to God's power). I mean God's hate is shown in the story of Noah. He literally got rid of almost everything. 

God in his infinite knowledge knew his hatred towards sin meant he had to do something to save man. God knew that we couldn't save ourselves. This is when a desert handy-man named Jesus comes in to our story.

Jesus Christ: Pain and Gain

So this is where Jesus comes into play. This was God's way of making things right for man. Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, did miracles, and taught really powerful stuff. The plan was for him to come and teach the kingdom of heaven and then have him die a death to end all death. 

Let's be honest, that sounds really poetic, but also kind of awful from a human perspective. Well during this process leading to his death, Jesus was beaten, mocked, spit on, and then placed on a cross with two other criminals. 

Once again, from a human perspective, this sucks. What makes this worse is the fact that Jesus is utterly alone. When I say alone; I'm talking God the Father has turned away from Him. Unlike us, who always has God, Jesus experiences Hell. He doesn't have God with him, He's alone. 

This is the part we applaud 

I imagine this is what Hell is, the absence of God. Not only that but Jesus experiences a physical death, too. He is in the grave for 3 days. So this Jesus fellow has experienced a lot of pain, suffering, and loneliness. Yet God in his great mercy resurrects Jesus and Jesus is back in his proper place. Except now, He stands between us and that wrath of God. 

Why do this? Why suffer? Why does God give a crap about someone like me? God's desire is to rescue mankind. Jesus, who is the human embodiment of God, loved mankind so greatly that He gave himself up to all the pain and suffering for saving mankind. 

He thought about the billions of people on this earth. It makes you think. He cares about each person. He cares about the lives of people. Although it seems like kind of a crazy process to get to where we are, it was necessary to appease God.

So the question was: Is the gospel simple? Yes, in a way but also complex. That's the beauty of it. It's a simple complexity. It's simple for us to just believe and follow Christ with our hearts. He gives freely. Maybe all that's left to say is thank you. 

I'll be honest, most days it doesn't feel like enough. Yet, maybe that's why we need to remind ourselves to be thankful every day.