Knowing The Gospel Better Than Jesus

How is this possible?!

Jesus Christ is the Lord God who came from heaven proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom.  Obviously, He knows it best. It is His Gospel. He preached it. He lived it. He Himself is it!

No one actually claims to know the Gospel better than Jesus, of course. Yet, Christians sometimes take these three approaches to the Bible and life that make it look like they do.

Some Add to the Gospel

One approach is to add information or requirements to the message Jesus preached.  But, what He actually preached is infallibly preserved in the four accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  Listen and make careful comparison.

Many people like to read between the lines and add information that is not in the biblical text.  They often assume certain motivations on the part of biblical characters in order to reach a particular pre-conceived conclusion about a matter.

But even more often, people read their own experiences and desires into the Bible.  They find their own guidelines that they think should be in the Bible in order to generate greater holiness among God’s people.  Such impositions are one form of legalism.

Some Subtract from the Gospel

The second approach is the opposite.  Sometimes people overlook or conveniently leave out the uncomfortable parts of the Gospel message, because it is personally difficult or it is embarrassing to have to put forth in their society.

But even more often, people seek to reinterpret passages in order to keep certain parts of their lives untouched, even though the Holy Spirit is convicting them otherwise.  One tell-tale sign is the length of time and amount of reasoning it takes to persuade other Christians of their view.  Such detractions are one form of libertinism.

We can trust God with His Word.  God didn’t leave anything out, nor add anything unnecessary.  It is perfect exactly the way it is.

Some Distort the Gospel

This is either great arrogance or even greater stupidity.  That is to think that the message and will of the Lord Jesus Christ is only contained in those four books, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  This is a more serious form or subtraction.

Some want to pit the Bible against itself and discount anything and everything Jesus isn’t recorded as saying, denoted by red letters.  This is to throw away God’s Word and its clarity and authority in our lives.

Jesus Christ is the eternal God, the second person of the One Triune God.  The will and intent of God is unified.  And so the Holy Spirit wrote it all in concurrence with the Father and the Son.  In a very real sense Jesus wrote the whole Bible.

Cherish the Word

It is disappointing to say the least, to hear Christians reason in ways that exalt themselves above God and His Word, thinking they actually know the Gospel better than Jesus.  It is not that difficult to understand.

These words of Moses to the Israelites are later quoted by the Apostle Paul about the Gospel in his letter to the Christians in Rome:

Deuteronomy 30:11–14 ESV ““For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.”

We cannot improve upon the Gospel, upon the Bible.  Instead, we ought to cherish the Word as God’s holy Word to us, for true knowledge of Him and true instruction for our lives.

A New People Of God

Four new names are given to Christians, terms that are now even more fitting for the New Covenant people God has created.

1 Peter 2:9 ESV “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 

The terms “chosen race,” “royal priesthood,” “holy nation” and “a people” are packed with meaning, being rooted in Old Testament history in God’s powerful dealings with Israel, most notably in their times of the Exodus and the Exile.

Exodus 19:5-6 ESV “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. . . .””Isaiah 43:20-21 ESV “. . . my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.” 

(See related blog entries:  A New Chosen Race, A New Royal Priesthood, A New Holy Nation.) 

A New People of God


This final term is the culmination of the first three terms, “people,” meaning the People of God.  We as Christians are now part of the People of God, called out by Him as His own “treasured possession” from among all the peoples of the world to be a New People of God.

We have been chosen for a unique and personal relationship with God and for a purpose in Christ for all eternity!  Our calling out fulfills the pattern that began with the “calling out” of Abraham, the “calling out” in the Exodus, and the “calling out” from the Exile.

We read often in the Old Testament about this honor and purpose.  It reminds us who we truly and fully are in Christ.

Deuteronomy 26:18-19 ESV “And Yahweh has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession, as he has promised you, and that you are to keep all his commandments, and that he will set you in praise and in fame and in honor high above all nations that he has made, and that you shall be a people holy to Yahweh your God, as he promised.””

Our New Purpose

The purpose of the Church is that of Isaiah 43:21, “the people whom I formed for myself, my praise they will declare (literally).”  It could only be partially fulfilled by the original recipients, those coming out of the Exile.  

This purpose of the “people” finds its fulfillment in Christ in the fulness of times in redemptive history.  It is to proclaim what He has done in calling us out of our sinful darkness into His marvelous light—the light of holiness, knowledge and salvation!

Our main purpose, reason for existence, is to proclaim the excellencies of God.  We do this first and foremost in our worship, our prayers, our evangelism and all our relationships with people—declaring the outstanding qualities of God Himself!  

Sometimes we don’t do this, we forget, and we sing praise without mentioning the full range of the attributes and works of God, or we pray staring into our needs and other’s needs, failing to look up to our God, or perhaps we evangelize expecting an affirmation and transaction, without a real spiritual vision of the beauty of Christ.  

Instead, if we start these activities (and others) with words about the glory and greatness of the Triune God Himself, the rest of the matters have a way of falling into place, becoming more meaningful, and bringing more glory to God.  We proclaim back to God His glories and our joy in who He is, and then we proclaim the same to one another and to the world.

Think about being so undeservedly honored as to be part of the “New People of God!”