Shower time, bathroom door locked, because little ones do not respect boundaries, I heard the doorknob wiggle furiously, and after a fusillade of knocks her voice rang out: “Grandmom, I’ve got GOOD NEWS! I’ve got GREAT NEWS!” Hastily covering myself I cracked open the door and asked, “What is it, sweetie?” Her face glowed with joy as she said, “The playground is opening back up today!” Hard to describe the excitement of all those neighborhood kids swinging and climbing and laughing together, finally released after months of covid quarantine. Good news. GREAT NEWS! Parents were happy too.
400 years separate the Old and New Testaments, the 400 Years of Silence. No word from God, no new Scriptures, just the Torah, or the Law of Moses (first five books of the Bible), the history books, the Psalms or songs, the wisdom literature and poetry, and of course the prophets. All agreed that there would be more, that the promises of the Old Covenant set the stage for a New Covenant, even promised one in Jeremiah 31:31-34. So amazing that after all this time, people are still clinging to these promises, promises of restoration of the Kingdom, promises of a Savior-King over all the people of God.
Suddenly it’s here!. Jesus comes walking into Galilee saying, “It’s now! The Good News is here! The time is fulfilled! The Kingdom of God has arrived!” He was saying, “I’ve got Good News! GREAT NEWS!” Like those children on their playground, people began to gather to hear Him, and a current of joy was ignited. Hope was born.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the Good News of the Gospel of God. Day by day let us understand more of it, and let hope fill our hearts as we see the New Covenant revealed in Your ministry. In Your name we pray, amen.