Reporting the Good News

KEY VERSE: “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” —I John 1:3

SELECTED SCRIPTURES: Luke 1:1-4; I Cor. 15:1-4; I John 1:1-4

LUKE, THE WRITER of the third Gospel, is called by Paul “the beloved physician” (Col. 4:14) and was Paul’s faithful companion. He relates many things concerning Jesus, tracing his genealogy to Adam and giving us the most detailed account available of his infancy and childhood.

Most of his gospel was obtained by Luke from the apostles and disciples, eyewitnesses of Jesus, or as he wrote “since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you.”—Luke 1:1-4 New Revised Standard Version

The Apostle Paul, writing to the church at Corinth regarding the resurrection of Christ, reminded them of the good news he had preached to them when he wrote, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” (I Cor. 15:1-4) This was indeed good news for the Corinthians and for us as well as all the world because as Paul wrote, “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (I Cor. 15:22) This will be in God’s due time when his kingdom comes as we pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”—Matt. 6:10

The Apostle John was one who had firsthand experience with Jesus. When reporting to the church, he said: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; … that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.”—I John 1:1,3-4

This experience was a great blessing to John, and likewise for us. Fellowship with the Father and his Son is a blessed privilege. It is a joy to be able to tell the good news to all, sharing the knowledge of the kingdom soon to come which will bring blessings to all the families of earth. These words “God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”—Acts 3:21

The words are true and faithful, for as the Lord has promised, so shall it be. “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”—Isa. 55:11

What a great privilege it is to report his good news to all.

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