“How Does Jesus Change Things?”
This is an adapted excerpt from Square One, Session 5. Check out the full Square One series here.
When you’re having a bad day, you might hear someone say, “Turn that frown upside down,” or “Look on the bright side.” They probably mean well, but sometimes it takes more than cliché phrases to pull us out of a real funk. But maybe you have that one person in your life who truly “gets” you — someone who knows just what to say to part the dark clouds. When someone like that steps in, it changes the game in a substantial way.
We’ve already seen how desperately we need someone to rescue us from our brokenness. People try their best with self-help and diversions, but God has acted in a real, historical way to answer our deepest needs.
There might be no better words to hear than “I’ve got good news!” In Jesus’ day, they used a word for this that we translate as “gospel.” It meant a world-changing announcement, like the defeat of a tyrant or the birth of a new king. An angel used that exact word with some shepherds one night, 2,000 years ago: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
The Big Idea
Jesus has conquered sin and death to bring hope, peace, and joy to our lives. His death on the cross, burial in a borrowed tomb, and resurrection from the dead are the heart of this saving good news (1 Cor. 15:1-4).
We’ve previously looked at the “bad news” of our sin, transgression, and iniquity. But centuries before Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah wrote about the "good news" of how God would fix our broken condition. In a stunning prophecy, Isaiah described a suffering Servant — Jesus — who would come to take our punishment upon himself. Isaiah 53 explains that this Servant would be “pierced for our transgressions” and “crushed for our iniquities.” The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds, we are1 healed. This is how Jesus changes our sin problem — he didn’t just ignore it; he absorbed it.
The entire Bible is Jesus’ story, but let's consider a few key moments. Jesus is the eternal Son of God who made the world and then entered it to live as one of us (John 1:1, 14). He grew up, and in many ways, lived an ordinary life — with one huge difference: he never once sinned (Heb. 4:15).
In his early thirties, he “went about doing good and healing” (Acts 10:38), teaching about God’s love and declaring that God's kingdom was near. Many believed he was the long-awaited Messiah, the king who would conquer Israel’s enemies. But they didn’t understand that God’s plan was for him to first die for our sins (1 Peter 3:18). The religious leaders couldn’t handle his teaching and popularity, so they had him arrested and killed in the humiliating and torturous manner of crucifixion.
But that wasn’t the end. On the Sunday morning after his death, he arose from the dead, appearing to hundreds of people over the next forty days (1 Cor. 15:4-6). After that, he ascended to heaven, where he now reigns as our king and speaks to the Father on our behalf (Heb. 4:14-16). He then sent the Holy Spirit to live within us, guiding us in his new way of life (Rom. 8:5-9). Today, he saves all who surrender to him as King.
The Big Question
Are you starting to see how Jesus’ story can change yours? Praise God for his saving work in Jesus that offers peace to all the earth.