STORY 2020

The gospel - or “good news” - of Jesus has not stopped being good news. It is not a message that fell down at his death. Nor is it something that we have ‘outgrown’ as time has gone on. If Jesus stayed dead, you’d be spot on think that Jesus is scarcely relevant to today. We might point to some ‘nice’ teachings that have influenced Western culture, like freedom and loving one’s neighbour, but fundamentally, we would have to relegate him to a liar or lunatic for claiming to be God. Death is for humans. How could we uphold his authority to speak the truth about how we should conduct our lives, or his claims about the nature of life itself if we can’t even trust what he says about himself? However, if Jesus indeed rose again and reigns today, we should sit up and listen. His promises to “seek and to save” (Luke 19:10) and to offer “life, and life to the full” (John 10:10), are as true and as important today as they were when he made them in 1st century Palestine. And they are powerful: Jesus has the authority to renew your brokenness if you humbly ask. Let’s be honest, we all have it. He offers the grace to forgive your past, no matter how bad it is. He’ll satisfy you like nothing else can. He’ll show you and teach you how life was created to be. The offer of Jesus is relevant to you. Further than that, it is available for you. The real question is, will you receive it?