“And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven with an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people;” Rev 14:6 (NASB)

My favourite word in the New Testament is part of Jesus’ seven-sentence sermon, preached over six hours from the cross. What a sermon it was! A sermon of prayer, promise, provision, position of substitution, pain, perfection, and presentation. 

How fitting that the sermon begins with forgiveness and ends with triumph. Consider the narrative; who is this man who washes the glory out of the sun with His blood? Who is this man who promises heaven to a hated and despised thief? Who is this man who, when his heart breaks, the rocks of the temple split, and the temple curtain is torn asunder? Who is this man that when He dies, the graves are opened and the dead live? Who is He? He is the lamb slain! 

They stripped Him, but He had already stripped himself 33 years earlier when He left His Royal garments of glory in heaven above. So, this is no new thing. Man’s maker made man. The Lord of the stars hanging between heaven and earth as if He were not fit for either. Born in a stable with sacrificial animals, now dying in man’s place as our sacrifice and substitute. 

Hanging on the cross he Himself is the Gospel! Calvary is the law magnified, justice satisfied, sin nullified, the father glorified, the sinner justified and satan petrified. All this took place when Jesus uttered my favourite word. ‘Tetelestai,’ “It is finished” (John 19:28-30.) These are the greatest words your heart will ever hear. Your salvation is finished! Complete! Your debt is paid in full (another meaning of the word Tetelestai). There is nothing more you can do to make your salvation more thorough. You cannot add to it, you cannot improve on it, you cannot earn it – before or after – you can only accept it and live in a finished work. This is the everlasting good news! You can get off the treadmill of trying to be good enough and realize Jesus, by His death burial, and resurrection has given you the right to eternal life as a gift!. It is not your performance that earns your salvation but His! That’s the everlasting gospel!