The Bad News Is the Good News

A Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick

Frequently, when someone is about to give a report, they will say, "Which do you want first, the good news or the bad news?" The doctor says, "I have some good news and I have some bad news." The patient asks, "What's the good news?" The doctor responds, "The good news is that the tests you took showed that you have 24 hours to live." So the patient asks, "If that's the good news, what's the bad news?" "The bad news is that I forgot to call you yesterday!" One day a husband picked up his ringing cell phone to find his wife on the other end of the connection. She sounded a bit nervous, so he asked what was wrong. She replied that she had both good news and bad news to report. "Which do you want to hear first, dear?" she asked. "Well, the good news I guess. What is it?" She replied, "You know those dual airbags we ordered with our new car?" "Yes..." he said. "Well dear, they work!" There's an interesting and touching story in the Old Testament having to do with good news and bad news. It comes out of the story of David who fled from Jerusalem when his son Absalom took over the city. As the king prepared to send his men into battle against Absalom's forces, his advisers convinced him to remain behind while they and the troops went to war. As they all marched out of the city past the king, David strictly told them to treat his son with kindness. However, it didn't turn out that way. When one of the commanders, Joab, learned that Absalom was hanging by his long, beautiful hair from a large oak tree, he immediately killed him and buried his body under a large pile of rocks. In those days, news was carried by runners, like the Greek runner who in 490 BC ran from the plain of Marathon to Athens to announce the surprising defeat of the invading Persian army. According to this ancient Greek story, the messenger ran about 25 mi (40 km) back to Athens, where he announced the victory which largely decided the political fate of all Europe - when the runner reached Athens, he gave his news and then died from exhaustion. In the story of David, when Joab was ready to send back news of the defeat of Absalom and his army, an eager runner, Ahimaaz, stepped up offer his services, but Joab instead chose another messenger. After his departure, Ahimaaz persisted with his request, evidently seeking some glory or reward by being the messenger of good news. It turned out that he was a faster runner, and arrived first to tell David that his army had prevailed. However, he could not answer the follow-up question, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" The slower, but duly authorized runner then arrived and told the full story - what everyone else may have received as good news, to David it was bad news; his son was dead. The story ends with these words, "The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he went, he said: 'O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you -- O Absalom, my son, my son!'" (II Samuel 18:19-33) Actually, most of the time, when we hear the word "news" we think, "bad news." In fact, many people have come to the conclusion that reading newspapers or watching TV news programs is worse than a waste of time - it's downright depressing, because it's mostly bad news. Every day brings a healthy dose of bad news, and in our "information age", it's in our face constantly. Here's a small sample taken from news releases received during just two days this week: A boat carrying American tourists rammed a bridge in Vienna, injuring 19 people. Gunmen stormed a camp of sleeping Chinese road workers in northern Afghanistan, killing 11. In Pakistan, heavy fighting killed 20 gunmen. Authorities detained two suspects in last month's killing of Chechen's President. On an Indonesia mountainside, a volcano kept thousands of villagers away from their homes. The decomposed body of a man dressed in pajamas was found 20 years after he is believed to have died. Investigators spent the night searching a street in Germany for evidence after a bomb injured 22 people. A kitchen worker who was raped is suing the state for lost wages and compensatory damages. Biotechnology research, used to find new cures for disease, could instead be harnessed for use as a weapon of terror. A convicted sex offender recorded his wife engaging in sex acts with her two young sons and posted the images on the Internet. A highway bridge in northeastern China collapsed, sending three vehicles plummeting into a river. Afghan and U.S. forces killed more than 70 Taliban rebels in a seven-day operation. Christians battled Muslims in a Nigerian city, burning homes and places of worship in a dispute over construction of a mosque near a Christian tribal leader's palace. A lawyer was sentenced for smuggling thousands of Cuban cigars into this country and selling them for a fat profit. A former city official fixed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of parking tickets for politicians and other well-connected people in exchange for money, food, liquor and political favors. A Washington parolee was sought in a crime spree in the Pacific Northwest. Hooded assailants with assault rifles slashed the throat of a night guard outside a government school in Thailand. A television cameraman filming a story about a dangerous intersection was struck and killed by a vehicle. An elementary school teacher was placed on paid leave for washing a boy's mouth out with soap after he shouted an obscenity at a classmate. A Virginia woman had her husband and stepson killed so she could collect insurance money. A 3-year-old was lured from a library to his death by a 10-year-old. Yes, today it seems that most news is bad news. Interestingly, this idea of news as being bad news corresponds to much of what is called news in the Old Testament - most of the time when there is a reference to "news" (the KJV word is "tidings"), it has to do with bad news - evil tidings which bring about sorrow or anger - news of death or defeat. Even news of a newborn child gets turned to bad news. Jeremiah, the weeping Prophet lamented, "Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, who made him very glad, saying, 'A child is born to you -- a son!'" (Jeremiah 20:15) When the news of King Saul's death was reported to David, his response was, "When a man told me, 'Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news!" (II Samuel 4:10) One of the great prophets described what it feels like when the bad news arrives: "And when they ask you, `Why are you groaning?' you shall say, 'Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every knee become as weak as water.' It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign LORD." (Ezekiel 21:7) Of course in the Old Testament there are exceptions; there are a few examples of good news. One verse in Proverbs comes to mind: "Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land." (Proverbs 25:25) But it is in the second main part of Isaiah, when the prophet foresees the coming of Messiah, that there is a movement from bad news to good news: "You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, 'Here is your God!'" (Isaiah 40:9) "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" (Isaiah 52:7) "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion -- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." (Isaiah 61:1-3) We are well aware that there are many significant differences between the Old and New Testament. What we're saying here is that the Old Testament has to do with bad news, the New Testament has to do with good news. In fact, in the new Testament, a new word comes into use, or at least becomes newly associated with religious truth. The word is "Gospel". In our common usage, a person might be heard to refer to something as the "gospel truth." By that they mean "an unquestionable truth," like the saying of childhood, "Cross my heart, hope to die." The "gospel truth" is the real truth, it's as true as the Gospel. For example, someone who is being accused of snitching a cookie might say, "I opened the package to count the cookies - that's the gospel truth!" Other than that idiomatic use, the word "Gospel" is not heard outside the church - it's part of the inside language of Christians. You and I know that it simply means "Good News," and specifically the Good News of Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection. The word itself is made up of the syllables "good" and "spel," which means "story, or message." When the word is transliterated from the Greek, it comes out as "evangel" and is also used in our word "Evangelist." This word is made up of two parts, "eu" (which comes into English as "ev") means "good," and "angel" is the "message". Right from the beginning of the New Testament, "Good News" is announced to John the Baptist's father, Zechariah the priest (Luke 1:19), and to the shepherds on the hillside near Bethlehem (Luke 2:10). Jesus preaches the "Good News" (Luke 8:1), as do the disciples who become bearers of this "Good News" throughout the civilized world of their day (Acts 13:32). Notice that the book we call the "Gospel of Mark" begins and ends with references to this "Good News." (Mark 1:1; 16:15) Three of the four writing Evangelists use the word - John only uses it in his later book of Revelation (Revelation 14:6). It is also found in the book of Acts, and in all of Paul's Epistles except for Titus. Back to the idea of good news and bad news. It seems that in the Bible you have to get the bad news first. Not only is it in the chronology of the Old and New Testaments, but also in the idea that before you can receive the Good News of salvation, you have to accept the Bad News of sin. In fact, this may be one reason why, for many people, the Good News is not attractive - one has to hear the bad news first. The bad news about sin is contrary to the popular message about the importance of self-esteem. We are told that we must have a healthy, positive attitude about ourselves, and hearing about our sinfulness is a put-down, a destroyer of self-esteem. After all, how can we feel good about ourselves if we are considered to be sinners? However, when we think about it a bit more, we may come to the conclusion that what we call the bad news about sin really isn't bad news at all. Let's say you're driving at 60 mph through the dark of night towards the bridge that crosses the Delaware River. Suddenly the highway sign stretching across both lanes flashes the message, "Bridge out ahead!" Immediately you slow down, stop, or turn off to a side road so that you won't drive into the freezing cold and fast moving water of the river. Tell me, was that sign good news or bad news? Certainly you would call it good news because, if the warning message is heeded, it will save you from certain death. Or let's say that as you're approaching your favorite restaurant, you see a sign on the door that says, "Closed due to food contamination." Would that sign be seen as good news or bad? In Sparta, residents were recently told not to drink the water because uranium had been found in the town's water system. If you received such a notice in the mail, would you call it bad news? Obviously, news that provides a warning is considered to be good news. So it is with the news that we are all sinners. If the bad news is really good news because it's a warning, it still is bad news if the warning is ignored. Too many people have taken the foolish approach of thinking that if we don't listen to the bad news, it won't be real, the proverbial putting of our heads in the sand. The sign on the little package of cancer sticks, otherwise called cigarettes, says, "SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, and May Complicate Pregnancy." And yet, Nicotine continues to be one of the most heavily used addictive drugs in the United States. In spite of these ever present warnings, roughly 30 percent of the U.S. population 12 and older continue to use tobacco, and this includes nearly 4 million young people age 12 to 17. (http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofax/tobacco.html) The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion reports that tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, causing more than 440,000 deaths each year. This report goes on to say, "More than 6.4 million children living today will die prematurely because of a decision they will make as adolescents — the decision to smoke cigarettes." (http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/issue.htm) But the message today isn't about smoking, it's about bad news and good news. What we're concerned with is the warning sign in this Bible that simply says, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die " (Ezekiel 18:4,20) How many people today go on ignoring that sign? It's not bad news, it's a warning, and those who heed it can then open themselves to receive the good news, "Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:13) With the coming of Jesus, there was provided an additional news flash, the pathway to destruction is not the only avenue open - there is another way, one that leads to safety. The Good News is for all who simply believe, and will bring about love, joy, and peace in this life, and eternal life free from death, pain, and sorrow for ever and ever. Discussion Questions The Bad News Is the Good News 1. What was the nature of Absalom’s death, and why was it unnecessary? 2. Why did Ahimaaz insist on running with the message from Joab, David's field commander, and why did Joab prefer another messenger? 3. David did not receive the news of Absalom’s death as good news. Why? 4. What are some ways we can respond to the preponderance of bad news? 5. Why would Jeremiah pronounce a curse on the man who announced his birth? 6. What is the name of the Old Testament prophet who foresees the Good News? 7. How is the word "gospel" used in common speech, and what is the Christian meaning of this word? 8. Is the Biblical message about sin bad news or good news? 9. What is the relationship between sin and self-esteem? 10. What examples may be given of warnings which really represent good news? 11. What is the Christian's attitude toward nicotine and other forms of drug abuse? 12. The bad news, good news of the Bible can be summed up by these sentences: "The soul that sinneth, ______________" and "___________________ shall be saved." Where are these verses found? 13. Why do we say that this bad news is not bad news at all? - - Return to Top of this Page - Email a link to this page - Go To Next Sermon by Dr. Neil Chadwick - Back To Sermons Page or to the Sermons Alphabetical List - - Download This Sermon This Page's Title Is: Your Name Is: Your Email Address Is: Your State and Country: Please identify your vocation: Senior Pastor. Associate Pastor. Youth Pastor. Lay Minister. Church Member. 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