God Loves People > 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Lesson 7: The Meaning of the Injil

Before you do this lesson, read these verses from the Injil:

John 20:30-31 -- Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Now read the lesson carefully. This lesson explains what you have been reading about the Injil in Lessons 1 through 6 of this course. After you have read the lesson and completed the test, answer the question that follows the test.

Injil means Good News. Jesus the Messiah brought Good News to us from heaven. In fact, the Messiah himself is that Good News from heaven which is for all people everywhere.

This lesson is about some of the ways in which Jesus the Messiah is the Good News (Injil).

The Messiah and the Prophets

Jesus is Good News because he is the Messiah about whom the prophets wrote. God had revealed to the Prophet Moses, the Prophet David, and other prophets many things about the Messiah (Luke 24:27). Here are some of the prophecies about the Messiah which we have studied in the Taurat, Zabur, and other books of the Old Testament.

Remember: The prophets said that the Messiah would be from the People of Israel and of David's family. They wrote that he would be born in the town of Bethlehem, and that his mother would be a virgin. The prophets taught that the Messiah would be a righteous person, but that people would refuse him. They said that he would die with wicked people and be buried in the grave of a rich man. They said he would rise from the dead.

There are also many other prophecies. Everything happened to Jesus which God had revealed to the prophets about the Messiah.

The Messiah is the Word

Jesus is the Word of God. We read this in the first verse of the book of the Injil by John. Also read Suratun Nisa (4) : aya 171 of the Quran.

The Word of God always reveals the true character of God. God reveals himself to people through his Word. We must always remember that the Messiah himself is that Word.

God sent his Word into the world to show people his true character. Because the Messiah lived among people, we can know what God is like. Because the Messiah loved and helped people, we know that God loves and helps people. The book of the Injil by John says: "No one has ever seen God... (but the Messiah) has made him known" (John 1:18).

The Good News (Injil) is that God has chosen to reveal himself fully to people. He did this through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. God chose to be wonderfully and perfectly present among people through the Messiah.

The Messiah is the Saviour

The Messiah is also the Good News (Injil) because he is the Saviour.

Remember: When Adam and Even turned away from God, the Lord promised that a Son born to the woman would crush the head of Satan, although Satan would also hurt the Son. (Genesis 3:15)

The Son whom God had promised is the Messiah who was born to a woman, the Virgin Mary. Wicked men who were slaves of Satan put the Messiah on the cross. But the Messiah defeated evil and death by rising from the dead. By believing in the Messiah we also experience freedom from evil and death.

Remember: In the Taurat we have read that the prophets of God and all the people of God offered animal sacrifices for sin.

God commanded the people of the Covenant to offer animal sacrifices as a sign to help mankind understand the meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. The Messiah has given himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. Animal sacrifices cannot really forgive sin. Only Jesus the Messiah who gave his life on the cross is the perfect sacrifice for sin.

The Messiah is the only perfect sacrifice for sin because he never sinned. Yet people treated him like a great sinner and put him on a cross to die with sinners. Death on a cross was punishment for people who had done very evil things. By giving his life on the cross the Messiah suffered for our sins.

The Bible says: "Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross ... It is by his wounds that you have been healed". (I Peter 2:24). Because Jesus suffered for our sins when he gave his life on the cross, God accepts and forgives those who receive Jesus the Messiah as their own Saviour from sin.

Remember: In the temple in Jerusalem there was a curtain which divided the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. God allowed his glory to appear in the Most Holy Place. But the curtain made it impossible for people to see the glory of God.

The curtain in the temple was a sign to show the people that their sins made it impossible for them to come into the presence of God. But when Jesus the Messiah gave his life on the cross, the curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. People could go right into the Most Holy Place.

This is a sign to show us that when Jesus the Messiah gave his life for us on the cross, he made it possible for us to enter into the presence of God without any fear (Hebrews 10:19-22). In fact, Jesus said that we should begin our prayers to God by saying: "Our Father in heaven" (Matthew 6:9). When our sins are forgiven, we can know God as our loving heavenly Father, and we can enjoy true fellowship with God. That is very good news indeed!

The Messiah is Lord

But there is also more good news! The Bible says that when God raised Jesus the Messiah from the dead, God himself put Jesus "... above all heavenly rulers, authorities, powers, and lords ... God put all things under Christ's feet..." (Ephesians 1:21-22). The Bible says that God made Jesus both Lord and Messiah (Acts 2:36).

We do the will of God when we accept Jesus as Saviour and honour him as Lord by asking him to rule our lives. When Jesus the Messiah rules our lives, we desire to love and serve people the way he did. But it is hard to love people. We need help. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would help us to live the way we should.

But many times we are tempted to do things that are wrong. We should remember that the Bible says: "And now he (Jesus) can help those who are tempted, because he himself was tempted and suffered" (Hebrews 2:18). The Messiah is our living Saviour, and for this reason he can help us not to do sin. But even if we do sin, he forgives us (I John 1:9).

Anyone who accepts Jesus as Lord, but later dies, will some day rise from the dead and live with God forever. Jesus said: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies" (John 11:25). In another place we read: "The dead will be raised ... and we shall all be changed" (I Corinthians 15:52).

When the people who have accepted Jesus as Lord are raised from the dead, they will have better bodies than they have now. They will live in heaven forever with God the Father (John 8:27-30).

Learn this verse. John 11:25-26: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

Test 7: God Loves People

Here is the test for Lesson 7. Write the letter of the correct answer on the line on the right side of the page.
1)   Everything which God had revealed about the Messiah happened to
      a)   Moses.
      b)   John.
      c)   Jesus.                                                                                                  ___
2)   The book of the Injil by John says that the Messiah
      a)   is just the same as the Prophet Moses.
      b)   did not give his life on the cross.
      c)   is the Word of God.                                                                               ___
3)   Animal sacrifices
      a)   can forgive all sin.
      b)   cannot forgive sin
      c)   can forgive only certain kinds of sin.                                                     ___
4)   Who made the perfect sacrifice for sin?
      a)   Aaron.
      b)   Jesus.
      c)   Moses.                                                                                                   ___
5)   God accepts and forgives those people who
      a)   accept Jesus as Saviour.
      b)   offer animal sacrifices.
      c)   do many good works.                                                                            ___
Write "True" or "false" after each of the following sentences.
6)   Jesus the Messiah is the Good News from heaven.       ______
7)   Those people who refuse to accept Jesus as Lord will live in heaven with God forever.       ______
8)   Jesus the Messiah revealed what God is like.      ______
9)   God is pleased with sin.      ______
10) When Jesus the Messiah gave his life on the cross, he suffered the punishment for our sins.      ______

Name:__________________________________No.:______
Address:__________________________________________

The next course is called The People of Faith.
Do you want the next course? Yes ______  No ______

Answer the following question in your own words. Write the answer in the place below.
Question: In what way has your study of the Injil helped you?

 

 

Remember: It is the will of God that you receive and honour Jesus the Messiah as Saviour and Lord. When you receive Jesus as Saviour you will know that all your sins are forgiven. You will know God as your heavenly Father. You will know that you are going to heaven.

If you want to accept Jesus the Messiah as your Saviour, you might want to say this prayer. You may read the prayer, if you like. God will hear you.

God Almighty, I thank you for sending Jesus the Messiah into the world. Thank you that Jesus the Messiah has shown me that you love me. Thank you that Jesus gave his life on the cross so my sins can be forgiven. Thank you that Jesus the Messiah rose from the dead so I can have eternal life with you in heaven. I know that I am a sinner. I want you to forgive me for sinning. And right now I accept your forgiveness which comes through Jesus the Messiah who gave his life for me. I want Jesus the Messiah to be my Saviour and Lord. Help me to love other people with the same kind of love that Jesus had. Thank you for taking away my sins. Thank you for accepting me. This I pray in the name of Jesus the Messiah who is my Saviour and Lord. Amen.

If you have received Jesus the Messiah as your Saviour, you should try to find other Christians who can help you understand more about following the way of Jesus the Messiah.

 > Next Lesson