1/ HOT TAKE: for all the so-called diverse presentations of the #Gospel in the New Testament, do any of them truly matter if God’s wrath is not at first propitiated and his Kingdom people are not right with him & he is pleased with them? Much ignorance of the Old Testament today.

2/ In Isaiah 40, (the launch for Mark), Isaiah announces comfort because Israel’s sins are pardoned and she has received double for all her sins, that is, her punishment has fit her crime. Isaiah’s gospel leads out with just pardon. He says much more but that’s the gospel.

3/ Ultimately, this pardon of iniquity happens in the work of the Suffering Servant, the Messiah (53:6). The King represents and embodies the people and bears their iniquity and God’s curse.

4/ Does this lead to “once saved always saved”? Of course not, the servant’s work leads to the creation of many servants who will serve God as priests. But the message is “Comfort!” Not “Pledge!” The comfort comes before the pledge. The atonement before the new creation.

5/ Indeed without the atonement, there is no creation of God’s new people. Let’s be charitable in our discussions of the Gospel but let’s also remember that Paul called Anathema on those promoting a false one (Galatians 1).

We must get this right.