Virtually all Christians will agree that the only way for humanity to gain God’s free gift of eternal life and ultimately live with our Father God is to follow Jesus. For it is through the broken body and spilled blood of Jesus that humanity is saved. This fact, however, eliminated the possibility for Jesus to have preached what many would call “the gospel of salvation”, as his sacrifice to cover man’s sins came only through his death on the cross. Yes, Jesus told his disciples about salvation, but Jesus could not have held an “altar call service”. Whenever Jesus preached to public crowds, he always preached about the Kingdom of God. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he referenced the Kingdom twice and told them to pray that God’s Kingdom would come to the earth, for it is through the Kingdom of God arriving on earth in its full power and authority that mankind’s salvation will be completed. Luke 4:43 Easy-to-Read Version 43 But he said to them, “I must tell the Good News about God’s kingdom to other towns too. This is why I was sent.”

Following the example of Jesus, Paul also preached in Rome for two years about God’s Kingdom, the same message Jesus had always taught. He also taught them about Jesus. I believe these good news gospels are written in order of importance, as God’s Kingdom is good news for everyone who hears it, while the salvation message about Jesus is good news for those who accept it. Understanding what God’s Kingdom is about, how it arrives, and the blessings it will bring to humanity is critical knowledge to have when preaching the good news of and about Jesus. Both messages are good news and contain humanity’s hope for the future. Acts 28:30-31 Contemporary English Version 30 For two years Paul stayed in a rented house and welcomed everyone who came to see him. 31 He bravely preached about God’s kingdom and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one tried to stop him.

To fully understand the message God delivered to humanity through the Bible, it is imperative to determine exactly what God’s words and intentions are in his message. This determination process is called exegesis. Although it sounds like it could be, exegesis is not a biblical term. It refers to fully explaining, comprehending, or interpreting a written text. Take a modern recipe book, for example. When a recipe tells you to mix an egg into a bowl with flour, good exegesis will tell you not to include the egg shell and to use a chicken’s egg. Poor exegesis can lead to unintentional misunderstandings, leading to frustration and confusion. When doing my own biblical exegesis, I find it helpful to keep my interpretations of what is written within the beliefs of those who did the writing. I believe they knew what they meant with the words they used better than I do centuries later. When forming my foundational beliefs, I like to use exegesis from unambiguous Bible conversations and stories. The more specific the conversation is about a topic, the easier it is to do the exegesis, as I will probably be less confused about what is being said. The conversation Jesus had with the Pharisee Nicodemus, as recorded in John 3:1-21, unambiguously talks about eternal life and heaven. Containing probably the most frequently quoted verse in the Bible, John 3:16 is an evangelist’s go-to verse as it requires no explanation for who will gain eternal life. By doing good exegesis on the rest of this conversation, I gain firm truths on which to build my sure house of faith.

Even though the Pharisees knew Jesus was sent by God, they still rejected him and his teaching. To not become like them, I must accept and follow the teachings of Jesus. John 3:1-21 Disciples’ Literal New Testament. 1 Now there was a man from the Pharisees— the name for him was Nicodemus— a ruler of the Jews. 2 This one came to Him by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher. For no one is able to be doing these signs which You are doing unless God is with him”.

Humans are born of flesh. To enter the Kingdom of God and dwell in heaven, they must go through a transformation and be born again as a spirit. Pledging to follow Jesus by burying their old selves in the waters of baptism, Christians gain God’s down payment of the Holy Spirit within themselves. Ephesians 1:13-14 Amplified Bible 13 In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and [as a result] believed in Him, were stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit [the One promised by Christ] as owned and protected [by God]. 14 The Spirit is the guarantee [the first installment, the pledge, a foretaste] of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own [purchased] possession [His believers], to the praise of His glory.

Symbolically joining with the death of Jesus, those who take these steps will receive their new spirit bodies at the trumpet blasts announcing the return of Jesus. That is when they will be born into the Kingdom of God as a spirit being and gain eternal life. 3 Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you— unless one is born again, he is not able to see the kingdom of God”. 4 Nicodemus says to Him, “How is a person able to be born while being an old-man? He is not able to enter a second time into the womb of his mother and be born, is he?” 5 Jesus responded, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. 6 The thing having been born of the flesh is flesh, and the thing having been born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You all must be born again’— 8 the wind blows where it wants, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know from where it comes, and where it is going. So is everyone having been born of the Spirit”.

Theologians tell us that Jesus repeats things to emphasize their importance. Here in John, Jesus tells us four times during the same conversation that he will raise his followers into eternal life on the last day. John 6:39-40…44…54 EasyEnglish Bible 39 He has sent me. He does not want me to lose any of the people that he has given to me. Not even one of them. He wants me to raise all of them up to life on the last day. 40 These are the people who will have life for ever with God: everyone who sees the Son and believes in him. I will raise them all up on the last day. That is what my Father wants.’ …44 The Father has sent me. Nobody can come to me unless the Father brings them to me. I will raise those people up on the last day, so that they have life for ever…54 Every person needs to eat my body and they need to drink my blood. If they do those things, they have life for ever with God. I will raise them up on the last day.

Expecting the leaders to know better, Jesus is astonished at Nicodemus’s lack of understanding. As a Christian, I find the pursuit of good exegesis to be vital in my quest to become a workman who is unashamed of his understanding. 9 Nicodemus responded and said to Him, “How are these things able to happen?” 10 Jesus responded and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you that we are speaking what we know, and we are testifying what we have seen, and you people are not receiving our testimony. 12 If I told you people earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Because these words of Jesus come from a conversation explicitly dealing with the subject of eternal life and heaven, I believe them to be the truth. Using the direct words of Jesus tells me that no one will be in heaven until after Jesus returns. Jesus specifically states that the number of people already in heaven when he was speaking was zero. Therefore, I must interpret other Bible passages that talk about heaven and an afterlife in light of the fact that Jesus said no one is in heaven. Referring to John 1:1-5 with the word being with God, Jesus names himself as the only man who has been in heaven. 13 And no one has gone up into heaven except the One having come down from heaven— the Son of Man.

Using the example of Moses, Jesus alludes to his future sacrifice that will save mankind from their sins. Only those whose faith is in Jesus will gain eternal life.14 And just as Moses lifted-up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up 15 in order that everyone putting-faith in Him may have eternal life.

Jesus reveals the depth of love God has for humanity and concisely states that only those who follow Jesus will gain eternal life. Those who do not believe in Jesus will die. 16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-born Son, in order that everyone believing in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life.

Even though mankind are sinners and deserving of death, God loves humanity and sent Jesus to redeem them from their sins. In Luke 10:1, Jesus sent out more than 70 disciples ahead of him, where they experienced the Holy Spirit’s power. In John 6:60-70, most of those disciples left Jesus because of his difficult teaching. Like those Pharisees who knew God sent Jesus, but still willingly rejected him, those who knowingly refuse Jesus have been judged for their actions already. Once knowing that Jesus is their messiah, it is people’s actions that will condemn them. They will have no excuse. God will not punish those who don’t accept Jesus until they have been called to Jesus by God. God takes no pleasure in punishing mankind, for God intends to save from punishment all those who will follow Jesus. 17 For God did not send-forth the Son into the world in order that He might judge the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. 18 The one believing in Him is not judged. But the one not believing has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-born Son of God.

Ultimately, in the end, after everyone has had their opportunity to accept Jesus, those who reject the sacrifice of Jesus and the love of God will be judged and sentenced when their works are exposed to the light. Salvation is for those who walk in the truth and have good works, not those who talk about the truth and have good intentions with no actions. 19 And this is the judgment: that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their works were evil. 20 For everyone practicing bad things hates the Light, and does not come to the Light in order that his works may not be exposed. 21 But the one doing the truth comes to the Light in order that his works may become visible— that they have been worked in God”.

The good news of God’s Kingdom can provide hope for those whom God has decided not to call to Jesus now. God does love them and wants all who will follow Jesus to gain eternal life. But God will call them when they have their best chance for success. Those who are called now have the guarantee of the holy spirit and will become kings and priests in God’s Kingdom. They have the living hope that no matter what they have to endure, their salvation, which has been stored in heaven for them, will be there for them when Jesus returns on the last day and they are raised to eternal life. 1 Peter 1:3-6 New International Version 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

God is calling the weak and foolish of the world now. Through their trials and the Holy Spirit, they are becoming like Jesus. Those followers who endure to the end will be blessed. When Jesus returns to the earth, those faithful ones will rule the Kingdom with Jesus and shame the wise and powerful of mankind. Matthew 24:13-14 Expanded Bible 13 But those people who ·keep their faith [endure; stand firm; persevere] until the end will be saved. 14 ·The Good News [This Gospel] about God’s kingdom will be preached in all the world, [ as a testimony] to every nation. Then the end will come.

I have discovered that by choosing good exegesis, I can build my house of faith on the solid rock of God’s Word. I have found that relying on verses that straightforwardly discuss a specific topic helps me discover what is meant in ambiguous scriptures. When the meanings of verses appear to contradict, then the scriptures have not been understood using good exegesis, and they are being misunderstood.