The Bad News before the Good News:

We are all under the power of sin • No one obeys the Law fully, so no one will be declared righteous • The Law doesn’t give salvation, it gives us knowledge of sin • The whole world is accountable to God; We are all facing God’s judgment and His wrath.

Humans have a tendency to sit over and above others when we feel privileged. Paul turns to the Jews now to ensure they know their own broken, condemned state before God, even as those who were privileged with God’s law.

The Gospel reveals both God’s righteousness in Christ, but also why we needed it. Paul lays out here the harsh reality of our wickedness and where it comes from; a suppression of the truth of God’s existence. Yet, even in the face of this truth, the hope of salvation is still held out in the gospel.

The Gospel is God’s power for salvation for all people. It drives everything the apostle Paul does. It prompts his prayers, it drives his plans, and it overflows into his proclamation.

The relevance of Paul's Gospel message is wholly dependent on and determined by the reality of who Jesus Christ is. Paul claims that he is both a human descendant of David, according to God’s promises, and, by His resurrection, declared to be the Holy Son of God. It’s faith in this Jesus that brings about eternal change in our lives.

Two men go to the temple to pray, but only one comes back right with God. Jesus’ story tells us why.

Jesus deliberately turns cultural expectations upside down by taking the role of a servant and washing his disciples’ feet. Knowing his authority and his coming suffering, Jesus chooses humility, demonstrating that true greatness is found not in status or power but in self-giving love. Through this intimate and uncomfortable act, he teaches that those who follow him are called to serve others willingly and in practical ways, making humble service the defining mark of authentic discipleship.

If Jesus rose from the dead, if the tomb was empty, then our hope in Him is absolutely certain. He has loved us, forgiven our sins, secured us for eternity, and sharing his message is worthwhile.

All the people watching Jesus being crucified hurled insults at him, saying, “Save yourself”. The truth is, he could have, but he didn’t. He stayed there for us, because we couldn’t save ourselves.

The world crowns powerful people with money, status, how much you own, how much you are worth, but God crowned Jesus the king with a crown of thorns. And yet through that cross, Jesus displayed the greatest power the universe has ever seen — the power of sacrificial love that saves sinners. Because in the kingdom of God: The greatest person in the room is not the one being served. It’s the one serving.