The gospel is the good news that the long-expected Messiah, King,

triumphant over the enemies of God, establishers of joy and righteousness, and peace has come.

What makes the gospel the best news any person could ever hear?

That's the question John Piper answers from Romans 1, 1, 4 in this episode of Light and Truth.

This sermon was originally preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on May 3rd, 1998.

This son, this great glorious pre-existent divine son, it says, was born

for three of a descendant of David according to the flesh.

Two observations, one, this means that the Son of God became a man.

That's obvious. He became a man. He's now in the line of David, but the second,

more specific observation is that he was in the line of David.

Now why is that part of the gospel? Why is that good news to say that the Son of God

was not just born and penetrated into our world took on the likeness of sinful flesh like us

as a specific heir of the Davidic line. David is a Israelite king, a man after God's own heart,

the great climactic king of Israel, and this man, this God man is in that line.

Why is that gospel? The reason is because that line was to bring forth the Messiah,

the anointed one, who was to be the yes to all God's promises.

He was to defeat all God's enemies. He was to rally all God's people, purify them

with a refining fire, make them righteous and holy and pure, and then bring joy to them

and peace to them and banish all in Godliness out of the universe.

And there stands the king with all of his assembled people.

That would be good news for those who love God and his Messiah.

They read you a couple of Old Testament verses to show you what Paul has in mind.

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