by Kayla Kennada
Like a Herald, We Bring Good News
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7).
Isaiah was prophesying that Israel would be freed from Babylonian captivity. He envisioned the messenger as he hailed from the mountaintop to bring the good news that their deliverance had come. Imagine being the herald who got to shout the good news of their deliverance! There is a thrilling emotion that overwhelms one who receives a miracle breakthrough. You can’t help but be ecstatic toward the one who brings you that news.
John the Baptist Was a Herald
Reading this verse in Isaiah brought John the Baptist to my mind. His core ministry was to prepare the way for Jesus to come. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” was his main message. The phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” is mentioned over thirty times in the book of Matthew. Jesus said “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). The Kingdom of heaven is not a place in the sky above, but it is a way that we are to live on earth according to God’s will.
John the Baptist was the herald who delivered the good news that Jesus, our Savior, had come. Jesus later said of him “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11). He was admonishing John the Baptist who was obedient to his calling unto death.
Jesus Delivered Us From the Old Covenant
When Jesus finished that verse with “but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he”, He was referring to them being in a greater covenant with the Father. Jesus came to deliver the Jews from the old covenant of living by the law because no one could uphold it. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Many animals were sacrificed over a course of time to cover each person’s sins. It was Father’s desire that they be given a new and better covenant, the covenant of grace.
The Covenant of Grace
Grace is when you don’t get what you deserve and do get what you don’t deserve. Jesus was their way out of having to continually make sin atoning animal sacrifices. These sacrifices only temporarily covered their sins. The new way would be to accept Jesus as the final sacrifice. This would cause them and everyone thereafter to become righteous and be in right standing with the Father. This means that we are saved by the grace of God. Jesus died in our place and our sins are cleansed once and for all; past, present, and future.
To enter the New Covenant meant that they had to repent or turn away from their old way of working out their salvation through repeated sacrifices. Repent means to change your mind or to think differently. They no longer had to live by the law of the Ten Commandments. Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-39 to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Then He said to love your neighbor as yourself. All of the other laws hang on these two.
Love the Lord and Love Your Neighbor
These are rules everyone can uphold when they have the love of God in their hearts. When we love others it takes our focus off of ourselves. Selfishness is the root of all sin. When we focus on loving God and loving people, then our light shall come (Isaiah 58:7-8). Jesus instructed us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). He also said to His disciples in Matthew 9:37-38 “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Still, today, we need more laborers for this unparalleled feat.
Do You Have Beautiful Feet?
As we proclaim the Gospel (Good News), we too, will have beautiful feet. This does not mean a physical beauty. Those who hear the Good News are delighted to have received the joy of peace and salvation. They are forever grateful for those who shared it with them. The messengers of the Gospel and grace of Jesus Christ are held in respect and honor, especially to the recipients of their message. What beautiful feet indeed, are those who carry salvation to the world. There’s no greater achievement than to bring another to Christ.