The Triumph of the Gospel at Easter and Always

The Final Prophecy—The Triumph of the Gospel

“This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
Matthew 24:14

Back in 2018, as the Easter season was approaching, the SiriusXM radio company came together with the Billy Graham organization to play Dr. Graham’s messages 24/7 throughout the Easter season. This was advertised as a limited time agreement, and when the Easter season ended, the messages went away.

Well, the response to the great evangelist’s preaching must have been very positive because he is still on SiriusXM. This time it is a full-time, every-day, 24-hours-per-day, permanent agreement. You can now hear Dr. Graham’s messages on channel 460 around the clock.

And I have been listening.

Each message is introduced and located by the date on which it was preached. Some of the messages were recorded live from his huge stadium events, and some of them are the replay of his weekly thirty-minute radio program. All are worth your time.

For over seven decades, Billy Graham preached the gospel. He preached during times of war. He preached during times of peace. He preached during times of racial unrest. He preached when our nation was going through serious financial crises. He preached in the aftermath of the assassination of President Kennedy and when we landed our astronauts on the moon. He preached through the administrations of twelve US presidents (Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush 41, Clinton, Bush 43, and Obama). He preached during the terrible days that surrounded September 11. He preached when his children were growing up and when his wife died. No matter what was happening in our world or in his world, Billy Graham preached.

I am not telling you something you do not already know. You may have listened to him and perhaps even attended one of his many events. This Easter season, I want to remind you of the scope of Dr. Graham’s preaching because I want to talk to you about the subject of his preaching.

I cannot begin to tell you how my heart has been stirred over these last several weeks as I have listened to his sermons. In spite of the myriad issues before him, he confronted them all with one thing: the gospel of Jesus Christ. He never wavered, he never changed, he never apologized, and he seemed to get stronger and better as he got older. As I have listened to him, I have found myself thinking of Paul’s words: “I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).

As we grapple with world, national, local, and even personal events, we often ask: Where do we go from here? The answer: We go to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe the gospel alone can triumph over the many challenges we are facing in our culture and our world, not only at Easter, but always.

That is what was confirmed to me as I listened to the great evangelist on the radio. He knew the gospel was the answer to any question, and he preached that gospel as if it were our only hope.

Because it is!

I have unwavering joy, even in these last days, because the gospel is triumphant, and Jesus is victorious. Nothing can stop Him, and no one can stall His work on earth.

In the early days of the church, after the first Easter and Christ’s resurrection, the Jewish high officials in Jerusalem couldn’t figure out what to do with the apostles. During a gathering to discuss the issue, Israel’s most respected rabbi, Gamaliel, rose to speak. He told the officials: “Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God” (Acts 5:38–39 NIV).

As far as we know, Rabbi Gamaliel was not himself a Christian. But on this occasion, he spoke true wisdom, and his words have rung true for two thousand years. They are true for you. Your influence, your work, and your service for the Master cannot be stopped.

Living in Triumph

In my book, Where Do We Go From Here? we study some of the key issues currently confronting our culture, all of them anticipated by biblical prophecy. We go from A to Z, from apostasy to Zion, analyzing the turmoil around us. We see that spiritual warfare is real, and it’s growing more intense as time grows shorter.

That is why I wanted to share this special message about the triumph of the gospel with you this Easter. The time grows short, but I feel a sense of anticipation... There’s no room in these days for defeated Christians. The Bible says, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place” (2 Cor. 2:14, emphasis added).

Don’t you like that word triumph? Try saying it aloud. It’s a powerful, biblical word.

Moses wrote, “I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously” (Ex. 15:1).

The psalmist told us, “Shout to God with the voice of triumph!” (Ps. 47:1).

According to the book of Revelation, this is the ultimate consumma­tion of biblical prophecy: “See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed” (5:5 NIV).

As usual, the apostle Paul stated it brilliantly: “Having disarmed principalities and powers, [Jesus] made a public spectacle of them, tri­umphing over them” (Col. 2:15).

I think the people of Colossae would be somewhat at home in our world. They were facing what we are facing. While surrounded by a vile and pagan culture, they were also endangered from within by false teachers and weakened doctrine. As I pointed out in the Jeremiah Study Bible, the apostle Paul probably never set foot in the town of Colossae, which was nestled in the Lycus Valley some one hundred miles east of Ephesus. A man named Epaphras, a native Colossian who had been converted under Paul’s ministry, started a church in this small town.

Things went well at first, but then false teachers showed up. All around them was a pagan Roman culture, and now false teachers threatened to erode their internal foundation of faith. Epaphras was so alarmed that he sought out Paul, who was imprisoned in Rome, asking him to write to this little congregation. The great apostle did so—four glorious chapters about the transcendence of Christ and the triumph of the gospel.

Paul wasn’t just writing to Colossae, but to us, as he exhorted us to never allow ourselves to be “moved away from the hope of the gospel” (Col. 1:23). A good message for us always, but especially at Easter.

Paul went on to warn: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philos­ophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power” (2:8–10).

Who are the principalities and powers over whom Jesus triumphed?

They are fallen supernatural beings—principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness in this age, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). They are malevolent forces in the unseen realm, associates of Satan. The devil has a dark and demonic network of evil—an invisible grid that encircles our world.

There is no way to explain the acceleration of evil in our day apart from principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and the spiritual hosts of wickedness. They are firing at us like enemy combatants, and their intent is to kill. But Jesus Christ is victor over every shadowy figure in the universe—even death itself.

That’s the triumph of the gospel that we celebrate at Easter! When our Lord Jesus Christ came out of the tomb He triumphed over every power, every principality, every ruler of darkness, every spiritual force of evil in the unseen realm. He has triumphed over the world, the flesh, and the devil. He conquered sin, death, and hell. He broke the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil, and freed those who were held in slavery by their fear of death (Heb. 2:14–15).

In days to come, during the final moments of earth’s history, the Antichrist and his cohorts will make one last stand. “They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers” (Rev. 17:14 NIV).

Biblical prophecy never leads us down dark pathways of chaos and cataclysm. It leads us past chaos and cataclysm to Christ Himself, who is victorious overall.

Consider this. Every year on Palm Sunday we sing and preach about the triumphal entry of Jesus as He entered Jerusalem at the beginning of Passion Week. We see Him riding a donkey while multitudes cheer Him with cries of “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Mark 11:9). By the end of the week, Jesus had been crucified.

If we call our Lord’s first coming “triumphal,” what can we say of His return?

It will be triumphal times a trillion! That’s why the signs of the times bring us songs, not sighs or sobs. When we see all that’s happening around us, we lift up our eyes because our redemption—our Redeemer—is drawing near.

What Does This Mean?

Whenever we read the letters of Paul, we find him articulating the message of the gospel from different viewpoints. In Colossians, he put it like this: “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13–14).

Without Christ, we’re in Satan’s grip. But because of His great love for us, Jesus shed His blood and died to redeem us from our sins, giving us full forgiveness. He rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and resumed His position of supreme authority. When we believe and receive His good news, He instantly conveys us into His family and into His kingdom. That is the triumph of the gospel that we celebrate at Easter—the victory of Jesus on our behalf.

The Message of the Gospel Is Transforming

This message is life-altering. It instantly changed the lives of a hand­ful of people in the town of Colossae, snatching them from the power of darkness and conveying them into the kingdom of light. Two thousand years later, the same gospel is transforming hearts today.

It’s not often I quote a press release from an atheist society, but just as the pandemic began to fade from the headlines, another news item caught my eye. A group called the “Atheists in Kenya Society” in Nairobi issued a press release dated May 30, 2021: “This evening, regretfully, the Secretary of the Atheists in Kenya Society Mr. Seth Mahiga, informed [us] that he has made the decision to resign from his position as Secretary of the society. Seth’s reason for resigning is that he has found Jesus Christ and is no longer interested in promoting atheism in Kenya. We wish Seth all the best in his newfound relationship with Jesus Christ. . . . The position of Secretary of the Society has been rendered vacant.”¹

We cannot imagine how many people like Seth are saved by the blood of Christ every single day in this world. Only heaven knows that statistic, but each life is radically transformed.

Paul told the Colossians, “We heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you” (1:4–6).

The Work of the Gospel Is Expanding

Furthermore, the work of the gospel is expanding. Paul went on to say, “[The gospel] has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit” (v. 6). Even in Paul’s day, he saw the gospel spreading and expanding like concentric circles throughout the entire known world.

Jesus said, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:14).

From my own experience, I can tell you I’ve never seen a moment in my lifetime of ministry in which followers of Jesus are reaching more people, witnessing more conversions, and touching more nations than now. Easter is one of the best times to share the gospel with others, so I hope you will invite family, friends, colleagues—anyone—to celebrate the triumph of the gospel with you at an Easter church service. It’s hard to be discouraged with the headlines when a bigger story is unfolding. We can’t fully document it, but the gospel is yielding unprecedented fruit around the globe.

Yes, I know we’ve talked about apostasy and the perceived decline of Christianity in the West. But that’s not the whole story. The triumphant gospel is penetrating new areas, and truly amazing things are happening.

Perhaps you’ve heard rumors of the growth of Christianity within the borders of Iran. Those rumors are true! One report said the gospel is spreading through that nation at a “sizzling pace.” Another report said the Holy Spirit is “on fire” in Iran.²

As you know, the leaders of Iran adhere to an apocalyptic form of Islam, and they’re doing everything possible to discourage this revival. Anyone suspected of being a Christian is arrested or oppressed. But do you know what’s happening? Plans are unfolding for Billy Graham to preach in Iran! Yes, Dr. Graham’s sermons are being dubbed into Farsi and broadcast into the country. It’s believed his sermons will reach over twenty million Iranians in the safety of their own homes.³ That’s only one tidbit about the spiritual awakening currently taking place in this country which, as I’ve indicated, will play a role in the unfolding of the tribulation.

In another case, there’s an evangelist named Dr. Hormoz Shariat. In 1979, Dr. Shariat was on the streets of Iran shouting, “Death to America!” He was a fanatical Muslim, but something happened to him when he started reading the Bible and comparing it to the Quran. “I realized Jesus is the way,” he said. “And when my life was changed so dramatically, I knew I mustn’t keep it to myself.”⁴ He uses satellite TV to reach millions of Iranians, and his messages are penetrating homes twenty-four hours a day.⁵

As followers of Christ, we read the news differently than other peo­ple. When you hear reports of an Iranian nuclear deal or the ayatollah’s apocalyptic threats, remember there’s more going on than meets the eye. The Lord is at work behind the headlines, and the gospel is spreading into every corner of the earth with its message of triumph.

The Followers of the Gospel Are Maturing

Furthermore, the followers of the gospel are maturing. The apostle Paul told the Colossians he was praying “that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work.” He asked God to strengthen them with all might and to give them power, patience, and endurance (Col. 1:9–11).

How we need that, and how God is doing that! While the world is worsening, the Lord’s servants are increasing and His churches are advancing. When I look at the students and young adults in my own church and in the schools we support, I’m encouraged. We have a young generation whose growth in zeal and godliness will be tested, but which will triumph in the years ahead.

Perhaps you know about the worldwide ministry of AWANA Clubs International. Recently their leadership team met to share childhood sto­ries with one another. This was a bonding exercise, but it quickly became very personal and even painful. One member after another told about the anguish they faced when they were younger. One remembered the night his father went on a violent rampage. Another told how his mother had beaten him every morning for wetting his bed. As the painful truths unfolded, the group grieved together over the deep childhood hurts they had sustained.

But a phrase kept recurring. One person after another said, “But there was a church . . . .”

• “I was my mother’s whipping boy, but there was a church who loved me.”
• “No one knew how dysfunctional we were and how abused and humiliated I was at home, but there was a church where people fathered and mothered me.”
• “My dad abandoned my mother and me . . . but there was a church who took my mom and me to its heart.”⁶

Jesus said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). Despite all the anguish and abuse of our age, the gospel will triumph through the church as we mature in Christ and bear fruit in every good work. Never underestimate the power of your local church, for Jesus died to plant it in this world. He rose again to empower it to reach every new generation with His glorious gospel. I hope you have experienced this in your own church and will invite those who do not know Christ or Christian fellowship to join you.

The Author of the Gospel Is Preeminent

The Author of the gospel—our Lord Jesus Christ—“is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created. . . . And He is before all things, and in Him all things con­sist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preemi­nence” (Col. 1:15–18).

Richard Chin, national director of the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students, has a profound ministry with young people on multiple continents. But it wasn’t always that way. Back in July 1983, Chin was himself a student whose Christian experience was nominal. One day while attending a conference he heard the speaker ask one ques­tion: “Is Jesus number one in your life?”

“I knew he was a good number two or three,” Chin recalled. “But he was not number one. Sometime that week, I joyfully received Jesus as my Lord.” As Chin began studying his Bible, he was drawn to the book of Colossians, which he memorized, and he was amazed at the triumphant picture of Christ found in its pages.

As we see Jesus more clearly, the gospel gets bigger and bigger in our hearts. His death becomes more wonderful. His resurrection becomes more astonishing. Sin becomes more disgusting and the devil seems more evil. The restoring work of the Spirit gets mightier. The global extent of the gospel becomes more important. The connections between everything within the Bible become clearer. Our yearning for eternity becomes greater. And the love of God becomes more delightful.

“Jesus is preeminent in everything,” wrote Chin. “He rules everything in this creation, and He rules everything in the age to come.”⁷

The question that changed Richard Chin’s life is profoundly important now. Is Jesus truly preeminent in your life? Is He number one? If He’s “a good two or three,” there will be nothing victorious about your experience. In this careening culture and in these perilous days, we must say as never before: “All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give.”

As someone said long ago, “Only in the Christian life does surrender bring victory.”

The Theme of the Gospel Is Energizing

Another triumphal note in Colossians sounds like the blast of a trumpet: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (1:27). What a slogan and what a motto! But it’s so much more. When Charles Spurgeon preached from this verse, he used a very simple outline, which I can’t beat:

• The essence of the gospel is: Christ
• The sweetness of the gospel is: Christ in you.
• The outlook of the gospel is: Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Taken together, this is the triumph of the gospel, and you can make it your own: “Christ in me, the hope of glory!” The moment we proclaim Christ as our Savior, He comes, through His Spirit, to live and reign within us. One day we’ll see Him face-to-face. One day soon we’ll literally walk and talk with Him as the disciples did long ago. We will share His glory and have a part in His inheritance, reigning with Him over the new heaven and the new earth.

This hope is the theme of the gospel, and it’s just as certain as the death of Christ. Just as sure as His resurrection. Just as exciting as His return. And just as real as His indwelling Spirit. The New Living Translation says, “And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.”

Where Do We Go from Here?

Whenever I write, I pray for God’s power on every word. But when I quote the Word of God, I know there is limitless power in every sylla­ble. So I would like to highlight five passages, directly from the book of Colossians, that will tell you where to go from here.

Because Jesus is preeminent and His gospel is triumphant, you can live and labor in victory in several critical areas this Easter season and in the coming year.

Preach the Gospel with Your Lips

As followers of Jesus, we must keep preaching Christ and holding up the cross. Colossians 1:28 says: “Him we preach.” We must keep doing that till the end.

Naomi Reed interviewed an Asian Christian named Resham, who told her his story.

I have Parkinson’s Disease now. I can’t walk anymore and I’m mostly in my bed. I can’t leave this room, or go to church, or visit people. It’s a change for me. I spent my whole adult life sharing the Gospel. Back then, I walked through 72 districts in Nepal, preaching the Gospel . . . and we started a Bible correspondence course. In total, we’ve had 700,000 students.

I was put in jail three times for my faith, and I was tortured. But I can’t walk anymore, or get out of bed. The challenge for me, today, is in reading Colossians 1:28–29. The apostle Paul said, “Christ is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” . . .

I want to be like Paul. I know that he used all his energy to share the Gospel, right to the end. And I want to do that too. I don’t have any energy in my body, anymore, but I still have energy in my heart and my mind. Even now, people can ring me on my phone . . . and they ask me about Jesus and I still tell them. I’m still taking calls from our Bible correspondence students. I’m still using all my energy, even while I’m lying on my bed—all the energy that Christ has given me!⁸

To the very end of life, to the very end of time, and to the very ends of the earth, let’s use all our strength to preach Him and His triumphant gospel. The Lord has blessed us with the opportunity of reaching, I believe, one of the last generations prior to His return for us. Let’s be proactive about reaching out to others during this Easter season. One invitation is all it takes.

Picture the Gospel with Your Life

When twin brothers Brett and Alex Harris were teenagers, they wrote a book titled Do Hard Things. They suggested readers get up early, do more than required, find a cause, and be better than our culture. They wrote as Christians. Both boys finished high school at age sixteen, clerked with the Alabama Supreme Court, and organized political cam­paigns. Both boys enrolled at Patrick Henry College, took first place in the Moot Court nationals, wrote another book, and spoke at conferences. Then they both got married. Alex and his wife moved to Massachusetts, where Alex enrolled in Harvard.

After Harvard, Alex clerked for Judge Neil Gorsuch and Justice Anthony Kennedy. He was named one of Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30 for Law and Policy. His legal career soared, but Alex also faced hardship. His mother’s death was devastating to him. His brother’s wife developed a debilitating disease, and Brett became a caregiver.

“We ultimately do hard things and we have the power to do hard things,” Alex said in an interview, “because Jesus Christ has done the ultimate hard thing. . . . he died on the cross beating sin and death forever for our sakes. And because of that, we have this incredible hope, we have this incredible security, we have this incredible understanding that failure is not the end and our own failures do not negate his faithfulness. As Christians, the person and work and salvation of Christ is what ultimately grounds us in the ability to do maybe some of the hard­est things . . . the ability to faithfully walk through suffering that is hard even to wrap your mind around the way that Christians throughout history have done because, again, of that hope you have in Christ.”⁹

What young Alex Harris said is that each of us can use our lives to paint a picture of the gospel—to illustrate what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

Charles Spurgeon called this “adorning the gospel.”

What is appropriate to the gospel? Well, holiness suits the gospel. Adorn it with a holy life. How pure, how clean, how sweet, how heavenly, the gospel is! Hang, then, the jewels of holiness about its neck, and place them as rings on its hands.

The gospel is also to be adorned with mercifulness. It is all mercy, it is all love, there is no love like it: “God so loved the world.” Well, then, adorn the gospel with the suitable jewels of mercifulness and kindness. . . .

The gospel also is the gospel of happiness; it is called, “the glorious gospel of the blessed God.” A more correct translation would be, “the happy God.” Well, then, adorn the gospel by being happy. . . .

Adorn the gospel, next, by your unselfishness. . . . If you would adorn the gospel, you must love others, love them intensely, and make it one object of your lives to make other people happy, for so you will then be acting according to the spirit and genius of the gospel.¹⁰

All that is summed up in Colossians 2:6: “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in Him.”

“Walk” is a term that is used often to describe the Christian life. In Colossians 2:6, the word is in the present tense, indicating an ongoing process. Walking implies a steady, step-by-step effort and progress toward a goal. In other words, our actions are to consistently align with our words and beliefs. We preach the gospel with our lips, and we picture the gospel with our lives.

Our gospel message must be reinforced by a growing, dynamic gospel experience. If you’re not involved in your local church, why not use Easter as a time to begin growing in your walk and living out the gospel with your life.

Ponder the Gospel with Your Mind

The gospel of Jesus Christ informs not only our actions but also our thoughts.

Colossians 3 begins with some of the most positive words ever written: “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (vv. 1–2 nlt).

When you think of Jesus, don’t limit your thoughts to a cross and an empty tomb, as wondrous as those moments are. Think of our Lord’s present glory, seated at the right hand of God. John saw the glorified Lord Jesus in the first chapter of Revelation, and he wrote about it with astonishment and awe: “He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen’” (vv. 16–18).

Set your heart on this! Let your mind focus on the dazzling glory of our triumphant Christ. Think of it often. Meditate on it constantly. The world with all its troubles is a fleeting spectacle, but Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Henry Ward Beecher once said, “The soul without imagination is what an observatory would be without a telescope.” Moses and the sev­enty elders saw the foundation of the Lord’s throne. Ezekiel and Isaiah saw the throne of God. Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right side of the throne. John saw it in the book of Revelation. All these writers described what they saw, and that allows us to use our God-given imaginations to see, as best we can by faith, the same throne of grace, victory, and eternal rule.

Meditate frequently on the throne of Christ, and you’ll sleep better by night and feel more enthusiasm by day. My friend, this Easter set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Practice the Gospel with Your Love

Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt issued a remarkable statement to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. For eigh­teen hours between May 31 and June 1, 1921, a white mob attacked a predominately Black neighborhood in Tulsa, killing hundreds of people and leaving thousands homeless. The story is soul-wrenching to study, but for decades few people knew about it. News outlets didn’t report it in those days.

Listen to what Governor Stitt said: “Oklahoma’s history, like every other state in the nation, has moments that we are not proud of. One hundred years ago, heinous acts of racism and hatred left a deep wound on our fellow Oklahomans in Greenwood. The pain is still felt by many of our neighbors today. . . . It is our responsibility that peace and love are taught in our homes, schools, workplaces and churches. God com­mands this of us in Colossians 3:14–15: ‘Above all, clothe yourself with love, which binds us together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.’”¹¹

As followers of Christ, we must never forget that His gospel isn’t something we simply believe—it’s something we do. Something we must practice by choosing to love others.

Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34–35).

In his book The Mark of a Christian, the late Francis Schaeffer pointed out that Jesus gave the world the right to judge believers by their love for one another:

Jesus says, “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” In the midst of the world, in the midst of our present dying culture, Jesus is giving a right to the world. Upon his author­ity he gives the world the right to judge whether you and I are born-again Christians on the basis of our observable love toward all Christians.

That’s pretty frightening. Jesus turns to the world and says, “I’ve something to say to you. On the basis of my authority, I give you a right: you may judge whether or not an individual is a Christian on the basis of the love he shows to all Christians.”

In other words, if people come up to us and cast in our teeth the judgment that we are not Christians because we have not shown love toward other Christians, we must understand that they are only exercising a prerogative which Jesus gave them.

And we must not get angry. If people say, “You don’t love other Christians,” we must go home, get down on our knees and ask God whether or not they are right. And if they are, then they have a right to have said what they said.¹²

The gospel teaches us to clothe ourselves with love, for only the love of the gospel can overcome the venom of sin in our world. We have a tri­umphant gospel, but those who share it must be clothed in love and carry in their hearts a genuine burden for our neighbors and for our enemies.

Finish Strong

There are many other instructions for us in the book of Colossians, exhortations for these last days we should take to heart. But I want to end with a strange little verse at the very end of the book. It’s a personal message, addressed to one individual—to you.

Well, actually, it’s to a man named Archippus, but you can put your name in that spot. It says: “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it” (4:17). In other words, finish the work. Complete the task. Make sure by the end of your life you have also come to the end of your assigned earthly work.

We believe Archippus was the son of Philemon. In Philemon 1:2, Paul called him “our fellow soldier.” He had a personal ministry assigned to him, perhaps at the direction of Paul. Since Philemon and his family lived in Colossae, Paul added a postscript to his letter to the Colossians, telling Archippus to make sure he finished his assigned work.

Yes, let’s all put our own name in Colossians 4:17. We’re likely living in the final eras before the return of Christ, and God has assigned cer­tain tasks to us all. Our Lord’s first recorded words as a youngster were, “I must be about My Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). And at the end of His natural life, He said, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4).

God has given you certain gifts for His glory and certain tasks for His kingdom. Make sure you complete them. We don’t have to get out of this world alive, but we do have to complete the work God has assigned us.

The apostle Paul said, “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God” (Acts 20:24 nlt).

I can think of no one who sought to fulfill this verse more than someone I mentioned earlier in this chapter—Billy Graham. As I continue listening to Dr. Graham’s sermons afresh, I confess I’m as moved as ever by his ringing proclamation of the triumph of the gospel. Even now, his iconic voice touches my heart and inspires me to be a better preacher.

On January 9, 1955, Billy said on his Hour of Decision radio program: “If I didn’t believe that the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ held the answer to this world’s baffling problems, I would go back to the farm and the rural life that I love and spend my days in peaceful solitude.”¹³

On April 3, 1966, Billy said, “We are looking for a universal solution to our problems, but the cross presents itself in the midst of our dilemma as our only hope.”¹⁴

In a press conference in Poland on October 16, 1978, he said, “I have read the last page of the Bible. It is all going to turn out all right.”¹⁵

Billy held more than four hundred crusades in his life, in more than 185 countries. His final crusade was in New York City in 2005, where he said, “I have one message: that Jesus Christ came, He died on a cross, He rose again, and He asked us to repent of our sins and receive Him by faith as Lord and Savior, and if we do, we have forgiveness of all our sins.”¹⁶

I could give you quote after quote. I had the privilege of knowing Dr. Graham, and I heard him preach many times. He delivered his final sermon in a television broadcast on this ninety-fifth birthday, saying: “Our country is in a great need of a spiritual awakening. There have been times that I’ve wept as I’ve gone from city to city and I’ve seen how far people have wandered from God. Of all the things that I’ve seen and heard, there is only one message that can change people’s lives and hearts. I want to tell people about the meaning of the cross. . . . The real cross of Christ. . . . He loves you, willing to forgive you of all your sins.”¹⁷

Throughout my ministry, I’ve met people who told me they were saved at a Billy Graham Crusade or by listening to him on television or radio. Billy’s entire personality was touched by God with an unusual power.

None of us are Billy Graham. He was unique. But we all have the same gospel. It didn’t belong to Billy Graham. It is God’s gift to all of us. It is the good news of Jesus Christ for you as much as for anyone in all the world, and it trumps all the headlines of history. The gospel is the only beam of light shining on this dark world, but its megawatts are unlimited. It can brighten any life and dispel every shadow.

I pray that whatever you may be facing this Easter, you remember that we are not beaten down people. We’re not on the ropes. We are not an endangered species. We are not a people worried about where we go from here. We know where we’re going, and we know Him who has prepared the way. We are more than conquerors through our Lord Jesus Christ.

That’s the triumph of the gospel, and I hope you’ve discovered it for yourself. Whatever you’re facing, Christ is your victory. Wherever you’re going, He is your guide. However you’re feeling, He is your sole and solid hope. Whenever you’re worried by the falling fragments of our collapsing planet, you can look up to heaven and see Him who came down to earth for you—and who is soon coming again!

We’re soldiers in the battle now, but one day we will be heirs in the kingdom. The world may wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and He will bring His called, chosen, and faithful followers with Him. Oh, may we all be there! May He be your Lamb and your Lord as we triumphantly but humbly tell Him:

Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me
And that Thou bid’st me come to Thee
O Lamb of God, I come! I come!¹⁸

Notes:

1. Harrison Mumia, “Press Statement—Secretary Seth Mahiga Resigns,” Atheists in Kenya, May 30, 2021, https://atheistsinkenya.org/2021/05/30/press-statement-secretary-seth-mahiga-resigns/.
2. Leah Nablo Yecla, “Gospel Making Inroads in Iran Despite Strong Persecution,” Christianity Daily, November 16, 2020, http://www .christianitydaily.com/articles/10094/20201116/gospel-making-inroads-in-iran-despite-strong-persecution.htm.
3. “Bring the Life-Changing Gospel to Iran Through Billy Graham’s Sermons,” Iran Alive Ministries, accessed June 10, 2021, https://iranalive.org/billy-graham.
4. Charles Gardner, “Iranian Awakening,” Israel Today, February 27, 2021,https://www.israeltoday.co.il/read/iranian-awakening/.
5. Bruce Davis, “Iran’s Great Awakening with Dr. Hormoz Shariat,” In Aweby Bruce Podcast, November 11, 2020, https://www.inawebybruce.com/podcast/2020/11/11/irans-great-awakening-with-dr-hormoz-shariat.
6. Valerie Bell et al., Resilient: Child Discipleship and the Fearless Future ofthe Church (Steamwood, IL: Awana Clubs International, 2020), 62.
7. Richard Chin, Captivated by Christ (Youngstown, OH: Matthias Media,2019), 16, 26.
8. Naomi Reed, “I Was Put in Jail Three Times for My Faith, and I WasTortured,” Eternity, July 30, 2020, https://www.eternitynews.com.au/faith -stories/i-was-put-in-jail-three-times-for-my-faith-and-i-was-tortured/.
9. Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra and Alex Harris, “Alex Harris: How to Do HardThings” (podcast), The Gospel Coalition, May 6, 2021, https://www .thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/tgc-podcast/alex-harris-do-hard-things/.
10. Charles Spurgeon, “Adorning the Gospel,” The Spurgeon Center, May 26,1887, https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/adorning-the-gospel/#flipbook/.
11. Cassidy Mudd, “Governor Stitt Commemorates 1921 Tulsa RaceMassacre,” Channel 8 News, May 28, 2021, https://ktul.com/news/local/governor-stitt-commemorates-1921-tulsa-race-massacre.
12. Francis A. Schaeffer, The Mark of the Christian (Downer's Grove, IL.:InterVarsity Press, 1970), 22–23.
13. Billy Graham, “100 Quotes from Billy Graham,” Billy Graham EvangelisticAssociation of Canada, accessed June 10, 2021, https://www.billygraham .ca/100-quotes-from-billy-graham/.
14. Billy Graham, “100 Quotes from Billy Graham.”
15. Billy Graham, “100 Quotes from Billy Graham.”
16. “Billy Graham 1918–2018 Official Obituary,” February 21, 2018, https://memorial.billygraham.org/official-obituary/.
17. Radstyles007, “Billy Graham’s Last Sermon at Age 95, God, Jesus Christ,Bible, Christianity & Truth,” YouTube, February 24, 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPkNtG5IVcA.
18. Charlotte Elliott, “Just As I Am, Without One Plea,” 1755, public domain.

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This article was adapted from Dr. Jeremiah's book, Where Do We Go From Here?