The title of this article should really be: “That is not just nice,” but I thought you might be more attracted to the one I chose. So, I admit to a little marketing manipulation. But, since you are reading, let’s get to the point.

We had left the church service and gathered at the restaurant with several couples. After ordering, someone asked the expected question, “What did you think of today’s sermon?” Let me say that the preacher had done an exceptional job of proclaiming the gospel. He had addressed the majestic though mysterious revelation that has come in Jesus, even mentioning how surprised the Jews of his day were in how he came as a baby and lived as a commoner. I was eager to hear the discussion that always ensues at lunch after church.

One of the ladies, who I will call Gail (name changed to protect the innocent), spoke up. “I thought it was nice.” My jaw dropped and I said under my breath, “I’m sorry. You missed it.”

The Gospel is Not Just “Nice”

The gospel that is the center of the Bible is not just nice. It is startling. Speaking of the coming of Christ centuries before the event, the prophet Isaiah said,

See, my servant shall prosper; he will be highly exalted. But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man. And he will startle many nations. Kings will stand speechless in his presence. For they will see what they had not been told; they will understand what they had not heard about. — Isaiah 52:13-15

We have domesticated it to “nice.” But that is not the appropriate description. Extraordinary! Explosive! Radical! Revolutionary! Mind-blowing! Threatening! These would apply.

A Lifeline to Our Shipwrecked State

The baby Jesus we celebrate at Christmas was a king who came to establish an empire that had a dimension beyond all other kingdoms. He came to set the world right and defeat the powers of hell. He was concluding a war that had been wrecking earth since the Garden of Eden. The ultimate Judge arrived. He was both the standard to which all would be measured, and the Judge whose sentence would be eternal. Opposing forces hated him. They conspired to eliminate him. It wasn’t nice.

We like the inspiring messages that remind us of how awesome we are and how we can tweak our attitudes and behaviors to be more successful as people, parents and producers. That’s nice. But the announcement that the God who created all things, and demands that history align with his agenda, has invaded the world is unsettling. He is in control, and we are not.

He has concluded that we can never shake our shackles or escape our captors. He knows that we are locked into a corner with no exit. He has come to make a way out. His way is his Son, and that is the only way provided. That is not a nice message to those who demand many options and insist on having some say in how things must be.

But to those who — like shipwrecked passengers bobbing in the middle of the ocean, dying of thirst and too fatigued to swim — hear there is a way out, it is grand news. They don’t want options. They want a sure salvation from one who can deliver what he promises.

His Breathtaking Gospel

Jesus in his saving act did not appeal to those who judge by appearance. He was marred and ugly. His features were distorted, his hair matted with his own blood, his shoulders slumped under the load of his cross. He was mocked by the crowd; ignored by those who are turned off by gore, and despised by those who should have known his true identity. Many had followed him in his mercy ministry. They loved the extra bread of his miracles, the healing from his hand, and the insightful stories he told.

Some, like his disciples, thought he would be the hero of Israel in leading a revolt against Rome. Judas had given up when he was sure that Jesus would not meet his expectations. Peter was all-in as long as Jesus was upright and potentially a winning candidate. When the appearance began to change, even Peter found him ugly and worthy of denying.

We are still exalting apparent beauty. We like for celebrities to lead us. We are a visual people and will not tolerate that which does not appeal to our taste. Any savior worthy of our attention must be a super-hero type.

But, the one who was marred beyond recognition has startled the nations. Kings, prime ministers, presidents, and even tyrants have bowed before him. They can’t compete with the power to conquer death. They tremble in the presence of him who lives forever. But it is not just leaders. Everyone who has seen him has found prostration to be the most appropriate position.

If you truly hear the gospel of Jesus Christ the Lord, you won’t say it is just nice. It will take your breath. Your life will change. Your priorities will be realigned. Your world will be different. You will hear yourself saying, “if that is true then everything has changed.”