The Effectual Preacher
"...The Lord hath anointed
me to preach good tidings..." Isaiah 61:1
These words prophetically
describe one great work of the Lord Jesus Christ - He was to come as a
preacher. Not only is the eternal Son of God the author of the gospel and the
subject of the gospel, he is the only effectual preacher of the gospel. He is
"the Messenger of the Covenant". Through his incarnation and death,
he created the gospel, and it is he who effectually preaches the gospel.
Christ proclaimed the gospel through the prophets of
the Old Testament, in anticipation of his atoning sacrifice. They were his
mouthpieces. It was he who went and preached to Noah's disobedient generation,
when the longsuffering of God waited while the ark was being prepared. When
those holy men of old "prophesied of the grace that should come", it
was "the Spirit of Christ within them" testifying "beforehand
the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow."
During his life upon
the earth, our Lord proclaimed the gospel of the
After his
resurrection, it was Christ who commanded his disciples in all ages to proclaim
the gospel to every creature, promising the power of his presence. It was Christ
who poured out his Spirit on the day of Pentecost, through the merits of his
death and resurrection. It was Christ who preached the gospel to Saul of
Tarsus, and every preacher today speaks in Christs name. Rather, Christ preaches through him as
his ambassador. Every true gospel preacher can say with Paul, "We pray you
in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."
We preach, but Christ alone preaches effectually. He
created the gospel, is the theme of the gospel, and in truth he is the one and
only preacher of the gospel. He applies the gospel irresistibly by the Holy
Spirit. When Christ preaches, salvation comes.
Don Fortner