'Rightly Dividing the Word'
Gospel Taught by Jesus
Mat 16:16,21 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.".. From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.
Only after His disciples, who had seen His many signs and wonders, and had believed that He was the Christ or Messiah, did Jesus tell them of His mission on earth, which is the Gospel of Christ - how the Christ must suffered many things from the priests, elders and scribes, and be killed and be raised on the third day.
Salvation of His Disciples
John 20:19-22 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
His disciples witnessed the priests and rulers delivering Jesus to the Gentiles. They saw how He suffered under the hands of the Roman soldiers. They also witnessed His crucifixion.
On the third day of His death, the disciples were glad to see Him appearing before them and they believed that He had risen from the dead. By the grace of God, they were saved for having believed the gospel of Christ
Immediately, our Lord, having commissioned them to go into the world, gave them the Holy spirit as the seal of redemption.
His disciples were the first to believe the gospel of grace and they were the first Christians or members of the body of Christ.
Jesus Taught Christians
Luke 24:25-27,31 Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself... Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.
After the resurrection and before His Ascension, our Lord spent all His time with His disciples who were already Christians. He taught them the truth in His commandments and words, and also how to preach the gospel of grace to the Jews.
Luke 24:44-45 Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Remnants of Israel Saved
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
The gospel of Christ was first preached to the Jews. From the OT, the disciples proved to the Jews that Jesus their Messiah came as the Lamb of God, who suffered and was killed but He rose from the dead the third day.
In Acts 2 alone, in Jerusalem 3,000 Jews believed the gospel of Christ preached by the unlearned fisherman Peter and were baptized and later many more were saved.
Salvation of Jews by the preaching of His disciples including Apostle Paul also reached neighbouring nations. All these new converts were the remnants of Israel (possibly 10% of all Jews then) saved for the second time as prophesied.
Isaiah 11:11 It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from Assyria and Egypt, from Pathros and Cush, from Elam and Shinar, from Hamath and the islands of the sea.
