What is the Gospel?

In its essence, the gospel is the good news of Jesus. No matter how it is presented, at its core is always “who is Jesus and what has he done?”

The Gospel of Mark (which presents the gospel in a narrative form) can be understood by two movements: Chapters 1-8:30, which focuses on who Jesus is , climaxed by Peter’s confession “You are the Christ” and 8:31-16:8 which moves steadily toward what he came to do -- his saving death and resurrection (predicted in chapters 8, 9, 10, then fulfilled in 11 and following.)  Essentially, the gospel is “who is Jesus and what has he done?” with its implications being applied.

You cannot speak of the gospel’s essence without speaking of Jesus.

Paul distilled the essence in 1 Corinthians 15:1-10 to these elements…

Who is Jesus?   The Christ

What has he done?   Died on the cross and rose from the dead

Why did he do it? For the forgiveness of sins

How do we know? According to the (Old Testament) Scriptures and eyewitnesses (resurrection appearances)

How do we respond? Our faith/belief

That parallels (loosely) Jesus’ summary in Luke 24:46-49…

Who is Jesus?   The Christ

What has done? Suffer (die) and rise from the dead on the third day

Why? For the forgiveness of sins

How do we know? “This is what is written” (Old Testament) and “You are witnesses” (resurrection appearances plus)

How do we respond?   Repentance (the other side of the “faith” coin)

But to say this is the essence of the gospel isn’t to say everything. In fact, the gospel in its fullness can be expressed with all its historical foundations (in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) or its theological substance and implications (in Romans or Galatians for instance).

It is through this gospel that you came to know and experience Jesus as your Savior and Lord by faith (Romans 1:16, 17). But the Christian life doesn’t start with the gospel and then graduate to something else, to some deeper truth. No, you don’t move on; you go deeper and experience more. The gospel, in its fullness, is the whole truth about Jesus and all that his salvation and kingdom has for us. It is like a vein of gold: the deeper you go the richer you become, not because you are finding something else, but because you are experiencing something more.

So, whether the gospel is summarized in its essence through a brief booklet like Would You Like to Know God Personally? or expounded in its fullness through Paul’s theologically rich letter to the Romans, it is a transforming message through which we encounter Jesus Christ our Lord. In the gospel, we find Christ to be the only solution for our fallen condition—our brokenness, sin and shame. In the gospel, we discover Christ to be our life and, through his Spirit, to be the power we need to live that life. Jesus transforms us, and he does so with his gospel. Therefore, making disciples means helping others to understand and experience the gospel.

Photo courtesy of MAMJODH