The Gospel
What is the Gospel?
In its strictest definition, the gospel is God’s good news about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. (I Corinthians 15:3-5). However, in its broader sense, the gospel includes the life and teaching of Jesus as well as all those things that teach us how to get connected with this good news and make it our own. But to understand the “good news” we first have to understand the “bad news”.
The Problem of Sin
Before we can appreciate the good news of the gospel we first have to understand just how bad the bad news is. The bad news is sin.
The Bible begins of course with the story of creation. On the last day of God’s creative work, he created man and woman. He placed them in a wonderful garden. No pain, no suffering, no heartbreak, and no death. A paradise on earth. As the pinnacle of God’s creation, man was made in God’s own image. That meant that he was made with a conscience and the ability to choose between good and evil.nd evil. He also had the capacity to love and enjoy a relationship with God and others.
God did not design man to be a robot. God is not interested in having a loving relationship with a robot-like person that can not make his own decisions. So God gave man the freedom to choose. Man is free to choose God through obedience or reject God through disobedience. Going our own way may seem more attractive at the time but it is a choice that ultimately leads to spiritual death. The Bible describes separation from God as spiritual death. The Bible says,
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- Romans 6:23 (NIV)
In the book of Ephesians we read,
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.” - Ephesians 2:1 (NIV)
Adam and Eve enjoyed a wonderful relationship with God. But freedom of choice also means that they had the ability to go against God's commands and of course that’s exactly what happened. Genesis chapter one will be a great place for you to begin your study of the Bible when you are ready.
Sin literally means “to miss the mark”. It’s a term used by an archer. When it comes to obedience to God, we have all “missed the mark”. We have all fallen short of what we were created to be.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” - Romans 3:23 (NIV)
Dealing with sin is not as easy as you might think. If we offend someone, we just say, “I’m sorry” and that’s that. Well, this might work between friends when the offense is small. But if you’ve ever tried to say “I’m sorry” when a policeman pulls you over for speeding, you know it’s not that simple. You’ve broken the law and the law requires justice.
The Bible tells us that all sin is ultimately against God. King David of the Old Testament said: “Against you, you only, have I sinned…” Psalm 51:4 (NIV)
If you thought that the policeman was strict, well when it comes to justice, God never bends. That’s because God is a perfect judge. Ignoring sin might seem great to us, but in fact it would make God unjust. But fortunately for us, God is not only just, he is also loving.
The Great Conflict
Now the stage is set for the great conflict. How does a God who is both just and loving deal with man’s problem of sin? The loving part of God wants to forgive. The just part of God demands justice. Sin is not something that can just be brushed aside. The answer is as big and deep as God himself. Enter Jesus.
The Good News
The term “gospel” simply means “good news”. In the opening verses of I Corinthians 15 the apostle Paul summarizes the gospel:
“That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day.” - I Corinthians 15:1 (NIV)
He goes on to say that, - “By this gospel you are saved.” (Corinthians 15:2) (NIV)
There are lots of stories within the Bible. But the story of how God sent Jesus into the world to save mankind is the story behind all of the other stories.
The gospel is the hub of the Bible. Everything in the Bible, even the Old Testament, points to the gospel, the good news about Jesus. So let’s take a closer look at the gospel. There are three things about Jesus that qualify him to be our savior:
Who Jesus Is
In order to understand the gospel we first have to understand who Jesus is. The apostle John introduces Jesus in this way:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ” - John 1:1ff (NIV)
The "Word" in this passage is refering to Jesus. John uses this term because it was a very significiant concept to both Jews ang Greeks. To the Greek mind the term "Word" signigied the reason and order that exists behind the universe. To the Hebrew mind, it was similar but personal. Everything came into being through the Word of God as well as did their law and prophesies. But Jesus did not bring a word. He was the Word. He himself was the perfect revelation of God.
Jesus is most often referred to as “the Son of God”. We are all children of God in one sense , but Jesus is described as the “one and only Son of God” (John 3:16) (NIV).
When the time was right, Jesus revealed to both his disciples and his enemies that he was in fact God. Jesus told the unbelieving Jewish leaders,
“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” - John 8:58 (NIV)
The Jews knew exactly what Jesus was saying. The term "I AM" was a direct reference to God. This is how God introduced himself to Moses as the burning bush.
Of course the Jewish leaders were unbelieving and even Jesus' disciples had a hard time wraping their heads around the idea that Jesus was God by nature. But in time even doubting Thomas bowed his knees and declared, “My Lord and my God!” - John 20:28 (NIV)
As you study the Bible you will see that there are three things that make Jesus qualified to be our savior.
He is the Son of God. (He is by nature God)
He was sinless.
He died on the cross willingly for us.
He was raised from the grave to live forever more.
So the person of Jesus (who He is) and the work of Jesus (dying on the cross for the sins of all mankind) qualified Him for the profound task of fixing the problem of sin and restoring our relationship with God.
His Sacrificial Death
Jesus did many things when he walked this earth. He fulfilled prophecy. He worked great miracles. And he taught profound lessons. But the main reason Jesus came to this world was none of the above. In his own words the reason he came was,
“... to seek and to save the lost.” - Luke 19:10 (NIV)
Why did Jesus do this? Well, again he said it best:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” -John 3:16 (NIV)
Even though we deserved death because of sin, Jesus, because of his great love for us, stepped forward and took our place. On the cross, Jesus took the punishment of our sins on himself. On the cross, he paid our debt and set us free. Free, not only from the condemnation of sin, but also from a life of sin.
Here are just a few of the scriptures that will help to explain why Jesus came to this world and why he gave his life on the cross:
"This is how God showed his love among us:
He sent his one and only Son into the world
that we might live through him.
This is love: not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son
as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
I John 4:9-10 (NIV)
The word “atoning” here is a term used in the Old Testament referring to the animal sacrifices of their religious ceremonies. The sacrifice of an animal at the altar was done to make restitution for the sin. It was as if sin had created a debt and the sacrifice of the innocent animal paid the debt. Jesus was the true lamb of God; sacrificed in order to pay the debt of sin that we all owed.
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, '
Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!'"
John 1:29 (NIV)
The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament foreshadowed Jesus’ death on the cross. In the Old Testament God told Abraham to take his only son, Isaac and offer him as a sacrifice to Himself. By faith Abraham painfully began to fulfill the task. Abraham raised the knife over his son. At the last minute God stopped Abraham from taking the life of his son and provided an animal sacrifice instead.
In Genesis chapter 22 God tells Abraham to take his only son Isaac up the mountain and sacrifice him there. Abraham demonstrates great faith in God and obediently follows his command. At the last minute, God stops Abraham from sacrificing Isaac and provides an animal to sacrifice in his stead.
This event foreshadowed the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross over a thousand years later. The difference between the story of Abraham and the story of Jesus though is sobering: Abraham's hand was stopped. In the case of Jesus, the knife had to fall. If God had not allowed His son to die, there would be no atonement for the sins of the world.
Near the end of his ministry, Jesus explained to his disciples what was going to happen to him:
"Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, 'This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.'"
- Luke 24: 45-47 (NIV)
Here in a nutshell, Jesus lays out the big picture. He must suffer. He must die. He will be raised from the dead on the third day and after that the good news will go out into all the world. It was the master plan. And today, over 2000 years later the good news of Jesus is still going out into all the world.
His Resurrection
"Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, 'Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.' He answered, 'A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.'" - Matthew 12:38-40 (NIV)
In this exchange with the Pharisees, Jesus points to his resurrection as the great and final "sign" or miracle that they would be given. Usually, when someone seeks to disprove the claims of Jesus they immediately go to the resurrection. It is good that they do. For this is where God stands his ground. The historical and logical evidence supporting the resurrection is overwhelming.
Most people assume that since the resurrection happened a long time ago in a far off land that it can not be proved. But the evidence that supports the resurrection says otherwise. In fact, it is said that the evidence that supports the factuality of the resurrection is so great that it could be proven in a court of law today, 2000 years after the fact.
Let's take a moment and do just that. Let's put the resurrection on trial.
Consider the following: To begin with we should point out that the enemies of Jesus did not deny that three days after the death and burial of Jesus his grave was empty. They only tried to explain it away by saying that his disciples came and stole the body away. So is that what happened? Did someone come and steal away the body of Jesus?
The Romans had every reason to make sure the body of Jesus stayed in the tomb. They wanted nothing more than to squelch the movement. That's why they had Jesus crucified in the first place. And it should be noted that they had the military power to do just that. The Bible even records that they did put soldiers on guard at the tomb. These men did their job with a passion. They knew that if they failed they would be put to death.
The Jewish leaders had equal reason to make sure that the body of Jesus stayed in the tomb. From the beginning they had tried to discredit Jesus at every turn. They knew the predictions of Jesus about his resurrection. They, more than any others were intent on keeping that grave sealed.
So that leaves only one group of people who could have taken the body of Jesus out of the tomb. The disciples. Did the disciples go and overpower the Roman guards and steal the body of Jesus away?
Let's think about motive. Motive is always an important factor in any court case. Why would Jesus' disciples want to do such a thing? Jesus had just spent the past several years teaching and living a very high standard of ethical morality. They were trained in the law of Moses. They were trained not to give false testimony. Jesus not only reinforced these moral standards but lifted them up to a higher level.
And consider the psychological state of the disciples. These men and women were depressed and disheartened by the events of the crucifixion but they were also hopeful. The fact is that the disciples knew the predictions of Jesus about his resurrection on the third day as well as the Pharisees. Even if we could imagine that they would hatch some devious plan to steal the body of Jesus away, it certainly would not be before the third day. They were hoping for a resurrection.
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance a : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living,..." I Corinthians 15:3-6 (NIV)
So let's assume for a moment the impossible., that the disciples of Jesus did actually come to the tomb, overpowered the Roman guards and stole the body of Jesus way. What's next? What do they get for their efforts? Are we to assume that these people spent the rest of their lives enduring ridicule, persecution, and exile for what they knew to be a lie? Did they go around preaching the highest standards of ethical behavior the world has ever know in order to promote what they knew to be a lie?
As you can see, the resurrection of Jesus is a lot more than wishful thinking. The resurrection of Jesus is the greatest and most powerful testimony for truth that God has ever given to man. To ignore it and try to explain it away leaves man with no excuse when we stand before God in the final day of judgement.
There are two parts to the gospel: The death of Jesus on the cross and the resurrection. The cross demonstrates the great love of Jesus and the resurrection demonstrates his great power. If someone that powerful loves me that much, I would be a fool not to sit up and take notice.
Of course for us as Christians, the resurrection represents more that just proof of who Jesus is. The resurrection of Jesus opened the floodgates to our own resurrection.
"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." - I Corinthians 15:20-22 (NIV)