Imagine you are going out to lunch with someone God is calling you to disciple or a friend who knows you follow Jesus.
For the first half-hour, things are going great. Your chemistry is more than adequate. Productive conversation is flowing. Your food is even a step above the quality you would expect from a typical diner. Then, out of nowhere, your lunch partner asks you a question.
“So what’s the deal on this whole Gospel thing? Why is it so important?”
Your fork, hallway up its ascent to your mouth, freezes in place. You instantly recognize this as one of those “important questions” to which you absolutely must have a comprehensive, satisfying answer.
Your mind races a bit as you stiffen up, and you begin to stutter out some form of a response. This, you think, is exactly what Peter was talking about when he instructed us to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
So far, you are failing in that endeavor. You know deep down why the Gospel is significant, but the task of putting the why into words is proving to be a challenge.
We have likely all experienced a time where we were tasked with explaining a pivotal concept or doctrine in our faith, only to find it had become such a familiar, second-nature part of our lives that we had a hard time explaining why we believe what we believe.
When it comes to the Gospel and its importance to our faith, this simply cannot happen.
With that said, the purpose of this article is to hone in on a concrete definition of the Gospel as well as explore why it is central to everything we believe and do as Christians.
First Things First
We will not get far in our understanding of the Gospel or our ability to articulate its purpose-giving brilliance to others if we do not know exactly what it is at its core. An algebra teacher cannot teach a mathematical expression he does not understand. A sociologist cannot lecture on a societal ill with which he is unfamiliar. The same principle applies to teaching the Gospel. We must know its definition. Some of you may find this woefully basic, but it is important to grasp walking before one learns to run.
We will start with the literal translation of the word “gospel,” which comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “god-spell,” which means “good story.” That word in turn derives from a Latin word meaning something akin to the phrase “good news.” One verb form of the Latin word even means “to bring or usher in good tidings.”
This makes sense. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, at its core, is the good news of God’s unconditional and grace-instilled love for humanity: it details the story of God sending his fully divine and fully human son Jesus Christ to earth to be the perfect sacrifice for humanity’s sin, taking on God’s wrath in our place and then beating death three days later by rising again and offering all who place their faith in him eternal life. Just about every Christian of every denomination and every biblical scholar of every background will agree to this. That, however, by no means suggests there is universal agreement on the precise definition of the Gospel.
As it goes with most theological topics, researching “what is the Gospel?” into your Google search bar or even asking biblical scholars and seminary professors will not return to you a unified answer. Now, it is likely none of the answers would contain radically different “good news” stories, but their presentation of the same “good news” story may vary.
The Gospel Coalition, which is a great resource for those researching biblical topics, presents three different viewpoints on the definition of the Gospel, with the major change between them being a difference in emphasis. Some of them emphasize certain elements more than others. Let’s explore this.
One viewpoint, which is tailored to the person receiving the story, focuses on what it means for the individual: we have all sinned against a perfect and altogether just God, and we deserve due punishment for our wickedness—but God so loved us that he sent his son Jesus to die for our transgressions and reconcile humanity with God. Three days later, he rose again, conquering death and offering eternal life to all who follow him.
The next shift in emphasis laser-focuses on Jesus’ story. It details Christ’s mission, his love for humanity, his sacrifice, and his resurrection to paint a vivid picture of who Jesus is and what it means that he would do something of this magnitude for us.
The third notable variance in defining the Gospel focuses on what it means for all of creation. It starts from the fall of humanity in the garden of Eden, which brought forth sin/decay into the world and subsequently launched creation’s descent into brokenness. It climaxes with Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection, which offers humanity salvation and promises eternal life in the New Heaven and New Earth, where creation is made new and freed from the brokenness of sin.
None of these are bad definitions of the Gospel. Their shifts in emphasis can even be practical and useful, depending on the personality of the person you are presenting the Gospel to (as well as the setting you are presenting in).
However, I think there is a way to take the content of each point of view and condense it into a singular, more complete, all-purpose definition and presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We may take the strong call for personal response and conviction of the first, the revelation of Jesus’ Christ perfect love and character in the second, and the effects of the Christ Redemption on a cosmic/eternal scale found in the third viewpoint to compile the following statement:
The Gospel is the story of God’s mission to restore the brokenness of creation, which was brought on by the sin of humanity, through sending his son Jesus Christ to earth as a fully human, fully divine person. This Jesus lived the perfect life no human ever could and then died as the ultimate sacrifice for the wickedness of mankind, taking the fullness of God’s wrath upon him so that whoever places their faith in him does not have to, instead receiving eternal life with God because their sin is no longer held against them. He conquered death three days after by rising again and later returned to the Father. He will one day return to judge evil once and for all, as well as enjoy eternal community with God’s children in a wholly restored and revitalized creation free from sin and death: the New Heaven and the New Earth.
Why Is the Gospel Central to our Faith?
Now we know exactly what is meant by the term “Gospel.” This allows us to have a coherent discussion on why it is central to what we believe and what we do as Christians. In other words, we can now explore why it is the foundation of our faith and, as a result, our lives.
It is the Culmination of God’s Plan to Redeem Us
The events that unfolded in the Gospel were the most important in human history. They are the centerpiece of the entire Bible. They are the culmination of God’s plan to restore the brokenness of creation.
None of this is hyperbole. Starting from the first sin in the Garden of Eden and the chaos that followed shortly thereafter, God put into motion a beautiful plan to bring us back to him through Jesus Christ. We recognize it as the defining moment of the Bible because every major biblical event preceding it is building up to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We see this when God slays an animal to clothe the naked shame of Adam and Eve, pointing to how the slaying of Jesus would cover our shame thousands of years later (Genesis 3:21).
We see this when God makes a covenant with Abraham that he will father a great nation, which will later turn out to be the nation of Israel: God’s chosen people who will be set apart from the rest of civilization by reflecting his love and glory to the rest of the world—the chosen people from whom the Messiah will be born (Genesis 15).
We see this when the book of Leviticus shows the sacrifices and ceremonial laws the Israelites had to undergo in order to address their sin against a holy and just God, demonstrating humanity’s fallen nature and our desperate need for a lasting atonement with our creator.
We see this in the books of first and second Kings and Chronicles, in which Israel demonstrates its need for a divine, perfect Christ-King because its sinful human kings bring them toward dysfunction and death. As these generations of rulers pass by, we see the lineage of David continue to grow, eventually leading to the birth of Christ.
We see this in the books leading to as well as during the Babylonian Exile, where prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, or Daniel tell of a coming savior who will right all wrongs in the world and atone for the world’s sin.
We even see the centrality of the Gospel after Jesus’ death and resurrection take place. The rest of the Bible is dedicated to the response his atoning sacrifice creates: we see his disciples follow the great commission to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” We see the Church of Jesus Christ grow in the book of Acts, and we see Paul and other apostles spread the Gospel across the entire world.
Those are just brief snapshots of the centrality of the Gospel. There are many more. It is intricately woven throughout the biblical story.
The Gospel Leads Us to Salvation
It is because of Jesus’ atoning work in the Gospel that we can have salvation. That is the only way we may be reconciled to God and enjoy a relationship of love and abundance with him. It is because of the Gospel message that we realize we have fallen short of God’s glory, recognize our need for forgiveness, and discover the path to eternal life. Without it, we would still be enemies of God, lost in our wickedness and fleshly desires.
Read what Paul has to say concerning the Gospel and salvation.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…
1 Corinthians 15:4
Without the blood of Jesus as detailed in the Gospel, we would all be lost, with no access to relationship with God and no joyful future to which we could look forward.
The Gospel Drives Us Onward
It doesn’t stop at just hearing the Gospel. It’s not a one-time deal in which you place your faith in what Jesus did and then never stop to think about it again.
It is quite the opposite, actually. The events in the Gospel define the life and actions of the Christ-follower. Upon hearing the indescribably, unfathomably good news of salvation and accepting Christ’s free gift, you are not to just sit back and keep that to yourself. Why would you? An unconditionally loving God has just given you eternal life and a purposeful existence!
The primary goal of the Jesus-follower, then, is to tell others the good news of the Gospel and make disciples. We are to use the unique gifting with which God has lovingly designed us and share with others the same message that changed our own life.
This is not optional, either. It is a command. Look no further than the Gospel itself. I mentioned the Great Commission earlier. Let’s read it in its entirety now.
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:16-20
The Gospel is not just the source of salvation for the Christian; it is the source of mission as well. It is the reason for everything we do as Christians.
A Closing Reflection on God’s Redemptive Love
Yes, the Gospel is what brings us infinite joy. Yes, the Gospel calls us to mission. Those are concepts worth talking about, and furthermore, they are worth cherishing.
But I want to close today by proposing this: the Gospel is the most vivid and powerful glimpse at the glorious love of God we have, and that is as equally important an aspect in its centrality to our faith as all the other reasons are. I suppose nobody, regardless of their theological insight or the depth of their faith, can fully comprehend what it is that has actually occurred in the Gospel story.
I do not mean that we cannot understand what Christ did and how we are to respond to it. That much is clear. I mean I do not think the finite human mind can grasp the boundless act of love that has taken place in the life of Christ.
God, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, who exists shrouded in glory outside of time—God, who is beautiful in every way imaginable and unimaginable, capable of holding the whole of the expanding universe in his hands as all its brightly lit galaxies stretch forever onward—is mindful of his lowly, rebellious creation. I am not the first person to wonder at this; even now a famous Psalm of David might come to your mind.
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?
Psalm 8:3-4
We see this profound observation demonstrated most powerfully in the Gospel. God was not just mindful of us. He wasn’t just aware that we were alive. He, an infinitely glorious and majestic being, came down to us as Jesus Christ in all the confinements of mortality and finitude. He lowered himself to servant status so that he might save the very people who met him with scorn, hate, and derision.
This act of selfless love came to its apex in the crucifixion, where Jesus died to eternally save those who spat upon him. Those who beat him. Those who tortured him relentlessly with smiles on their faces.
I do not know that we even have a category of love to place this in. Likely not, as we (or I, at the very least) do not have the mental faculty to fully process this.
It is just another marvelous mystery about the life-sustaining, purpose-giving God we serve. He is all that is worth living for and fully deserving of our awe. That is yet another lesson the Gospel teaches us.
Story of Grace 