What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
What Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the good news that through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, God has acted decisively to redeem humanity, restore creation, and invite all people into relationship. It is not advice or instruction, but an announcement of what God has done on our behalf.
Notice - the gospel is about what God has done. This is crucial in our understanding.
FAQ:
What is the difference between law and gospel?
Law tells us what to do; gospel tells us what God has done. Law exposes our need; gospel meets it.Where is the gospel first mentioned in the Bible?
Hints appear as early as Genesis 3:15, but it's clearly announced in Isaiah 52 and fulfilled in the life of Jesus (Luke 4:18-21).Is the gospel only about going to heaven?
No. The gospel includes the restoration of all things—personal, social, and cosmic—through Jesus Christ.
Introduction
The word "gospel" gets thrown around a lot in Christian circles. We say "preach the gospel," "believe the gospel," and even describe music genres as "gospel." But what does it actually mean? What is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and why has it been called the greatest news ever shared?
If you've ever felt unsure about the definition of the gospel, or wondered how it applies to your life in today’s world, you're not alone. The gospel isn't just a religious word or a ticket to heaven—it's a living, breathing message that reveals the heart of God.
Let’s walk through it together.
The Word "Gospel" in Scripture
The word "gospel" comes from the Greek euangelion, meaning "good news." It wasn’t a religious word at first. In the ancient world, euangelion was used to describe the public announcement of a great victory or the birth of a new king. Something had happened—something big enough to change lives.
When Christians use the word "gospel," we mean the good news that God has acted in history through Jesus Christ to save, heal, and renew the world. It's not good advice or good intentions; it’s good news.
Mark opens his gospel with those very words: “This is the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
Law and Gospel: Two Words From God
In many Christian traditions, especially Lutheran and Reformed, a helpful distinction is made between law and gospel.
Law tells us what we ought to do. It reveals God's holy standard. Think of the Ten Commandments or Jesus' summary of the law: love God and love neighbor.
Gospel tells us what God has done. It is God’s action on our behalf, not our action to earn favor.
The law is good—but it also exposes how far we fall short. It points out our need for mercy. The gospel, then, steps in to say: you are more loved than you ever imagined, and Christ has done what you could not do for yourself.
Matthew writes in an astonishing way, showing that Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law, and is actually living as he is the “New” Moses. The Gospel of Matthew has 5 sections, written with action leading to large chunks of teaching material - five cycles representing the Torah.
Read More:
Jesus as the New Moses in the Gospel of Matthew
The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew: Jesus the New Moses and the New Torah
What this makes clear is that even as Jesus fulfills the Law on our behalf, he has put the “law of love” upon us as the yoke. So, though we are not condemned by the law, Christ does call us to follow the call of God in how we live our lives.
A Gospel-Shaped Story: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration
The gospel doesn’t float in a vacuum. It is part of a larger story—the story the Bible tells from beginning to end:
Creation: God made the world good, and humanity was made in God’s image.
Fall: Sin fractured that goodness, introducing death, injustice, and estrangement.
Redemption: Jesus enters the story, lives a sinless life, dies for sinners, and rises again. Jesus is the Second Adam who does what the first could not do.
Restoration: God will one day set all things right. Until then, God invites us to live as citizens of the kingdom now. Matthew calls it the Kingdom of Heaven and Jesus describes what the kingdom is and isn’t and how the kingdom grows.
This narrative gives shape to the gospel. It’s not just about our souls, but about all things being made new (Revelation 21:5).
The Gospel According to Jesus
Before we turn to Paul or theological systems, we must start with Jesus himself.
In Luke 4:18–21, Jesus unrolls the scroll of Isaiah and says:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me... He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor... to proclaim release to the captives... to let the oppressed go free."
This was Jesus' gospel announcement. He didn’t just preach forgiveness; he embodied it. He touched lepers, fed the hungry, welcomed outcasts, and called people into a new kind of life. These are themes within the Gospel of Luke.
His life, death, and resurrection were not just acts of personal salvation—they were acts of cosmic renewal.
Paul’s Summary: 1 Corinthians 15
When Paul writes to the Corinthians, he gives one of the clearest summaries of the gospel:
"...that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day..." (1 Cor. 15:3–4)
This doesn’t mean the gospel is only about forgiveness. For Paul, the resurrection is central. If Christ is not raised, our faith is in vain (1 Cor. 15:17).
So the gospel is not merely a transaction. It’s transformation. Christ’s resurrection is the beginning of new creation.
The Gospel Is for All People
Some have heard the gospel framed narrowly: "You're a sinner. Jesus died. Believe or go to hell." While we are sinners and Christ died for us, the gospel is broader, deeper, and more beautiful.
The gospel is for all people, all cultures, all times. It's not a Western invention or a religious brand. It’s the announcement that in Christ, God is reconciling the world to himself (2 Cor. 5:19).
It meets us in our personal brokenness, yes. But it also speaks to our systems, our families, our churches, and our world.
What the Gospel Is Not
To understand the gospel fully, it helps to name what it is not:
It’s not moral self-improvement.
It’s not church attendance or political alignment.
It’s not positive thinking or good vibes.
It is God’s action. The good news is not about us climbing to heaven, but about heaven coming down to us in Christ.
One of my favorite passages to use in our Sunday worship liturgy for the Assurance of Pardon and Grace is from Titus 3:4-7, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
Read more about Assurance of Pardon and Grace, words of mercy grounded in Scripture.
What Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Meaning for Today
So what does all this mean for us today?
It means you are not alone. God sees you, loves you, and has moved heaven and earth to bring you back to himself. Jesus didn’t come just to get you to heaven later—He came to bring you into life now.
The gospel is not a finish line but a starting point. It calls us into a new way of being human—marked by grace, forgiveness, justice, and hope.
It’s the best news the world has ever heard. And it’s still good news for you.
