What is the Gospel? Before I answer that, let’s first clarify what the Gospel is NOT. The Gospel is not good advice. It’s not a genre of music. It’s not a program for how to be saved, or a set of instructions for how to go to Heaven or become a Christian.

The Gospel is a story. It’s God’s story. In fact, it’s the greatest story ever. When Mark, an early follower of Jesus, began to tell his account of the Gospel, he started with these words: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1) If we want to understand the story of the Gospel, this would be a great place to start. Let’s break down three key phrases from Mark’s introduction.

“the gospel” - The word gospel is an old word that refers to the good news a herald would bring. When the Bible uses the word gospel, it refers to a royal proclamation announcing that a new king has been enthroned and a time of restoration is coming. Long ago, Israel’s prophets used this word when spreading the good news that God was in the process of saving His people and restoring creation by bringing His kingdom to the earth. (See Isaiah 52:7)

“of Jesus Christ” - The word Christ means anointed or smeared one. In the ancient world, kings had anointing (or smearing) ceremonies to mark the beginning of their reign. To the ancient Jewish people, “the Christ” was a title for a particular long- awaited king who they believed would be anointed by God to rule over the nations, bring salvation to the people of God, and bring restoration to our broken world. So when Mark calls Jesus of Nazareth, “Jesus Christ,” He is declaring that Jesus is “the Christ,” the long-awaited, Saving King. (See Mark 15:32)

“the Son of God” - This title tells us something about the nature of Jesus. He is no ordinary man. He is the God-Man. He is both human and divine. The Scriptures reveal that He, as the Son of God, pre-existed eternally, but became fully human in the first century. He did this in order to become the Christ within history.

So, what is the Gospel? The Gospel is a story about the achievements of Jesus. It’s the true story about how the eternal Son of God became a human so that He could become the promised Saving King.

Every great story has a backstory. The Lion King has Mufasa. The Lord of the Rings has the Hobbit. And the original Star Wars trilogy has episodes 1-3, which give the backstory of Darth Vader.

So what’s the backstory of the Gospel? Well, technically, the entire Old Testament is its backstory. But to get the main idea, we could narrow in on four individuals from the Old Testament: the first two humans—Adam and Eve, the father of the Jewish people— Abraham, and the greatest king Israel ever had—King David. Let’s see how their stories work together to form the backstory of the Gospel.

Adam and Eve - In the first chapters of the Bible, we learn that the first humans were created as image bearers of God. Elsewhere, it says that they were crowned with glory and honor. They were given the privilege and responsibility to manage and rule over the world as God’s vice regents, and to fill it with the glory of the Creator. (See Genesis 1:26-27; Psalms 8:5) Right away God gave Adam and Eve a moral choice, to see what kind of rulers they would be. Tragically, they blew it. A malevolent being named Satan tempted them and enticed them to eat the fruit from a tree called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan convinced them that God was holding them back from secret knowledge that would make them just like God. Adam and Eve were fed a lie that God didn’t have their best interests in mind, so they ate the infamous forbidden fruit. This act of rebellion revealed that they wanted to call their own shots, instead of trusting God. (See Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-7) Adam and Eve’s disobedience had both personal and global consequences. The personal consequences included separation from God, physical death, and a new sin- filled heart that was bent towards conflict, disobedience, and destruction. The global consequence was that their disobedience invoked a curse upon the earth. Their sin was like a virus that infected all of creation. (See Genesis 3:13-19) In the generations following, human rebellion against the Creator reached a global scale. Genesis chapters 4 through 11 recounts how every nation on earth became steeped in gross violence, evil practices, and idol worship. It was devastating. How did God respond? In His wisdom and grace, God enacted a plan. Once fulfilled, His plan would reverse the curse brought on by sin, restore humans to their original state of glory, and rescue the nations from an endless cycle of brokenness and evil. The Gospel story was beginning to take shape!

Abraham - Abraham was a middle eastern herdsman who was a pagan idol worshipper. When he was 75 years old, God revealed Himself to Abraham and calledhim into a life of faith and surrender. Abraham forsook his idols and became a Friend of God. (See Genesis 12:1-9; James 2:23) He and his wife, Sarah, had a family that grew to become the nation of Israel. God’s rescue plan for the world was that from Israel, a Saving King would arise. And through Him all the nations of the earth would be rescued, restored, and blessed.

David - Nearly one thousand years later, Israel had a king named David ruling them. David was a mighty warrior, a passionate worshipper, a skilled poet, and a man after God’s own heart. In a way, King David gave people a glimpse of what the promised Saving King would eventually be like. God even told David that the Christ would one day come directly from his family line. (See 2 Samuel 7; Acts 13:22-23) Many generations later, at just the right time, God sent His Son into the earth to become the Saving King. A Jewish girl named Mary was chosen to carry the Son in her womb. She became pregnant through a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit, and she gave birth in Bethlehem of Judea; which was the ancient birthplace of King David. This is how Jesus Christ was born. And that is the backstory of the Gospel.

The story of the Gospel can be told through ten sequential events that start in eternity past and end in eternity future. These ten events tell the true story of how Jesus became the Saving King. I want to thank Matthew W. Bates for his clear writing on this subject. I would highly recommend that you read his short booklet called The Gospel Precisely. The ten points below are taken directly from it. To buy The Gospel Precisely on Amazon, click here. In the book, Bates explains how if you took each of the New Testament passages where the Gospel is explicitly stated and then put them all together, they would collectively identify the Gospel as the following ten events in the life of Christ.
 
The 10 Gospel Events

1. Jesus preexisted as God the Son.

The Bible reveals that God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, is one Being who exists as a Trinity of Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the eternal Son of God—the second Person of the Trinity. (See John 1:1-5; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-3)

2. He was sent by the Father into the earth.

There was a day in which God the Father sent the Son to the earth on a divine rescue mission. The Son submitted to the Father’s will, left Heaven, and entered into His own creation. He was appointed by the Father to reverse the curse, restore willing humans to their original glory, and rescue the nations from the grip of Satan. (See John 1:10, 14; 6:38-39; 12:49; 20:21)

3. He took on human flesh in fulfillment of God's promises to David.

In His humanity, the Son never stopped being God. He took on human flesh and lived with two natures. How did He do this? Well, God accomplished this via a supernatural conception. This is the mystery that we celebrate every year at Christmas. (See Luke 1:26-35; 2:1-24; Romans 1:1-5; 2 Timothy 2:8)

4. He died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures.

The promise in the Old Testament was that a human would one day succeed and be faithful in all the ways that Adam and his descendants weren’t. Then, in an act of ultimate selflessness and love, he would lay down his life as a sacrifice for sins on behalf of humanity. This is exactly what Jesus did. For 33 years He lived a perfect life, and then He was crucified on a Roman cross for the sins of mankind. (See Isaiah 53:1-12; Luke 24:26-27; Acts 26:22-23; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Peter 2:24-25)

5. He was buried in a tomb.

To show that He truly died, Jesus was buried in a stone tomb. (See Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-61; Acts 13:29; 1 Corinthians 15:4)

6. He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

Easter Sunday is the day that we celebrate and affirm the event of Christ's bodily resurrection from the grave. On Easter, He rose victorious over death and Hell, triumphing over them. (See Psalms 16:10-11; Matthew 28:6; Acts 2:24-32; Romans 1:2-4; 1 Corinthians 15:4)

7. He appeared to many witnesses.

After His resurrection, Jesus didn't just disappear. On the very day He arose, He began making personal appearances to His friends and followers. And He continued doing this for forty days. The Apostle Paul records that Jesus appeared to more than 500 people during that time. (See Luke 24:13-16; John 20:19; 1 Corinthians 15:3-7)

8. He ascended into Heaven and is enthroned at the right hand of God as the ruling Christ. 

Forty days after His resurrection, Jesus ascended into Heaven and was seated on a royal throne at the right hand of the Father. This was Christ’s coronation day as King and its significance cannot be overstated. Everything was different now that a human was enthroned in Heaven, ruling in perfect union with God the Father. (See Daniel 7:13-14; Acts 1:6-9; Ephesians 1:20-22; Hebrews 1:3-4)

9. He has sent the Holy Spirit to His people to effect His rule.

Ten days after His ascension, on a Jewish holiday called Pentecost, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to fill and permanently indwell His people. Through this act, Jesus effectively gave His followers power and authority so that they could continue the mission He started and take the message of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. (See Acts 1:8; 2:1-13)

10. He will come again as final Judge to rule.

Just as the Son came to earth as a Man in the first century, one day He will come again. When He returns He will accomplish many things. He will come as King, Savior, Bridegroom, Warrior, Creator, Resurrector, and Judge. As Judge, He will bring His wisdom, discernment, and judgment to rule the world with justice and peace forever. (See Acts 10:42; 17:30-31)

Since the Gospel is best told in the story form of ten events, it’s worth identifying which of the ten events are most central to the story. The Bible is clear that events four, five, and six should be considered the heart of the Gospel, since they appear in every Gospel proclamation recorded in the Bible. To reiterate, those points state that Jesus died for our sins, He was buried in a tomb, and He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

Jesus experienced these events in a two-fold way: as a Substitute for human sinners and as a Victor over Satan and the dark powers. Let’s look deeper into these two aspects of Christ’s death and resurrection to better understand the heart of the Gospel.

Jesus as Substitute - The personal consequence of human rebellion and sin is death; which can be understood as destruction of the body and eternal separation from God. However, God loves mankind. So He made a way for humans to be forgiven of their sin by way of substitution.

God determined that if a sinless son of Adam were to lay down His life and willingly succumb to sin and death, then his sacrifice could act as a substitution for any sinner who would receive it. God could then offer a conditional pardon to all humans, on the basis of a substitutionary death. The Apostle Paul explained it this way, just as one man (Adam) brought sin and death into the world when he disobeyed God, so one Man (Jesus) could make sinners righteous through His perfect obedience to God. (See Romans 5:17-19)

This is precisely what the Son of God was appointed to do. He entered into His own creation and lived a sinless life. Then, at the age of 33, He was unjustly tried, brutally tortured, and then crucified. This was evil in its worst form. The crucifixion of Jesus was the most evil deed ever committed. Wicked men killed their Creator out of spite. And the message of the Gospel is that He did all of this FOR US—as our Substitute. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the whole world. (See John 1:29; Romans 5:8; Isaiah 53:6)

In response to the Son's sacrifice, God now offers each human an invitation to be saved, set free, and reconciled to Him forever. (See John 3:16)

Jesus as Victor - God loves both the human race and the whole of His creation, and He is determined to restore both to their original state of glory. In order to accomplish this God had to do something about the spiritual rebels who ruled over humanity in a variety of ways. No doubt you’ve heard of their leader. He’s called the Devil or Satan. But there are many other fallen rulers and beings in the unseen realm besides Satan. The Bible refers to them by their positions and functions. Some terms used for them include: evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, mighty powers in this dark world, evil spirits in the heavenly places, devils, demons, Satan’s angels, and tormenting spirits. Their aim is to keep humanity in an endless cycle of sin, death, and rebellion against the Creator. (See Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 2:15)

If God was going to free humans, restore them to glory, and restore creation, then these dark rulers and their powers would have to be dealt with. This is precisely why casting out demons was such a focus of Jesus’ ministry in the New Testament. Stripping these rebels of their power and authority was a primary part of what He was anointed to accomplish.

What were their powers? They include temptation, deception, harassment, calamity, blinding, distraction, accusation, isolation, infirmity and destruction. But their two greatest powers were death and the grave. It was these two powers that Jesus aimed to overcome in His death and resurrection.

The Bible states that Satan and the dark rulers partnered with the political and religious leaders of the day. They conspired to put Jesus to death and make sure He stayed in the grave. They thought this would foil God's plan. But they were led into a trap. God used their evil and bloodlust against them. While they were orchestrating Christ’s murder—He was freely laying down His life on behalf of humanity. Ultimately, Christ's death wasn’t a demonstration of their power, it was a powerful demonstration of His love! By dying in this way, and then rising from the dead on Easter, Jesus defeated Satan and the dark rulers. (See Acts 4:27-28; John 10:17-18; 1 Corinthians 2:8)

As Substitute, Jesus took the place of human sinners. And as Victor, Jesus triumphed over the spiritual rulers and powers. This is the heart of the Gospel.

[Jesus] said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16)

The Gospel demands a response from all who hear it. According to Jesus, the decision to believe or disbelieve has serious consequences. How you respond to the Gospel is the most important decision you will ever make. The stakes literally couldn’t be any higher.

The proper response to the Gospel is giving your personal allegiance to King Jesus. The Bible teaches that this is accomplished as you repent, believe, and are baptized. Let’s make sure we understand each of these actions. (See Mark 1:14-15; Acts 2:37-38; Romans 10:9-11)

Repent - Repentance means revoking all other allegiances and turning to Jesus. This turning takes different forms with different people. For some it looks like turning from worshipping idols to worshipping Jesus alone. For others it’s turning from thinking the wrong ways about Jesus to ways that are true. It’s turning away from self-allegiance and choosing rather to life under the rule and authority of Jesus. And it’s turning away from our sinful ways to live out the commands of Christ, day by day.

Believe - To believe in Jesus means affirming the truth of the Gospel and calling upon Christ as Savior and King. This is often done in the presence of another believer and it usually takes the form of a simple prayer.

Be Baptized - Water baptism is the first step that a believer takes in following Jesus and living a life that pleases God. It can be seen as a Kingdom citizenship ceremony. As you go down into the water and then rise up out of it, you are reenacting the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Baptism is a powerful act of identification with Christ. (See Romans 6:1-11)

Repent, believe, and be baptized. This is the response to the Gospel that saves. Anything less will result in separation from God and loss of life—forever.

Believing the Gospel and giving allegiance to Jesus comes with a ton of amazing benefits. There is an endless list that could be made, but for sake of space and time, here are 17 of my favorite:

17 Benefits of the Gospel

1. To Know and Be Known by God (John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:3)
2. Adoption into God’s Family (John 1:11-12; Romans 8:15-17)
3. Friendship with Jesus (John 15:15)
4. The Indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17; Romans 8:9-11)
5. Forgiveness of Sins (1 John 1:9; Ephesians 1:7)
6. Power to Live, Love, and Serve Like Jesus (Mark 16:15-20; John 14:12)
7. Victory Over Indwelling Sin (Romans 6:6; 14)
8. Angelic Assistance (Hebrews 1:13-14)
9. Spiritual Armor (Ephesians 6:13-17)
10. True Peace (John 14:27; Philippians 4:7)
11. Lasting Joy (John 15:11)
12. A New Heart (Ezekiel 36:26; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
13. A Clear Conscience (Romans 8:1; Hebrews 10:21-22)
14. Divine Purpose in Life (Ephesians 2:10)
15. Eternal Life Beyond the Grave (John 3:16; Romans 6:23)
16. A Place in Heaven When You Die (Luke 23:43; John 14:1-3)
17. Lasting Significance Forever (Revelation 3:21; 22:3-5)

This short list of benefits is exclusive to those who have given their allegiance to Jesus. These blessings can only be found in union with Him.

Rejecting Jesus and His Gospel has serious consequences. In this life, you will be cut off from a relationship with God—living like a spiritual orphan, never knowing Him as your Father. You will also be vulnerable to the attacks of Satan, who works constantly to steal, kill, and destroy the good things in your life. Without Christ, there is no true hope. Why? Because apart from Him, there is nothing better waiting for you after death. God is the Source of everything good and beautiful—so without Him, there is no bright future. For those who reject Christ, the brokenness of this world is the best life will ever be. (See John 10:10; Ephesians 2:12)

And then comes what happens after death. Jesus called it “The Day of Judgment.” On that day, every person will stand before Christ and give an account for their life—and for how they responded to God’s gracious invitation to be saved. Those who rejected Him will stand alone, with no excuse and no advocate to defend them. They will be judged guilty by their own actions and face the consequences. The Bible describes their eternal fate with words like destruction, loss, darkness, fire, weeping, and torment —in a real place called Hell. These are sobering realities. And they deserve serious consideration. (See Matthew 12:36; Acts 17:31; Romans 2:6-7; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11-15)

In light of the 17 Gospel benefits and the dire consequences of rejecting the Gospel, you may be asking, “Ok! So, where do I sign up? I’m ready to follow Jesus!” To this Jesus would rejoice, and then He would ask you to do one thing first—count the cost. The path of following Christ comes with 10,000 blessings, but it also comes with a cost. In His teachings, Jesus described the cost of following Him in these five ways:

1. It is a life of service. (Matthew 20:26-28)
2. It is a life of self-denial—saying no to sinful desires. (Luke 9:23)
3. It is a life of submission to Christ and His teachings. (John 8:31)
4. It is a life of sacrifice. (Luke 14:33)
5. It can include suffering and rejection. (Luke 6:22)

That kind of life may not sound attractive, but as one who has been following Jesus for over 30 years, I can testify to the deep joy found in living a life of service, self-denial, submission, sacrifice, and even suffering—with Christ. He is the difference maker. All along the way He walks with us. He changes us from the inside out and shows us what it means to be fully alive.

He puts the heart of a servant inside you. You discover the joy of selfless living and begin to see service as a great privilege; not a punishment. He teaches you that indulgence leads to slavery, while self-denial is the path to freedom. Concerning submission, you quickly discover that His commands are not overly burdensome. They are filled with wisdom and life. And concerning sacrifice, everything you give up for Jesus becomes a “thank you gift” offered to the One who has given everything He has to you. What about suffering? Jesus actually joins you in your suffering and gives His grace to you so that you can endure and overcome, for the glory of God. The cost of following Jesus is high. But He’s worth it.

The way that millions of Christians over the centuries have given their allegiance to Jesus is by praying a simple prayer like the one you see below. It can be done in a quiet place alone, or (preferably) in the presence of a mature Christian.

Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and I need You to save me. I come to You now, asking for Your mercy and forgiveness. I believe the Gospel is true, and I receive You as my Savior, my Lord, and my King. Thank You for dying on the cross in obedience to the Father’s will. Please wash me clean from all my sin and make me new. Today, I receive Your forgiveness and Your cleansing. I give You full control of my life, and I invite You to lead me in everything. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and empower me to live for You. By Your grace, I choose to follow You—now and for all eternity. Amen.

If you prayed this prayer with sincerity, we encourage you to tell a mature Christian and take your next step in water baptism.

To help us live out our faith, the Lord Jesus has given us three primary gifts:

1. The Holy Spirit. He is the third Person of the Trinity living inside of you. What a Gift! What does He do? First and foremost He communicates the blessings and presence of Jesus to us. Each day we can grow in our friendship with Jesus through the indwelling Holy Spirit. This makes the Christian life a journey of friendship with God. The Spirit also acts as a constant Companion as we go through life. He comforts us in our sadness, empowers us to overcome sins in our life, and equips us to continue the ministry of Jesus in the earth today.

2. The Bible. This is God’s written revelation to mankind. It’s a mini library of 66 ancient texts, written by men but authored by God Himself. The stories, songs, and sagas within it serve as our guide to understanding God and His ways more fully. As we read it, it becomes a source of daily wisdom and spiritual nourishment to our souls. The Bible is in every way a supernatural book and we are blessed to live in a day an age where it is so accessible. Want to know where to start? I’d recommend the first four books of the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

3. The Church. When you are born again into God’s family, you instantly inherit new fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters in the faith. A primary aspect of growing as a Christian is growing in relationship with other Christians. Much of the healing you need from life in a broken world will come about as you grow in relationship with this new spiritual family. As you gather each week you will find that the community serves to encourage each another to continue in the faith. The Church serves as a spiritual hospital, a house of prayer and worship, a center for truth, and a place where God’s people can each grow in becoming more and more like the King who saved them. Thanks be to God for His gracious gifts.

In closing, None of us are promised tomorrow. I beg you, on behalf of Christ, make today the day of your salvation. Believe in the Gospel and give your life to Jesus.