What does it mean that the gospel is good news?

Answer

The gospel is known as the “good news” because it delivers the incredibly wonderful message of God’s redemption of sinful humanity through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. It stands as the heart, the central core of Christian preaching.

The English term gospel originates from the Anglo-Saxon word godspell, which means “glad tidings.” This term is a translation of the Greek evangelion, signifying “good message.” Initially, it was associated with news of military victory. However, in the context of the New Testament, its writers attributed the term gospel to the “good news” of salvation in Jesus Christ.

The gospel encompasses the complete communication of redemption and salvation to humanity as preached by Jesus Christ and His disciples (Matthew 4:23;Romans 10:15). Subsequently, the term gospel was also used to refer to the four historical accounts of Jesus Christ’s life documented by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These four individuals are the original “evangelists,” or authors of the evangelion.

The proclamation of good news commenced with an angel announcing the birth of John the Baptist to his father, Zechariah: “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news” «And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings. », (Luke 1:19). John the Baptist was the first to preach the gospel (Mark 1:1-4). After John baptized Jesus, God’s Spirit and anointing rested on the Lord “to bring Good News to the poor . . . to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free” « The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, », (Luke 4:18).

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are bruised. «, (Luke 4:18, NLT) and to “proclaim the good news of God” «Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, », (Mark 1:14).

“The time has come,” Jesus began. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” «and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe the gospel. », (Mark 1:15). The gospel Jesus proclaimed focused on the arrival of God’s kingdom (Luke 10:9; Luke 17:21). Through Christ’s coming to earth, God’s rule would be completed «Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. », (Matthew 6:10), His righteousness established (Isaiah 9:7; Isaiah 32:1), and His people glorified (Romans 8:17-18; Colossians 1:27). After Christ’s resurrection, the gospel was preached by those who had witnessed His life (Acts 5:42; Acts 8:4-5, 35; Romans 1:1-4, 9), and today it continues to be preached throughout the world by His followers.

The gospel is good news because in it we find God’s promise of forgiveness.Veness from sin. John testified that Jesus is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!” (John 1:29; see also Luke 24:46-47; Isaiah 53:4-6; Acts 13:38; Hebrews 9:28). Through the gospel, we receive God’s power to live a new life in the righteousness of Jesus Christ: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last” (Romans 1:16-17; see also Romans 3:21-26).

According to the gospel, sin separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:23; Ephesians 4:18). But when Jesus died on the cross, He paid the price and canceled the debt of sin for all who would believe in Him. He was “pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him” (Isaiah 53:5; see also Colossians 1:20). The gospel is good news because, through faith in Jesus Christ, we are reconciled to God and brought near to Him in fellowship: “Since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us” «Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: », (Romans 5:1, NLT).

The gospel is good news because “to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—chChildren born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (John 1:12-13). Everyone who believes in the gospel and submits to its demands receives new life in Jesus Christ. We are adopted into God’s family (Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 3:26). We are “born of the Spirit” (John 3:5-8) and receive the “gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38; see also John 7:37-39), who guarantees our heavenly inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14).

The gospel is the greatest love story ever told «Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. », (John 15:13). What could be more excellent news than its promise of eternal life in Jesus Christ?: “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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17; see also John 11:25).