The Backdrop:
The gospel. It’s a funny word.
Have you ever wondered what that word means and why it is used to describe the Christian message? It’s a question worth pondering and a story worth knowing.
As you might imagine, communication in the Greco-Roman era, the time of the New Testament, wasn’t quite as instantaneous as it is today. In fact, during war time, cities anxiously awaited for days for a runner to arrive with news from the battlefront. The word used to describe the news of victory was euangelion, which means “good news.”
As the events and teachings of Jesus were written down, thereby giving us the books Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, this Greek word was used to describe the redemptive work of Jesus because it was such great news! It was the translation journey from Greek to Latin to Old English (“good spell,” which meant “good story”) to today’s English that gives us the word gospel.
The What:
So what is the gospel? Because we’re told in Scripture to “preach the gospel,” it would be good to know what it is and how to explain it. One of the best ways to understand the gospel better is to break it down into its most basic elements by answering the one-word questions of Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? The passages below help answer these basic questions. Print these; and as you read each passage, circle specific information that provides an answer to Who? What? When? Where? Why? or How? and make a note in the margin as to which one-word questions are being answered in the passage.
“This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to Scripture, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to Scriptures, and that He appeared to Ciphers, 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, though some have fallen asleep” (
“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (
“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 the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (
“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith” (
The So What:
Why is all of this good news, and what difference does it make in your life? Why do you think the New Testament writers used the word gospel (good news) to describe the work of Jesus?
Take a few minutes to think about those questions and to take the message of the gospel personally. There’s a good chance that two or three of these passages spoke louder to you than the others. Reread these and as you do, write your first name in the margin of each passage, reading each verse as a personal note from God to you…because it is.
If you’d like to press in a little further, think about the three questions below. As you consider your response to each question, picture yourself sharing with someone who knows nothing about church or Christianity. This will help you plow through clichés that you may have adopted, giving you a more clear understanding of what the gospel is about. It’s a story worth knowing and a story we all can take personally.
Why was Jesus necessary?
Why is the gospel something worth believing in?
Why would love compel God to rescue us?
