We’re journeying through our series, “Whispers of Grace,” exploring 15 pivotal New Testament words. Our guide is a fantastic, accessible little New Testament theology book by Dr. Nijay Gupta titled “15 New Testament Words.” If you want to read ahead, I highly recommend grabbing a copy – it’s an encouraging and insightful read. As I explored it a few months ago, I knew this was material we had to delve into, especially for the summer, to grasp these significant concepts within the New Testament and their Old Testament roots. We’re discovering these aren’t just New Testament ideas, but Bible-wide, people-of-God themes.

Last week, we discussed righteousness. This week, we turn to another profound word: gospel.

More Than Just a Church Word?

Outside the church, “gospel” isn’t a word you hear too often these days. You might hear someone say, “It’s the gospel truth,” meaning it’s absolutely true. Or perhaps your mind jumps to “gospel music,” which remains a significant cultural force. Some theater enthusiasts might even think of the musical “Godspell.” But largely, “gospel” tends to reside within church walls.

I grew up hearing the word in church – the four Gospels, the Gospel reading. It was just part of the “Bible furniture” to me; I never realized “gospel” itself meant something more. My first conscious introduction to its deeper meaning came in college through Campus Crusade for Christ. Then, “the gospel” became synonymous with a little yellow booklet: The Four Spiritual Laws. I was all in, sharing that booklet with everyone. To this day, I can recite it:

  1. God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
  2. Man is sinful and separated from God.
  3. Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin. Through Him, you can know and experience God’s love and plan for your life.
  4. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

“This,” I thought, “is the gospel.” Then I went to seminary, and it turned out… that’s not quite the whole story.

The “Good News” According to Mark (and Caesar?)

Let’s turn to the Gospel of Mark. In chapter 1, verses 14 and 15, we read:

“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!'” (Mark 1:14-15, NIV)

But Mark’s Gospel doesn’t start there. It begins, perhaps unsurprisingly, at verse one:

“The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1, NIV)

We see “good news” right at the start, and then Jesus himself proclaims this “good news,” linking it to the nearness of God’s kingdom.

The Greek word translated as “good news” is euangelion (εὐαγγέλιον). It’s a fun word to say! It’s where we get terms like “evangelical,” “evangelism,” and “evangelist.” We often use “evangel” directly from Greek, but since most don’t know Greek, it gets translated as “good news.”

Now, you might think Christianity coined this term. We didn’t. Nor did we invent the Greek language! Euangelion was already part of the lingua franca – the common language – of the day. In our world, English is largely the lingua franca. Back then, it was Greek. That’s why the New Testament, a collection of texts from a Middle Eastern religion where Aramaic and Hebrew were spoken, was written in Greek. If you wanted to engage with the wider world, you spoke Greek.

And euangelion simply meant “good news.” Imagine a couple announcing the birth of their child: “Euangelion! The baby is here!” They might have even held it up, Lion King style!

Here’s where it gets really interesting: we Christians didn’t just adopt the word; we subverted its common imperial usage. In the first century, euangelion was heavily used in relation to Caesar. When Rome’s armies won a battle, bringing the Pax Romana (the peace of Rome – which often meant “submit or die”), the report of Caesar’s victory was the euangelion of Caesar. Inscriptions from that era, still visible today, proclaim things like: “The euangelion of Augustus Caesar, the Son of God, the Savior of the world who brings peace to all nations.”

Sound familiar? Compare that to Mark 1:1: “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.” Mark is making a bold statement: Caesar has his “good news,” but we have our good news, and our King is better than your king.

Consider Mark 1:14 again: “After John was put in prison…” Who imprisoned John? Herod, a puppet king for Caesar. Jesus then enters Galilee proclaiming the “good news of God,” not of Caesar. He declares, “The time has come. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news.” This was a direct challenge, a subversion of Rome and worldly powers. Jesus is saying God’s kingdom is here, now. Things need to change.

What First-Century Ears Heard

When we hear “good news” today, many Christians think of something like the Four Spiritual Laws. But in first-century Galilee, a Jewish area, they weren’t thinking of a four-step plan. Their minds would have leapt to passages like Isaiah 52:7:

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'” (Isaiah 52:7, NIV)

Paul picks up this language in Romans 10. When Jesus spoke of “good news,” He was tapping into this deep prophetic tradition of God making good on His covenant promises. God had promised, “I will be your God, and you will be my people. I will take care of you forever.” (My paraphrase, of course!). He promised that even after disobedience and exile, a remnant would be redeemed, and David’s throne would have an eternal occupant.

So, when people heard Jesus say, “Repent and believe the good news,” they thought:

  • God is fulfilling His promises!
  • A king from David’s line will take the throne!
  • We’re going to be redeemed!
  • Exile is finally, truly over!
  • Let’s go!

They envisioned true peace – not the Pax Romana, but the peace of God. Jesus was the one with beautiful feet, bringing this ultimate good news. They anticipated a practical, even military, overthrow of Rome, with God’s people back in charge.

And then, this guy got himself crucified.

Beyond Formulas and Hell Insurance

This was a shock. Clearly, Jesus wasn’t talking about that kind of kingdom. It took time to understand that God’s faithfulness to His covenant promises wasn’t about worldly power, but a deeper reality.

When Jesus spoke of good news and the redemption of all things, He wasn’t just talking about a restored earthly kingdom. Nor was He merely talking about “hell insurance,” which is, unfortunately, how many of us have come to view it – say a prayer, and you’re good to go.

That’s not the fullness of the good news. The good news is God being faithful to His covenant promises. It is God redeeming all things. It is God coming and setting all things right, much like we discussed with righteousness. It’s about fixing and redeeming everything.

This includes:

  • Restored and redeemed relationships.
  • Dealing with sin.
  • Ensuring we don’t spend eternity separated from God.

But these are slices of a much bigger pie. The gospel encompasses how we care for the poor, the immigrant, the marginalized. It’s how we love our enemies and our neighbors (who are often one and the same!). That’s gospel. Christ came proclaiming peace. He lived a perfect life, showing perfect human covenantal faithfulness (possible because He is God). God looks at Christ and affirms this mutual faithfulness, and through it, all is redeemed. The kingdom is drawing near.

I remember being in a Bible study where the pastor asked, “How do you define grace?” Being a somewhat cocky Campus Crusade staffer, I replied, “Unmerited favor.” He affirmed, “That’s right.” And then he pushed: “And what’s so amazing about that?”

You see, we’ve often reduced the gospel, like grace, to formulas and definitions. But the good news that makes you proclaim “The kingdom has come!” isn’t a bland recipe. It’s not four steps. It’s the kind of news that inspires songs like “Amazing Grace.” It is the redemption of all things – the undoing of all messiness, brokenness, and sickness. It’s the wiping away of every tear. It is God affirming, “I am faithful. Even when you are not, you are My people, I am your God, and I will be with you always.” This is the good news Jesus proclaimed.

What is the Gospel to You?

So, my challenge to you this week is to wrestle with this word “gospel.”

  • Is it just an adjective for you – “gospel truth,” “gospel music”?
  • Is it merely a set of instructions, a four-step process to avoid hell?
  • Or is the gospel truly good news that changes everything? That redeems everything?
  • Is it news that subverts the entire world, flips everything upside down, and leaves you slack-jawed at God’s amazing deeds, whispering, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound”?

The gospel is all of it. It runs deep. It is the profound evidence of our God’s faithfulness because He loves us and declares, “You will be my people, and I will be your God.”

A Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I pray that we would be a people for whom the gospel is truly good news. May it be the good news that demonstrates Your covenant faithfulness, thereby redeeming and restoring all things. May it subvert the structures of this world and bring a peace that transcends all understanding. Father, I pray that we might be overwhelmed by the gospel, by this incredible good news. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Listen here: Whispers of Grace - Gospel (Mark)