What Did Jesus Come to Do?
Thoughts on the Gospel
What is the gospel? And how, exactly, should we define it?
That seems like it should be an easy question to answer. But surprisingly, Christians don’t always agree. And sometimes, their disagreements can be quite heated.
Some Christians say the gospel is only the message that sinners can be forgiven through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Others say the gospel also includes the bigger story. The story that God is renewing the whole world through Jesus.
But I wonder if the two sides really disagree. Or if they are just answering two different questions and using the same word (gospel) to do it.
The first group hears the question “What is the gospel?” and thinks it means: “What message must a person believe to be saved, to inherit eternal life?” So, they talk about how Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and calls us to repent and believe. This is the message of personal salvation.
The second group hears the question “What is the gospel?” but thinks it means: “What is the whole good news of Christianity?” So, they talk about how God will establish His kingdom, renew the world, and bring justice and peace forever. This is the message of God’s final restoration.
Both questions are good and biblical. And the Bible uses the word gospel in both ways:
Let’s call the first: The Gospel of the Cross.
Let’s call the second: The Gospel of the Kingdom.
The gospel of the cross is the message that Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and offers forgiveness to anyone who repents and believes. In this sense, the gospel is the message that saves. You can find examples in the Bible in Acts 10, Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 1, and 1 Corinthians 15.
In these passages, the gospel is described as salvation through Jesus Christ, Christ’s death and resurrection, the forgiveness of sins, a call to repent and believe.
In other places, the word gospel refers to the full plan of God to restore the whole world and bring His kingdom. This includes healing and justice, the new heavens and the new earth, the resurrection of the dead, and peace between people and with God. You can find examples in the Bible in Matthew 4, Mark 1, Luke 4, and Acts 13.
In these passages, the gospel is described with phrases like, the kingdom of God has come, God is fulfilling His promises, and one day, all creation will be renewed.
So how do those two ways of describing the gospel fit together?
The Gospel of the Cross (forgiveness through Jesus’ death) is the gateway.
The Gospel of the Kingdom (the full renewal of all things) is the destination.
Or, put it this way. You cannot enter the blessings of the kingdom (the restoration gospel) unless your sins are forgiven (the salvation gospel). The gospel of the cross (forgiveness through Jesus’ death) is the door to the gospel of the kingdom (the restored kingdom of God).
This is why the Bible can call the message of the cross “the gospel” even when it does not mention all the kingdom blessings that the cross implies. Without forgiveness, the coming of Jesus to establish His new creation would not be good news for us—it would only mean judgment. Or, as Jesus put it in his chat with Nicodemus, without the new birth, we will never see the kingdom (John 3).
With that in mind, here are a few things that we should remember.
So, the answer to the “What is the gospel” question is not an either/or. It is both - the message of forgiveness through Jesus (the cross) AND the promise of a renewed world under God’s rule (the kingdom). But we must never forget that the message of cross is the beginning point of all the rest.
The Gospel will be the focus of what we will be talking about for the next three Sundays at The Well (www.thewellvn.org). I hope you can be with us.
What is the gospel? And how, exactly, should we define it?
That seems like it should be an easy question to answer. But surprisingly, Christians don’t always agree. And sometimes, their disagreements can be quite heated.
Some Christians say the gospel is only the message that sinners can be forgiven through Jesus’ death and resurrection. Others say the gospel also includes the bigger story. The story that God is renewing the whole world through Jesus.
But I wonder if the two sides really disagree. Or if they are just answering two different questions and using the same word (gospel) to do it.
The first group hears the question “What is the gospel?” and thinks it means: “What message must a person believe to be saved, to inherit eternal life?” So, they talk about how Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and calls us to repent and believe. This is the message of personal salvation.
The second group hears the question “What is the gospel?” but thinks it means: “What is the whole good news of Christianity?” So, they talk about how God will establish His kingdom, renew the world, and bring justice and peace forever. This is the message of God’s final restoration.
Both questions are good and biblical. And the Bible uses the word gospel in both ways:
Let’s call the first: The Gospel of the Cross.
Let’s call the second: The Gospel of the Kingdom.
The gospel of the cross is the message that Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and offers forgiveness to anyone who repents and believes. In this sense, the gospel is the message that saves. You can find examples in the Bible in Acts 10, Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 1, and 1 Corinthians 15.
In these passages, the gospel is described as salvation through Jesus Christ, Christ’s death and resurrection, the forgiveness of sins, a call to repent and believe.
In other places, the word gospel refers to the full plan of God to restore the whole world and bring His kingdom. This includes healing and justice, the new heavens and the new earth, the resurrection of the dead, and peace between people and with God. You can find examples in the Bible in Matthew 4, Mark 1, Luke 4, and Acts 13.
In these passages, the gospel is described with phrases like, the kingdom of God has come, God is fulfilling His promises, and one day, all creation will be renewed.
So how do those two ways of describing the gospel fit together?
The Gospel of the Cross (forgiveness through Jesus’ death) is the gateway.
The Gospel of the Kingdom (the full renewal of all things) is the destination.
Or, put it this way. You cannot enter the blessings of the kingdom (the restoration gospel) unless your sins are forgiven (the salvation gospel). The gospel of the cross (forgiveness through Jesus’ death) is the door to the gospel of the kingdom (the restored kingdom of God).
This is why the Bible can call the message of the cross “the gospel” even when it does not mention all the kingdom blessings that the cross implies. Without forgiveness, the coming of Jesus to establish His new creation would not be good news for us—it would only mean judgment. Or, as Jesus put it in his chat with Nicodemus, without the new birth, we will never see the kingdom (John 3).
With that in mind, here are a few things that we should remember.
- If we talk about God’s kingdom but do not tell people how to enter it, we are not preaching the gospel.
- Doing “kingdom work” is not enough to make someone a Christian. A person must personally trust Jesus for forgiveness. Living like Jesus is a good thing – but it is not the same as knowing Him.
- Mercy ministries (helping others) should point people to Jesus. If Christians build a house, dig a well, or serve a neighborhood, they should explain that they do this because God is making all things new—and that people enter that new creation through Jesus.
- When we preach or teach today, our main message should be the Gospel of the Cross. The world needs forgiveness first. Only after entering the kingdom can a person enjoy the full blessings of that God’s kingdom promises.
So, the answer to the “What is the gospel” question is not an either/or. It is both - the message of forgiveness through Jesus (the cross) AND the promise of a renewed world under God’s rule (the kingdom). But we must never forget that the message of cross is the beginning point of all the rest.
The Gospel will be the focus of what we will be talking about for the next three Sundays at The Well (www.thewellvn.org). I hope you can be with us.
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