The word gospel literally means “good news” and occurs 93 times in the New Testament of the Bible.
The Old Testament Law was given to us by God during the time of Moses. The Law can be thought of as a measuring stick, and sin is anything that falls short of that standard. The Law is so stringent that no human being could possibly follow it perfectly. We all have sinned, and the result of that sin is our separation from God. In order for us to go to heaven and dwell with God, our sin must be removed or paid for. The Law established that cleansing from sin can only happen through a suitable sacrifice.
The gospel says that Jesus’ death on the cross was that perfect sacrifice to fulfill the Law, because he was divine and perfect. When Christ offered himself as our sacrifice, all who would believe it and claim it for themselves would have their sins removed by substitution. The gospel also involves Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25). The fact that Jesus conquered sin and death (sin’s penalty) is good news, indeed. And the fact that He offers to share his righteousness with us is the greatest news of all. The work of atonement is finished now, and that’s the Gospel.
The elements of the gospel are clearly stated in 1 Corinthians 15:3–6, a key passage concerning the good news of God: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time …”
Notice, first, that Paul “received” the gospel and then “passed it on”; this is a divine message, not a man-made invention. Second, the gospel is “of first importance.” Everywhere the apostles went, they preached the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Third, the message of the gospel is accompanied by proofs: Christ died for our sins (proved by His burial), and He rose again the third day (proved by the eyewitnesses). Fourth, all this was done “according to the Scriptures”; the theme of the whole Bible is the salvation of mankind through Christ.
“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” (Romans 1:16). The gospel is a bold message, and we are not ashamed of proclaiming it. It is a powerful message, because it is God’s good news. It is a saving message, the only thing that can truly reform the human heart. It is a universal message, for everyone. And the gospel is received by faith; salvation is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8–9).