What is a gospel? The simple, contemporary answer is “Good News!” This is nice as far as it goes, but a gospel is much more than simply good news. Mark 1:1 writes, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” This does not seem to be much of a title, perhaps even somewhat understated.
The original readers would have recognized what we overlook. The gospel is embedded in history. It has a historical beginning. The good news cannot be separated from the event. Perhaps the superficiality of Christianity today is in part because we have managed to separate the Christ from the event. He is our Friend and Counselor (which is true), but without a connection to God’s great program in history, He is easily made into just another medicine in our bathroom cabinet of “medicines for what ails us.”
As the Christ of history, the Son of God, He becomes much more to us. He becomes the hope of all people and of all nations, the answer to the greater problems of sin and death. Rather than being “hawked” over the airwaves by TV infomercials, the Christ, the Son of God, becomes breaking news, preempting all programming. Everyone must know. He must be proclaimed.
The Gospels do not give us a complete biography about Him, but rather the whole truth. This whole truth (the gospel) has many layers.
He is the fulfillment of God’s promises through the centuries (Mark 1:2-3). The beginning of the fulfillment is inauspicious. A fringe prophet (simply dressed and simply fed, Mark 1:6) begins to proclaim Christ to individuals with whom he has contact. Word gets out and people begin to flock to see him. They are ready for some good news. The common people recognize their common problem: sin (Mark 1:4-5). John proclaimed, “He is coming to fulfill God’s promises! Get ready now! Repent!” (Mark 1:7-8).
He did come, not with great pomp from Jerusalem, but as a common man from a rural village in Galilee. Could this be the Christ? The Father and the Spirit confirm John’s proclamation. He is the Son of God (Mark 1:9-11).
As quickly as Christ entered the limelight, He left for the desert. His proclaimer is imprisoned. Perhaps it was just another false alarm. Rumors of Jesus’ return to Galilee begin to filter into Jerusalem. He is proclaiming good news in Galilee. The great event will soon take place. Repent and believe the gospel.
This is the beginning of the great event, the gospel of Christ. Each writer has a little different perspective, but each one proclaims it as breaking news for all humankind to hear and believe.
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