The Good News

The essential Gospel

By José Bernardo

What is the essential message of the Gospel or what is the Good News? What can we say when we first talk to a Muslim who has no concept of forgiveness, or to a Buddhist who has no concept of a Creator God? What do we do for a Nicodemus-type, who is confused on what it means to be born a second time? Although missiologists have made the answer very complex, Jesus said that it was as simple as lift up a snake in the wilderness.

Michael Hoyt: A mosaic beneath the dome of
St. Matthew’s Cathedral in Washington

After the death of Peter and Paul, in the same day according to tradition, when Mark saw himself under the enormous responsibility for the Church in Rome, he did not offer a detailed history of Israel as a context for the Gospel; he did not present a compendium of systematic theology. A post-modern, multi-cultural, hungry for information, living for entertainment and individualistically fragmented society knew who Jesus is. Mark focused on one person and that was enough. When we try to understand Mark’s choice, we see where it came from: “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.

It is interesting that right after we hear a powerful summary of the Gospel as preached by Jesus, Mark tells that the disciples were called to be taught. Then, in the last chapter of his book, he reports Jesus sending his disciples in a way that entreats every Christian thereafter (Mark 16:14,15). The intention is clear; the Gospel has to be preached and its essence is presented in the format of an elevator pitch, defined by three key elements: 'why', 'how' and 'what' in regards to the expected reaction. The ‘why’ here means it is time, there is an opportunity; what human beings have anxiously desired for so long is finally possible. The ‘how’ means that the Kingdom of God is near, in our midst (Luke 17:20,21); the Kingdom being the person of Jesus. The ‘what’ means the conversion and the faithful perseverance.

The Gospel is the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of God is Jesus. This is the opportunity and the possibility for a transformed life. From Mathew we learn that the same message Jesus was preaching was previously preached by John the Baptist, and later commanded to the disciples (Mathew 3:1,2; 4:17; 10:7). Therefore, the essence is the presentation of the Kingdom, the person of Jesus, just as Mark did when had to communicate the Gospel in that megacity. This is enough to invite anybody to live a new life. This has also been our experience. Serving in a society that is quickly becoming post-Christian, we have found the importance of revealing Christ to this generation. Furthermore, Jesus made a statement of that: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." John 3:14,15. This is the essential Gospel. Let us lift up the Son!

.........................

Jose Bernardo is the OneHope vice-president for lusophone countries. OneHope is a global agency of the Bible that has worked in 145 countries giving the Word of God to every child.