What is the Gospel? Part One

There is much talk these days about what the Gospel is and is not. I have to agree with other evangelicals that we have definitely watered down, even altered the Gospel. Some think of it simply as keeping out of hell and getting into heaven. Others think of it as the ethical teachings of Jesus. Still others define it as the example of Jesus doing good for others and dying for what He believed. One I am familiar with is making the Gospel equivalent to being a peacemaker. Those who advocate this espouse the necessity of taking peace into the world and being available for resolving conflict. One flaw in this is that peacemaker is practiced as peacekeeper instead of the biblical meaning that involves reconciling men to God and men to each other because of the cross of Christ.
The Gospel, above all else, is Christological. It is definitely Christ-centered. When the Gospel is described in Scripture it includes ALL that Jesus said and did (E.g. Mark 1:1; Luke 4:18). When Paul talks about the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1ff, he does talk about Jesus’ death and resurrection. But he emphasizes one aspect that today is either ignored, minimized, or neglected is that Christ “died for our sins.”
So the primary issue is not feeding the poor, relieving suffering, or educating the masses who have been denied education. These are just symptoms of the real issue. These do need to be addressed but Jesus did not simply do good to people without explaining to them they needed Him and why they did. The real issue is sin. Sin began the misery in the world (Gen 3) and it is for sin Jesus came. He died for sin. He did not die as an example. He died for sin. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God…the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus…while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 3:23; 6:23; 5:8) So it is impossible to talk about the true meaning of Christmas apart from Good Friday and Easter. John Stott said that “the Gospel is not preached if Christ is not preached.” What is the Gospel? It is first and foremost all about Christ, His whole life, all He said and did, and especially He died for our sins.