In his book, “The King Jesus Gospel,” Scot McKnight challenges us to broaden our understanding of the gospel.
Think about this question: What is good news about the fact that Jesus is the Messiah, the descendant of David?
Or what about this question: Why do we need the OT anyway?
My fear is that one reason why so many Christians don’t know the OT is because their “gospel” doesn’t need it. The word “gospel” is almost entirely about personal salvation.
How would you answer this question: Is your gospel only about getting sins forgiven so you can go to heaven when you die?
Many people are quite comfortable skipping from Genesis 3 to the NT, or even worse, from Genesis 3 to justification by faith in Paul’s letters.
In fact, it may be the case that for some people, their entire understanding revolves around Genesis 1-3 and the book of Romans (maybe bits of Galatians and Ephesians, at least the parts that say you don’t have to earn your salvation).
We’ve shrunk the gospel into this itty bitty atonement theology, of getting our sins forgiven so that we can avoid God’s anger and wrath and go to heaven instead of hell.
Of course, being forgiven from sin and avoiding God’s punishment is certainly part of the picture. These things matter, the way the rotor blades of a helicopter matter. You won’t get off the ground without them. But rotor blades alone don’t make a helicopter. And a microcosmic theology of atonement alone does not make up the entirety of the gospel (see Tom Wright’s introduction, 13).
“We evangelicals mistakenly equate the word ‘gospel’ with the word ‘salvation.’ Hence, we are really ‘salvationists.’ When we evangelicals see the word ‘gospel,’ our instinct is to think (personal) ‘salvation.’ We are wired this way. But these two words don’t mean the same thing” (McKnight, 29).
McKnight’s argument is that the plan of personal salvation (forgiveness and atonement for sin) is not the gospel. I might say it a little softer – it’s not the entire gospel. Personal salvation is certainly part of the gospel. Personal salvation flows from the gospel, but it’s not by itself the gospel.
In fact, when Jesus talked about the gospel, he clearly taught that the gospel was much bigger than personal forgiveness and individual salvation. The gospel to Jesus was greater than simply avoiding God’s anger and punishment.
Did Jesus preach the gospel?
Think about it. What did Jesus teach and preach? What was his favorite topic? What was he always talking about?
Mark tells us what Jesus’ message was (earliest Gospel writer – source for Matthew and Luke):
“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is near; repent and believe in the Good News” (Mark 1:14-15).
Matthew records an almost identical message:
“From then on (after baptism and temptation) Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matt. 4:17). Just one chapter later, Matthew writes, “Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom” (Matt. 4:23).
And (surprise) Luke agrees with Mark and Matthew:
“I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent” (Lk. 4:43).
We see it all over the pages of the Gospels. When Jesus preached the Good News (Gospel), it was always about the kingdom of God/Heaven.
It is clear from Jesus as recorded in the Gospels that the good news of God for the world was that the kingdom of God/Heaven was breaking into history, and it was doing so in and through Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah.
When we read the Gospels, we begin to see that the gospel itself was all about the good news that a new and great king would restore order and blessing and peace to the world of God’s good creation. And Jesus taught that this good news was coming true in himself!
And we know that this good news came true in Jesus because the apostles told us so. By raising Jesus from the dead, God has proven Jesus to be the Messiah, the long-awaited King who has and is and will resolve the story of Israel, the storyline of the OT.
“Let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36).
I have found it extremely helpful to take into account what scholars like Tom Wright, Scott McKnight, Mike Wittmer and others are saying. The “gospel” is the story of Jesus of Nazareth told as the climax of the long story of Israel, which in turn is the story of how the one true God is rescuing the world.
This gospel is much bigger and better and exciting than I ever imagined!