What is the Good News?

"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

Christians often talk about spreading the Gospel, but I have not heard many explain what it exactly is.

What is the good news then?

In trying to understand it better, I decided to stretch back into the book of Isaiah, specifically in Isaiah 61. The verses show how God will rebuild the broken, heal the sick, and ultimately save his people. So why the sudden talk of saving?

Moving further back, the need for salvation lies in the story of Adam and Eve. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve are banished from the Garden of Eden and ultimately from God's presence. From that, humanity is cursed to suffer and die in life as God had proclaimed.

Thus, humanity was in position to suffer and die away from God's presence. The good news started in a verse that comes immediately after Adam and Eve fall to sin by the serpent's temptation.

"Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." Genesis 3:15

This verse is explained to be the promise of God to bring punishment to the devil and ultimately save us from the problem of sin.

Now coming back to the book of Isaiah, this salvation was promised all throughout the book, specifically in mentioning Jesus. Thus, when Jesus says "Repent and believe the good news," he is saying that he is the Messiah promised and that by his death, we will be saved, brought back to God's presence, away from suffering and death.

In understanding such a background, it is now easy to say that this verse is the Bible summarized.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16