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Since the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16), getting the gospel right is a matter of life and death. By taking into account the full scope of the New Testament, we see that the Gospels present the original gospel as a proclamation about the kingdom of God. The book of Acts, adds to this message the resurrection of Jesus. Lastly, the epistles add to the message that Jesus died for our sins. Putting it all together yields a three-fold message about the kingdom, resurrection, and cross. Centering the message on Jesus himself, we can tell others three simple Christ-centered statements: Christ died; Christ rose; Christ is coming again.

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This teaching serves as an introduction to the gospel message or good news. Sean Finnegan explains why the gospel is so important before delving into brief overviews of the three main components: Christ died; Christ raised; Christ coming again.

For more on the three elements of the gospel message watch What Is the Gospel We Preach? by Victor Gluckin or The Gospel of the Kingdom, Cross, and Resurrection by Sean Finnegan.

Christ Died (Gospel Ingredient 1)

Christ died as the atoning sacrifice for your sins. Sadly, sin is a universal human experience. Scripture says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). What’s more, “the wages of sin is death,” which means everyone needs salvation (Rom 6:23). If you must stand before God and face judgement for what you’ve done, you will not be able to stand. But, there’s good news. God is aware of our situation, and he so loves us that he doesn’t leave us wallowing in guilt or self-righteousness. Nor does he look away or ignore our sin. He has made a way for his justice to be served and for our sins to be forgiven. He brought this about through his only perfect son. Jesus obediently took upon himself the role of the suffering servant, the sacrificial offering who could bear our sins on his head.

• Why the Cross? (45m video) Vince Finnegan covers the main purpose of the cross of Christ: to reconcile you back to God and have a love-relationship with him. Christ’s death was sacrificial, redemptive, and justifying.
• Sacrifice and Forgiveness (54m audio) Vince Finnegan begins with the sacrificial system set up in ancient Israel to explain how Christ’s sacrificial death covers our sins.
• God’s Victory through the Cross (47m audio) Sean Finnegan shows how Christ’s crucifixion made sense in light of the Roman politics in Caesar’s world.

Christ Rose (Gospel Ingredient 2)

Christ rose from the dead, proving him to be the Messiah. From the perspective of the Roman government who carried out his execution, there was no question as to why they crucified him. Jesus had claimed to be the messiah, which is a title for God’s anointed king. This is what they wrote on the accusation sign they hung above his head during his execution (Mark 15.26). And they were right. Jesus of Nazareth really did think he was the one—God’s promised king for the world. He knew the prophecies that spoke about a ruler who would obey God flawlessly, make decisions based on God’s spirit within, and bring justice for all. However, once Jesus died on that cross, the idea that he could be God’s promised Messiah died with him. But then, on the third day, God raised him from the dead, proving to everyone that this Jesus of Nazareth really was the Messiah, the Christ, the king! Christ’s resurrection is the most important event of all human history and it has huge implications for you today.

• Resurrection and You (41m video) Vince Finnegan powerfully explains that in addition to the resurrection proving that Jesus is the Messiah, it also defeats the devil and the forces of darkness and enables you to have a whole new life now as well as a sure hope that you can experience resurrection as well when Christ returns.
• Resurrection Power (47m video) Sean Finnegan shows how Christ’s resurrection reverses the power dynamics of our world. Now because of this event, salvation is available to the foolish, weak, and marginalized instead of just the wise, powerful, and favored in society.
• Christ’s Resurrection (group study) Anna Shoffner Brown leads you and your small group through the key scriptures relating to Christ’s resurrection to help you think through how you can have confidence that this event really did happen. (See also Resurrection of the Saints)

Christ Is Coming Again (Gospel Ingredient 3)

Christ is coming again to establish the kingdom of God, an age when God will make everything wrong with the world right. We can learn a lot about God’s ultimate intentions by observing what he made in the beginning. He filled our universe with well-designed beauty and purpose. The end of the bible tells us that God will restore our world back to the paradise it was in the beginning before sin tainted creation. The last two chapters of the bible match up quite well with the first two. Once again, we read about paradise on earth without pain, suffering, and death. Once again, God dwells with humanity in loving fellowship, untainted by sin. Once again, people are free to explore, create, and rule. This good news about the kingdom of God is the ultimate destiny for all who believe.

• The Kingdom Hope (52m video) Victor Gluckin details what will happen when Christ comes again, including the dramatic transformation Earth will undergo as well as the justice that will reign supreme.
• The Forgotten Gospel Documentary (53m video) Anthony Buzzard and others puzzle over what happened to the kingdom element of the gospel message. They show that God’s kingdom is the very foundation of the entire gospel message.
• What Good Is Jesus Without His Gospel? (57m audio) Anthony Buzzard expertly demonstrates that the gospel Jesus preached was about the kingdom of God.
• For more on the kingdom of God coming to earth, see Research Topic 4: Kingdom on Earth

Salvation

Because of our sins, we deserve God’s wrath, not grace. Even so, his mercy is so great that he freely offers us the gifts of salvation. For more about what salvation entails see Research Topic 7: Continuing in Salvation

Sharing the Gospel

The first step for you is to believe that Christ died for your sins, that God raised him from the dead, and that he will come back to resurrect the faithful and establish God’s kingdom. What’s next? Now it’s time to follow Christ (see Research Topic 2: Follow Christ). Before he ascended, Jesus commissioned his followers to share the gospel message with others. Here are some resources to help you do that.

• Evangelism Seminar (6-video plalyist) Joshua Anderson teaches a six-part series, explaining why evangelism is hard for us, what evangelism is, what evangelism is not, how to build relational credibility, and how to get better at evangelism. The seminar concludes with a panel discussion. You can also access this resource as audio on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
• The Gospel Comes with a House Key (240-page book) Rosaria Butterfield challenges her readers to practical Christian hospitality by inviting over their neighbors with the goal to make strangers into friends and friends into family.
• Why Christianity Class (16-video playlist) Jerry Wierwille and Sean Finnegan show why Christianity makes sense, has good evidence, and is attractive. This class will equip you to share your faith with others. Access this class via audio on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Recommended Resources

• Why Did Jesus Die? (21-page article) Sean Finnegan explores the eight biblical reasons given for Christ’s death before launching into a survey of the main atonement theories Christians have held over the centuries. He concludes with an explanation of communal substitution, which is the idea that Christ as the second Adam is uniquely qualified to represent humanity and stand to pay the penalty for our sins.
• Evidence for Jesus’ Resurrection (93m video) William Lane Craig lays out the historical evidence that indicates that God really did raise Jesus from the dead. See also Craig’s other debates on God’s existence, like this one with Christopher Hitchens (142m video)
• Case for Christ Movie (114m video) Watch the feature-length film about skeptic journalist Lee Strobel’s investigation into the resurrection of Jesus. This is also available as a book.
• For more on the kingdom of God, see Research Topic 4: Kingdom on Earth