The Gospel Is Not Merely the Death of Christ
September 4th, 2009 by JackNathan“What is the gospel?” I asked her.
“Jesus died for our sins,” she responded.
“What does that mean?”
“Uhhh… I’m not sure.”
The gospel is free to propagate here in the United States. No law prohibits its spread. Churches are in abundance, preachers buy air time on TV and radio. Tracts are left in public. So one would assume that the gospel has been clearly communicated to the majority of the country. Surely, everyone understands what the gospel is. Surely, even if they don’t believe, they have knowledge of it. The gospel isn’t that complicated is it?
Well, as the snippet of a conversation I had with a professed believer shows, people know about Jesus dying for our sins. But that is about the extent of it. It is a phrase that has become the catch-phrase of Christianity.
“Jesus died for your sins!” the preacher declares. “Jesus died for your sins!” the street corner evangelist exults. “Jesus died for your sins!” the very well dressed televangelist proclaims with a tear in his eye. “But what does that mean?” asks the wondering. “How does that help me in this situation?” cries the hurting. “What difference does that make?” ponders the weary.
For too long, this phrase has been brandished by the eager evangelist without clarification. This culture knows that the Christian says Jesus died for our sins. This culture does not know what that means. They do not know what relevance that has for today. They do not know what that death has accomplished. But most importantly, they do not know that Jesus was risen and what that means.
The death of Christ has been seen as the center point of Christianity. The cross is our symbol to which we look. A symbol of death and derision has become our banner. But without the resurrection of Christ, the death would simply be more bad news. The sting of death would still await all and reign triumphant over all. If Christ had not been raised, death itself would be sovereign. We do not worship death. Death has lost its sting. Death itself has died. So why do we assume the gospel is communicated when we tell that Jesus died. His death is not the good news. His death is not the gospel. His death did not save anyone!
The resurrection must be our banner. The gospel is not that Jesus died for our sins. That has no meaning and no value outside of the resurrection. Since he was raised, we will be raised. His death took the penalty for our sins, but it is His life that gives us life. We need both.
The gospel speaks hope into every circumstance, every situation. The gospel needs to be clearly communicated in such a way that it speaks that hope. It is the gospel that dispels fear, timidity, anxiety, hopelessness, despair, isolation, and every other rotten thing that the curse of sin has brought upon this world.
Tell the world that Jesus died for our sins, but please, don’t stop there. Tell the world that Jesus lives, and so will his people.
September 4th, 2009 at 7:38 PM
The statement, “The Gospel is not merely the Death of Christ”, is closer to the truth than the author realizes!
The message of Jesus the Christ (Messiah)is and was “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” There was a reason for repentance, not repentance for repentance sake.
Matthew 3:2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Mark 1:15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Are just a few of the examples.
A little more food for thought!
September 5th, 2009 at 7:46 AM
“His death is not the good news.”
It’s easy in our culture to forget how completely silly it is to worship somebody who was executed as a criminal because the West has been steeped in it for centuries. There is a graffito from c. late 2nd century Rome which depicts a crucified man with a donkey’s head and the inscription “Alexamenos worships his god,” obviously meant to mock “Alexamenos” for being a Christian. Paul himself admits that preaching a crucified Messiah is “a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Cor 1:23). The earliest observers of Christianity were utterly baffled by it. Many Westerners may accept the idea today without much thought because it has become a part of our culture; but when we step back and think about it, worshiping a dead guy–moreover one who was criminally executed–is just plain stupid.
Unless he was raised from the dead.
You’re right: the Good News is that Jesus is _alive_! Otherwise it’s bad news, just as Paul agrees: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain; you’re still in your sins” (1 Cor 15:17).
September 5th, 2009 at 7:47 AM
Good post, by the way. That was what I intended to say until I got side-tracked and wrote a novel.
September 7th, 2009 at 12:30 AM
Good stuff, man. And benji, I totally agree. Its amazing how comfortable we have become with “the cross”. We sing about it in church, we talk about it as if it is perfectly reasonable to celebrate the torture and execution of an obscure Jewish rabbi. For a modern equivalent, imagine singing songs about “the wonderful electric chair”, or maybe a song about running to the “lethal injection.” It’s all quite absurd.
A question…. why do you think it is that christians in general seem to place more of an emphasis on Christ’s death than his resurrection?