The Simple Message of the Gospel + Scripture Printable

This post is part of the Book to Brains series.

As Christians, we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). This means that we are to called to live with our hearts and minds focused on the Gospel at all time and be ready to share the hope that is within us at any given moment (2 Timothy 4:2). It is quite difficult to do this when we don’t have a clear understanding of what the Gospel is.

Can you define the Gospel in a sentence or two? I will be honest in that while I know in my heart what the Gospel is and why it is important, when put on the spot I draw a blank as to how I can quickly define it for someone else.

Thankfully, the message of the Gospel is summed up very simply in a couple of verses.

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” -1 Corinthians 15:3-4

While the message of the Gospel is simple, the significance is great. It is a revelation that all people must respond to in order to gain eternal life (John 3:16). Let’s look at each point in these verses to gain a greater understanding of the Gospel message–not only for ourselves, but that we might explain it naturally when sharing it with others.

3 Points of the Gospel Message

1. Christ died for our sins. Jesus was tried, beaten and crucified on the cross where He physically died. His death paid the penalty of sin for all people (whether they accept it or not) and was necessary to reconcile mankind to a holy God (John 19:17-27, Romans 5:8, Romans 10:9-10).

2. Christ was buried. Joseph of Arimathea asked for Jesus’ body and His disciples give Him a proper Jewish burial before the beginning of the Sabbath (which starts on Friday after dark). A heavy stone was rolled in the front of the tomb and Roman guards were placed there to ensure that nobody stole the body (Matthew 7:57-66, Mark 15:42-47, 1 Corinthians 15:3-7).

3. Christ rose from the dead. On Sunday morning, the tomb was found empty. Jesus later appeared in bodily form to Mary, His disciples as well as more than 500 people at one time before He was visibly taken up to Heaven in the presence of His disciples (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-8, Luke 9:28-36, Romans 1:4-5, Romans 6:8).

Digging a Little Deeper

Along with the three points of the Gospel, two phrases in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 really stand out to me:

• “as of first importance” – The Gospel is the most important message you could ever share with anyone–ever! After hearing the message of the cross so often, we can become desensitized to the glorious revelation that it is. The fact is, the message of the Gospel is a matter of life and death {Tweet this}. Literally. It is only when we truly embrace this truth that we begin to understand the importance of sharing the Good News of Christ whenever we have a chance. As mothers (or fathers), this knowledge should be taken with the utmost consideration. The burden of pointing our children to the Gospel primarily lies upon us as parents {Tweet this}. Their decision is not our responsibility, however I would hope that they will have had plenty of chances to respond the Lord as we have been diligent in speaking of it often in our homes.

• “according to the Scriptures” - The Gospel fulfilled prophesy. This is important to note because it helps support the reality of the events and that they were established by God in order to bring the lost to Himself. Also, as I mentioned earlier, if you read a few verses further in the text of 1 Corinthians 15, you will find that Jesus appeared to more than 500 people (at the same time) after His resurrection.  The fact that there are eye witness accounts is evidence that the He truly rose from the dead.  I share this to demonstrate that the Gospel contains historical events that happened in full harmony and as predicted in earlier revelation {Tweet this}. These prophesies can be found in the Old Testament and in the Words of Jesus Himself. (See Psalm 22:6-18, Zechariah 12:10, John 2:19-21, John 11:25-26).

In light of the obvious significance of the Gospel and the importance of sharing it with others, I am memorizing 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. If you would like to join me, please print off the verse below and let me know you are joining me in a comment!

{Click image to download printable}

It is my hope and prayer that by memorizing this passage of Scripture, the reality of the Gospel will sink deeper into our hearts and be impressed on our minds on a daily basis. What a beautiful Truth it is that Christ died, was buried, and rose from the dead to save us from the penalty of sin–by grace, through faith–and offer us new life in Him (Ephesians 2:4-6, 1 Peter 1:3).

May our lives be forever changed as we strive to cultivate this fundamental Truth into every area of our lives and may we be compelled to share this life-giving message with all that need to hear it.

How has the Gospel affected your life? Have you told your story recently?

Note: If you’ve never responded to the Gospel message and/or have questions about salvation, I would love to chat with you! Feel free to send me an email (jenni.mullinix @ gmail.com) or fill out the contact form. -JM

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