What is the Good News?

The Greek word euangelion means good news. The English translation of it is gospel. The word gospel is defined in many dictionaries as having a definition that relates to the Christian message.

Good news brings happiness. When was the last time you see a child told that there is a present for her and she becomes sad then starts sobbing uncontrollably? If you have, congratulations because you're in a very special group. No, most people never have experienced that. Almost always, on hearing that good news the face of the child would lit up with a big smile, the eyes gleaming with expectation. That's what good news does to people. It brings joy and happiness.

So, why is the Christian message a good news? What's in it that's going to make me happy and smile?

A Change of State

Good news makes a person happy because it changes that person's state from one state to a better state. Using the previous example, the child had no present (the state before), then she has a present (the state after). A woman may have a senior clerical job (the state before), then she was promoted to her desired role as a manager (the state after). A man may be terminally ill (the state before), then he was declared healed by the doctor (the state after). Good news usually offers a hope that something better is coming.

The First State

In the example above of a man being terminally ill, the first state is very dire. He's dying. To him, the near future brings death. The end of everyone on this planet will eventually be death, but that particular man knows that his near future is death. It seems most terrible.

However, the first state in the Gospel message is worse than death. It's what's described as infinite suffering. It's time-infinity of being under the terrible wrath of a being so powerful that nobody can escape from. It gets worse still, because that being is not wrong for doing so - the subject deserves it.

God - that powerful being we spoke about above, has the ability and power to do anything. Except, there is one thing He cannot do due to His unblemished nature. In other words, because He is 100% good, by that very nature He cannot mix even with 0.000001% bad being. Let alone someone like myself. My bad nature I'm sure is higher than 0.000001%. Not even a man who lives in a cave his entire life can be 0.00001% bad, it's much more than that. Even a bad thought is enough to ruin the good into bad. One bad thought a week means 1040 bad thoughts for a 20 year old. One tiny drop of poison ruins the whole glass of milk. God is unblemished, so to be with Him we need to be 100% good too. But how?

Here's a solution many people often suggest: focus hard to do good so the good in your life cancel out the bad, surely God will let me be with Him so I can go to heaven?

Imagine a man in court convicted for murder. He says, "Your honour, I know I raped and murdered that woman, but I'm sure you'll find that I don't deserve punishment. I mean, I pay my tax...?, I helped an blind old lady cross the street at one time, she would have died without me...?, I regularly give to the poor...? In fact, I'm generally a nice person except for that one time. You'll forgive me right...?".

Someone might say, "But I'm not a murderer, I'm not a rapist". Here's the problem: that good place after death called heaven, it's owner, God, is 100% unblemished. To a being who is 100% unblemished, even a single bad thing is worse than murder or rape. To attempt to sell our good points to Him would just make Him more determined to lavish us with His wrath. Not a good option.

So, the situation is not looking good for us. What other option is there? Because there is only one universe, so there is only one God who started the universe, the very same one who owns the only one good place after death that we refer to as heaven. Who can we run to? No one. Where can we run to? Nowhere. We're doomed.

The Second State

Hey... Good news! God is just, but He is also loving. He has created a way out for us to escape His wrath!

How?

There's an old story of a village chief who commanded his citizens to start rationing the village's food supply due to a famine. He gave a verdict that anyone caught stealing would be very severely whipped with 100 lashes. One day, there was an uproar because someone has been caught red-handed stealing the food supply. The village leader chief was furious. So, the people brought the thief to him. It turned out to be his own son. As the son stood there trembling in fear, the chief thought deeply. He could not simply pardon his son because he is an upright chief full of responsibility to uphold justice. But he also could not punish the son that he really loves. So, he went outside the building, fell on his knees, bared his back and commanded the people to give to him instead of the son the 100 lashes that was due to the son he loves.

To a bad son, this would have been good news because he escaped the punishment. But one day the father will discover that the son has to taught a lesson. Perhaps with one that's equally severe.

To a good son, this would have been good news too because he escaped the punishment. But, a good son on receiving this good news would also cry and shed the worst tears he ever did in his life. Because the love of the father would overwhelm him. He would be most determined not to ever steal again. In fact, he would be determined to obey anything that the father says, just so he could make the father smile. This joy and happiness that the good son has cuts deep into the very center of his being.

As a matter of fact, God did the same thing as the village chief did, except on an immesurably larger scale through His time on earth as Jesus Christ. The punishment and suffering He bore physically and spiritually for the ones He loves is immesurably greater than 100 lashes. Not only that, He made sure noone could question the sacrifice He gave by providing numerous evidence as recorded in the Bible and other historical texts. This... is not just good news, it's the best news ever.

This Jesus, His coming was foretold long before in numerous prophecies. He fulfilled all the prophecies perfectly. He also went around bending the laws of nature by performing miracles to establish His authority. He taught His disciples many things and revealed a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven. He purposely allowed Himself to be tortured and killed thereby taking the punishment of that is due to us upon Himself. He rose again from the dead and visibly appeared to around 500 people during 40 days. He went up to heaven and promised to return again.

This good news is offered to anyone who would repent of their sins and trust Jesus as their personal Saviour. Those who do so have tremendous love for Him and are guaranteed a place in heaven.

Is this better than the first state above? Absolutely. That my friends, is why the Christian message is good news.