The Good News of the Gospel

(Acts 13:32)
And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David.

The GOSPEL, IN a Nutshell

God loves you, and wants to have fellowship now and forever with you, but...
...You are an unrighteous sinner, separated from your Creator, a Holy and Just God by your sin(s)and sin nature
Sin leads to death
You are deserving of eternal punishment in a fiery hell after a certain death
Therefore, you need to get saved from that hell
You cannot save yourself by works, "being good", religion, etc. or by anything else or anyone else
Jesus Christ, the God-Man, came down from Heaven in the flesh to die on a Roman Cross for your sin(s)
You simply have to believe in Jesus Christ who died for your sinsand God promised he will forgive all of your sins

(Romans 3:23)
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

(Romans 6:23)
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Romans 5:8)
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

(2 Corinthians 5:21)
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

(Romans 10:9-10)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

(John 8:24)
I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

(Romans 8:1)
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

(1 John 5:13)
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

The GOSPEL, NOT in a Nutshell

First, the Good News

This is a complete, exhaustive study of the Gospel, which is a word that comes from two words, "God" + "Spell", or God's Word. It is taken today to mean "good news", and so it is. It is always prudent to give the entire story for context, so this is it, not in a nutshell

Creation of the Heavens and the Earth

(Genesis 1:1)
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The Gospel message of salvation begins with the Genesis account of Creation and runs as a common thread through all sixty six book of the Scriptures, even ending in the last book itself, Revelation.

(Revelation 14:6)
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

God first made a perfect home for the first couple, Adam and Eve, filling it with plants for food and animals to be companions. Then God created mankind himself, from the dust of the ground, with His own Hand, using a method most personal and unique.

(Genesis 2:7)
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, a perfect place, and walked with Adam as well.

(Genesis 2:8)
And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

(Genesis 2:15)
And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

He gave this new man, Adam (Adam means "mankind"), only one command. To eat from every tree in the Garden but one, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He was to keep the Garden like a farmer, like a good steward, up to touching the leaves, fruit, etc. to "dress and keep it" (Genesis 2:15), just to not eat from that one tree. So Adam did not know evil, sin. Adam was given a choice, a free will to choose to obey or disobey, and was responsible to tell Eve his wife this also, as there is no record of God telling her, leaving this a pattern for marriage, that the man should be the spiritual leader of it.

(Genesis 2:16-17)
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Lastly, because people are not animals and vice versa, Adam needed a companion to be whole, so God created Eve, from Adam, specifically from his side (rib). Interestingly enough, the rib is the only bone that can regenerate if removed to be used for repairing another bone. There goes that question of the difference between Adam and Eve, with Adam having one less rib. Besides, God closed it back up clothed it with skin.

(Genesis 2:21-25)
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Sin causes shame in nakedness so, since there was no sin yet, there was no shame-yet.

Everything Was Good

At some time during the Creation week, God had created the angelic realm, all of them good and all of them serving and worshipping God in Heaven, before His throne.

(Job 38:7)
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Those "morning stars" and "sons of God' were the angels.

(Ezekiel 28:13)
Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

(Ezekiel 28:14-15)
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

The iniquity found in the angel "Lucifer" was pride, arrogance, ego, self, wanting to be the I AM (God Himself)

(Isaiah 14:12-15)
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

(Luke 10:18)
And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

(Revelation 12:9)
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Then, the Bad News

Lucifer wanted to be top dog, full well knowing he was a created thing, standing before his Creator. So now, in disguise as a serpent, he entered the garden to deceive mankind, bringing the curse of sin into the perfect world for the first time.

(Genesis 3:1)
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

All he had to do is make the woman, Eve, doubt that she heard God correctly, to make her rethink this whole command. he did this by asking is all.

Eve, having received the command from Adam, got her response wrong, by adding to what God said,

(Genesis 3:2-3)
And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

It is never a good thing to add to God's Word, as the results showed and still show today. God never told Adam not to touch it at all, but rather not to eat it. He was, again, to dress and keep the garden, which means touching it.

Next, the enemy of mankind responds by adding one word to the mix, which changed all of history for man, because she believed the serpent and not God.

(Genesis 3:4-5)
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

(Genesis 3:6-7)
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Eve suffered from a universal problem in man today: The lust of they flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

(1 John 2:15)
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

The Trial

(Genesis 3:9-19)
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Sin and shame entered the world for the first time (Genesis 3:10)
This was coupled with irresponsibility, as in blaming all others
They tried to cover their sin, unsuccessfully (Genesis 3:7)e
God Himself confronted them, giving them an opportunity to confess (Genesis 3:9, 11)
Adam blamed Eve (Genesis 3:12)
Eve blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:13)
The serpent blamed no one, God never even asked his role as he was already fallen into sin previously, and was immediately cursed, sentenced, no confession, nothing-he was crushed at the Cross, forever, awaiting execution on death row, soon to be destroyed
The sin led to a death sentence, which then began for all of the Creation (Genesis 3:17)
The woman got death, plus pain in childbearing, but a promise of the Cross (Genesis 3:15)
The sin nature was passed down to all of mankind

The Act of Mercy: Expulsion From The Garden

(Genesis 3:21-24)
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them. And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

The first blood sacrifice of an innocent animal happens to clothe their sin, shame, nakedness (Genesis 3:21)
Man now knew what he wanted to know-evil, and that all too well
God mercifully did not let him remain in this fallen state forever by eating from the tree of life, so he expelled him, preventing from eating from that tree now (Genesis 3:22-23)

More Good News: The Promise of the Cross

All of the above is the reason for everything which happened after: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

(Genesis 3:15)
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

This means that the seed of the woman, Jesus Christ, through a long line from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel), the Jewish Messiah, would die (have His heel bruised), but be resurrected
This Messianic thread is woven though Scripture, from Genesis on to the Gospels, when Jesus came to earth
This further means that the enemy, the serpent, would also die a mortal, fatal blow to the head

The Path to The Cross

(Hosea 13:14)
I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

THROUGH JOSEPH'S GENEALOGY

(Luke 3:23)
And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, Which was the son of Maath, which was the son of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, Which was the son of Jesse, which was the son of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham, which was the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem, which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

The lineage of Jesus, Shiloh, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, through His earthly father Joseph, all of the way back to Adam, through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel), through Jesse and then David, who was also promised an eternal throne.

(Revelation 5:5)
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

(Genesis 49:9-10)
Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh (Jesus) come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Jesus, The Root and Offspring of Jesse, David

(Revelation 22:16)
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

(Isaiah 11:10)
And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

THROUGH MARY'S GENEALOGY

(Matthew 1:1-16)
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

The Throne of David

(2 Samuel 7:16)
And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
(1 Kings 9:5)
Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

Isaac, Child of Promise, Seed of the Woman

(Genesis 21:12)
And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

(Romans 9:7)
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

(Hebrews 11:18)
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

(Galatians 3:29)
And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The Seed of the Woman Destroys the Seed of the Serpent

(Colossians 2:15)
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

(2 Timothy 1:10)
But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

(Revelation 20:1-3)
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

(Revelation 20:10)
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

(Matthew 25:41)
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

(Romans 16:20)
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

We will be there to step on his head also!

What Jesus Christ did at His prophesied, foretold Death, Burial and Resurrection was to destroy all death, sin and the sting of the enemy. It is finished, the price is paid for our sins, and all we need to do now is believe on Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, Saviour, LORD and God. Then, upon death, we get to go to Heaven and be with Jesus!

What Does This Mean to Me?

The Gospel is eloquently given in long form for many chapters by Paul in Romans and, walking through it, one gets the entire Gospel given in just a few short verses, thoroughly in a manner some call, "Romans Road". Here is a gleaning of the basics:

The Indictment

(Romans 3:9-18)What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.