What Did Jesus Mean by "The Gospel"?

Most Christians understand the gospel to mean the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus—and the forgiveness of sins that flows from it. This message is precious, true, and central to the Christian faith.

But when we read the Gospels carefully, an important question emerges.

When Jesus and John the Baptist traveled from town to town proclaiming “the gospel,” they were not telling people that Jesus would soon die on a cross, rise again, and wash away sins. In fact, when the cross finally came, the disciples were shocked, afraid, and confused. They did not understand what was happening—even though they had been following Jesus for years.

This raises a simple and often overlooked question:What gospel was Jesus actually preaching before the cross?

Scripture gives us a consistent answer.

John the Baptist came proclaiming, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”Jesus began His ministry proclaiming the same message.Later, He sent out His disciples to preach—not His death—but the Kingdom.

The “good news” they announced was that the Kingdom of God was drawing near.

This makes sense historically. Israel had been waiting for centuries—not merely for forgiveness, but for the fulfillment of promises God had made long before. Promises to Abraham. Promises to David. Promises of restoration, deliverance, and life after long seasons of exile and loss.

When Jesus spoke of the Kingdom, He was speaking into that expectation.

This also explains why His teachings were filled with images of land, inheritance, vineyards, stewards, treasure, weddings, and return. These were not random illustrations. They were the language of promise—familiar to a people who knew the Scriptures and were waiting for God to act.

The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus would later reveal how this Kingdom would be secured. But before the cross, the message was simpler and more immediate:God’s long-awaited Kingdom was approaching.

Understanding this does not diminish the cross. It gives it context.

At Kingdom First, we begin here—by slowing down and listening carefully to what Jesus actually proclaimed before everything changed. From that starting point, the rest of the story begins to unfold with clarity and coherence. The Gospel of the Kingdom is not a replacement for the gospel we know.It is the foundation that helps us understand why Jesus came—and why His message mattered before the cross.