✨ What Is the “Good News” According to Jesus?
The “Good News” is often referred to as The Gospel—and in its simplest form, it’s this:
God’s Kingdom is here, and Jesus is the King who saves.
This is a life-changing message. The Kingdom of God is offered freely to anyone who repents and believes in the One who:
- Forgives sin
- Heals hearts
- Delivers from bondage
- Grants eternal life
📣 1. The Kingdom of God Is at Hand
At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus declared:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
— Mark 1:15
This proclamation fulfilled Messianic prophecy foretold in Isaiah 61. When Jesus stood up in the synagogue in Nazareth, He read the words of Isaiah and publicly revealed His mission:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me… to proclaim good news to the poor…”
— Luke 4:16–21
He closed the scroll and said:
“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus identified Himself as the fulfillment of Isaiah 61:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners.”**
— Isaiah 61:1
🕊️ The Mission of the Messiah — Isaiah 61 Broken Down
📌 1. “To proclaim good news to the poor”
In Hebrew/Aramaic, “poor” refers to:
- The afflicted, humble, or meek
- The oppressed, vulnerable, and spiritually dependent
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
— Matthew 5:3
Jesus offers salvation to those who are spiritually lacking, desperate, or humbled—those who know they need rescue.
❤️ 2. “To bind up the brokenhearted”
- “Bind up” = to heal, wrap, or care for like a physician
- “Brokenhearted” = those emotionally or spiritually crushed by pain, grief, shame, or trauma
Jesus doesn’t just forgive—He restores hearts.
🔓 3. “To proclaim freedom for the captives”
- “Proclaim” = announce with royal authority
- “Captives” = those enslaved—by sin, fear, addiction, guilt, legalism, or demonic oppression
“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
— John 8:36
Jesus came to break spiritual chains and lead people into freedom.
🌅 4. “Release from darkness for the prisoners”
- “Darkness” = spiritual blindness, despair, lies, demonic bondage
- “Prisoners” = those trapped in deep hopelessness or sin
“To open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon,
and those who dwell in darkness from the prison.”
— Isaiah 42:7
Jesus brings people into the light, exposing lies and offering true peace.
🔁 The Heart of the Gospel: Restoration
Jesus came to:
- Heal the wounded
- Free the enslaved
- Rescue the trapped
- Restore the broken
- Shine light in the darkest places
This is the heart of the Gospel: it’s not just about forgiveness—it’s about total restoration for those who choose to repent and believe in His message.
So what did Jesus really mean by repent and believe?
🔁 “Repent” – Greek: μετανοεῖτε (metanoeite)
- Root word: metanoeō (μετανοέω)
- Meaning:
- From meta- (change) + noeō (to think, perceive, understand)
- Literally: “to change one’s mind or way of thinking”
- In biblical context: A change of mind and heart that leads to a change in direction—turning away from sin and toward God.
- Usage by Jesus: Not just about feeling sorry, but a radical reorientation of life in light of God’s kingdom.
🔍 So “repent” means:
To change your heart and mind. This is done internally by thinking and coming to an understanding of the situation, so you can perceive it differently – through God’s eyes with His help. When this happens your heart will start to change, you start to trust and sin will start to lose its grip on you.
🙏 “Believe” – Greek: πιστεύετε (pisteuete)
- Root word: pisteuō (πιστεύω)
- Meaning:
- To believe, to have faith, to trust.
- It implies active trust or personal reliance, not just intellectual agreement.
- In context: To put your trust in Jesus and the good news of the Kingdom.
- Used frequently by Jesus when healing, forgiving, and inviting people into relationship with God.
🔍 So “believe” means:
Place your trust, loyalty, and confidence in the message of the Gospel—and in Jesus Himself.
🧠 Putting It Together – Mark 1:15 in plain English:
“Now is the time—God’s rule is breaking into the world. Change your heart and mind (repent), and put your trust (believe) in this good news!”
✝️ True Surrender and the Power of Jesus to Transform
Jesus does not simply ask us to “try harder” to stop sinning. The truth is, we cannot overcome sin in our own strength. What He desires is a genuine, heartfelt repentance—a turning of the heart that leads us to fully surrender, entrusting our life and decisions into His hands on a daily basis.
When we do this, Jesus promises to live within us through His Spirit. He works from the inside out—transforming our thoughts, our motives, and our hearts. As He does, things that once seemed like immovable mountains begin to shift.
“If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”
— Matthew 17:20 (NKJV)
This isn’t metaphorical alone—it’s spiritual reality. Jesus is teaching that the smallest amount of true, surrendered faith can invite His power to bring about miraculous change.
🌿 The Kingdom Within
True transformation doesn’t come from external efforts—it flows from the Kingdom of God planted within us by His Spirit.
“The kingdom of God is within you.”
— Luke 17:21 (KJV)
This is the mystery and the promise: When we surrender, God’s rule begins within our hearts—shaping how we think, choose, speak, and love.
🕊️ Jesus Lives Within Us
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
— John 14:23 (NKJV)
Jesus is not asking for outward religion—He’s offering an indwelling relationship, where He abides in us, changes us, and produces His life through ours.
❤️ Why Surrender Matters
Surrendering your life to something or someone is not easy. It is the narrow path that Jesus spoke of—one that few find. And that’s why He urges us to search and seek Him. Because those who seek will ultimately discover two unshakable truths:
- We are in serious trouble without Him. Our sin nature leads us down a path of destruction, and time only makes this more evident.
- God’s nature is unimaginably good. Words cannot fully express the beauty, mercy, and power of the triune God.
Once you come to understand these two realities, it becomes a joy—not a burden—to surrender your life to Him daily.
🚫 Understanding Sin
Sin is not just breaking rules—it’s living independently of God, making choices apart from His will. It is trusting in yourself instead of trusting in Him. Sin is deceptive and subtle. It may not seem harmful at first, but over time, it leads to darkness, regret, and ultimately, death.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
— Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV)
That’s why Jesus gave us the greatest commandment:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”
— Matthew 22:37 (NKJV)
And He said:
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
— John 14:15 (NKJV)
Because true love for Jesus results in trust, surrender, and obedience—not out of fear, but out of a heart transformed by His presence within.