Many believe that the Gospel of Mark was the earliest of the four Gospels. If so, it brought a new definition to a word that had been familiar to the entire Greek-speaking world. The Gospel of Mark begins, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” The word “Gospel” literally means “good news.” The word was well known at the time and represented a headline, of sorts, that proclaimed something that changed the lives of people for the better. “In 9 b.c., within a decade of Jesus’ birth, the birthday of Caesar Augustus (63 b.c.–a.d. 14) was hailed as euangelion.  Since he was hailed as a god, Augustus’s ‘birthday signaled the beginning of Good News for the world.’ In the Greco-Roman world, the word always appears in the plural, meaning one good tiding among others; but in the New, Testament euangelion appears only in the singular: the good news of God in Jesus Christ, beside which there is no other.”[1] Mark is aware of the difference between ordinary good news and the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark is not speaking of “any” good news, but of “The” Good News” about Jesus.”

Mark has in mind the Good News that Isaiah spoke about in Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” Mark also has in mind Isaiah’s words in Isaiah 61:1, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” From Mark writing back in the first century up to today, the word “Gospel” refers only to the good news recorded in the first four books of the New Testament.

From that day to our day, there have been literally millions of people who have heard this “Gospel” of Jesus Christ and they all agree with The Reverend Dr. James Cleveland (December 5, 1931 – February 9, 1991). He was a gospel singer, arranger, composer and, most significantly, the driving force behind the creation of the modern gospel sound, bringing the stylistic daring of hard gospel and jazz and pop music influences to arrangements for mass choirs. He is known as the King of Gospel music. He wrote,

“If anyone should ever write, my life story
For whatever reason there might be
One day, I was lost but Jesus found me

Jesus is the best thing that ever happened
Jesus is the best thing that ever happened
Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me

If anyone should ever write, my life story
For whatever reason there might be
I was on my way to hell, but Jesus lifted me

Jesus is the best thing that ever happened
Jesus is the best thing that ever happened
Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me

[1] Edwards, James R. 2002. The Gospel according to Mark. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.