Starting from the pictures and symbols of the gospel, we can move naturally to the overarching gospel narrative that shapes the Bible.  All of scripture frames the good news of God’s determination to redeem his creation from sin and Satan.  The story begins with Genesis: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth”. 

When God created mankind in his image, he pronounced everything very good.  That didn’t last; sin soon corrupted mankind and all creation.  But God responded by taking action to begin the long process of redeeming creation from sin and Satan’s rule.  The Bible shows us that nothing will cause God to give up his new covenant desire “to be our God, and us his people”.

One helpful way of describing the gospel narrative is called the four-chapter gospel: Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration.

• Creation:  explains the way things were.
• Fall:  explains the way things are.
• Redemption:  shows us the way things could be.
• Restoration:  shows us the way things will be in the new covenant age.

The gospel narrative ends with God dwelling with his people:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

Revelation 21:3 NIV

That’s very good news.

The Gospel in a Nutshell

There are several concise statements of the gospel in scripture that serve as “the gospel in a nutshell”.  John 3:16 is probably the best-known verse in the Bible.

No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven – the Son of Man.  Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 3:13-17 NIV

Another “gospel in a nutshell” passage is found in the prologue to John and focuses on God’s plan to make his home with us and adopt us into his family.

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:12-14 NIV

In the next two summary statements of the gospel, watch for the phrases “in Christ”, “with Christ”, “through Christ”, and “in him”.  The most extraordinary blessings God wants to give us depend on our relationship with Christ.

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.  So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.  When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision – the cutting away of your sinful nature.  For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.  You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.  He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.  In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Colossians 2:9-15 NLT               

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.  With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment – to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.  In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:4-14 NIV

These last “gospel in a nutshell” passages use the phrase “in Christ” or “in him” over and over.  We can’t read them without wondering, What exactly does Paul mean by “in Christ”?