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Good News: The Gospel of Jesus Christ
Everything the Bible has to say about the gospel is simply an exposition of its central Jesus Christ lived and died to save sinners. The gospel is about Him, and it answers Jesus’ key “Who do you say that I am?” It is good news. In Good The Gospel of Jesus Christ , Dr. John MacArthur examines the Bible’s revelation of Christ and encourages Christians with the vast implications of all that Christ accomplished for them. This is a book to rekindle love and awe for the Savior.
148 pages, Hardcover
Published January 16, 2018
79 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
About the author
John F. MacArthur Jr.
1,344 books1,934 followersJohn F. MacArthur, Jr. was a United States Calvinistic evangelical writer and minister, noted for his radio program entitled Grace to You and as the editor of the Gold Medallion Book Award-winning MacArthur Study Bible. MacArthur was a fifth-generation pastor, a popular author and conference speaker, and served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California beginning in 1969, as well as President of The Master’s College (and the related Master’s Seminary) in Santa Clarita, California.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 13, 2024
Talks about the gospel message and who Christ is. Why it had to be Him, what He did on the cross, why He had to die. It also touches upon justification and sanctification and how both are works of Christ. “He is the source of our pardon and our purification.” It’s truly Good News. Heheh
Reflections/ things I’ve learned:
- God is sovereign. He has been and still is in control.
-There is perseverance of the saints. If we truly belong to Christ, He will be with us and we with Him for all of eternity.
- We are called to share the gospel to the people around us and there needs to be a hearing of the gospel for someone to be saved.
- The gospel is good news. The most powerful thing you can say to a sinner is that God will forgive you of your sins. If that doesn’t interest people, you can’t convince them with intellectual arguments.
-By attempting to redefine “head” and strip men of their authority, you are essentially stripping Christ of His authority. (Ephesians 5:23).
Quotes that I’ve liked or stood out to me:
- “It was not Judas’ betrayal, the chief priests’ plot, Pilate’s indifference, or even Satan’s schemes that ultimately put Christ on the cross. It was God’s plan all along. Why? because someone has to take the place of sinners”
- “The message of the gospel is the message of reconciliation.”
- “Simply sparing the unrepentant men and women from the due penalty of their sin -even temporarily- is an act of unfathomable kindness from God and evidence of His gracious, saving nature”
- “Christ treated Christ on the cross as if He had lived my life, so He could treat me as if I had live His life. That’s the beautiful glory of the gospel. God sees us covered with the righteousness of the gospel.”
Reflections/ things I’ve learned:
- God is sovereign. He has been and still is in control.
-There is perseverance of the saints. If we truly belong to Christ, He will be with us and we with Him for all of eternity.
- We are called to share the gospel to the people around us and there needs to be a hearing of the gospel for someone to be saved.
- The gospel is good news. The most powerful thing you can say to a sinner is that God will forgive you of your sins. If that doesn’t interest people, you can’t convince them with intellectual arguments.
-By attempting to redefine “head” and strip men of their authority, you are essentially stripping Christ of His authority. (Ephesians 5:23).
Quotes that I’ve liked or stood out to me:
- “It was not Judas’ betrayal, the chief priests’ plot, Pilate’s indifference, or even Satan’s schemes that ultimately put Christ on the cross. It was God’s plan all along. Why? because someone has to take the place of sinners”
- “The message of the gospel is the message of reconciliation.”
- “Simply sparing the unrepentant men and women from the due penalty of their sin -even temporarily- is an act of unfathomable kindness from God and evidence of His gracious, saving nature”
- “Christ treated Christ on the cross as if He had lived my life, so He could treat me as if I had live His life. That’s the beautiful glory of the gospel. God sees us covered with the righteousness of the gospel.”
May 18, 2018
Good News was a great read. It held a lot of truth and yet was easy to read. Probably one of the easier reads by MacArthur that I read. I liked the personal stories of witnessing that he shared and also that he wasn't afraid to call out certain things (like how people might say "I'm saved and forgiven", but they leave out saying saved from sin and forgiven by Christ).
All in all, I recommend it and look forward to reading more of MacArthur's books. I have a few more on my TBR pile.
*I received a complimentary eBook copy of this book for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
All in all, I recommend it and look forward to reading more of MacArthur's books. I have a few more on my TBR pile.
*I received a complimentary eBook copy of this book for my honest review. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
October 28, 2025
A fantastic read for all believers, especially for believers recently saved. Very much gospel 101 and straightforward. The last chapter about Jesus being the head of the church was great with lots of good quotes from Spurgeon.
March 18, 2021
Next to the Bible, the most influential book I’ve ever read is likely Mortimer J. Adler’s “How to Read a Book”. Because of that book, if I’m going to read classic literature, I always watch the movie first. Because of that book, I approach different genres with different methods. Because of that book, I also always read the cover (back, front, and sleeves!) and anything that comes before the first chapter, even the year a book was published. Why tell you this? Because this book had no sections of thanks, no preface, no introduction, and I think this greatly affected the scope and sequence of this book. Between the subtitle, chapter titles, short description, and two recommendations, I thought this book was going to be about Jesus’ role in salvation. It is not. Well, not the focus. It really doesn’t feel like this has a focus. It feels like a couple of chapters strewn together. I don’t know if MacArthur just hadn’t had a book published in a while and he had to meet a quota (this was copyrighted 2018) or someone pointed out to him he doesn’t have a book about the gospel, but this definitely seems pieced together. It might even just be a few of his sermons edited together. But all the harsh criticism aside, each individual chapter was good. They were insightful and the last few were full of interesting stories. It has a 3 stars because of the layout, not necessarily for the content.
November 23, 2021
This was bought for a group study I attend. This volume frustrated me in the same way MacArthur's books usually do. Each book I read frustrates me more than the last. He is so simplistic and ideological, he often misses the key point or heart of a passage. Especially stories. He treats a story as didactic teaching.
MacArthur seems so focused on ideological points that his rationalistic reductionism skews biblical passages to meet that need. One chapter is a diatribe on other religions and their universally condemnable character. It appears he has never actually had any interaction with devotees from another cultural setting. He easily dismisses the possibility of God’s working in any context other than the narrow historical cultural stream of the Hebrews.
This ignores the great prophetic tradition also celebrated in, for example, the powerful poetic proclamation of the biblical prophet Amos (Amos 9:7) declaring that Israel is no better than the other people God brought from the previous places where they used to live to the places where they then lived near the Hebrews. (See also Psalm 47:8.) It seems very odd that a Calvinist, who declares that God in fact predestines everything, would have so limited a concept of sovereignty that God could be understood to work in only one single cultural tradition in one genetic lineage in the whole history of the human race. The prophets declare otherwise, and Jewish scholars so declare also.
Sadly, MacArthur ignores the biblical declaration that God created and is still superintending the whole of the one human race we know today and is still free, indeed, to work out his own sovereign relationship and relation to any and all the ethnic groups of the world no matter how distantly removed from the mideastern-European stream of history. As Paul explains in his introduction to Romans, God has made himself known through all the cultures of the world’s nations.
MacArthur concludes this means they have been given only enough “light” to condemn them, and not enough light to enable response to the One True and Living God. How ironic, for a line of theology that declares that God is fully and totally sovereign over history. He belittles and dismisses relational missionary outreach methods that attempt to find insights in any people’s culture and religion that may provide a contact point through which the Living God revealed in Jesus Christ may be presented.
He lambastes Christian evangelists and theologians of other cultures like Indian Christian theologian Raymond Pannikar who points out many parallels in Indian worldview that can be used as a reference to positively declare the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. MacArthur sounds like the Judaizers that Paul the Apostle opposes, who want to make non-Jews come to Jesus only through the Jewish history and identity.
Paul presents God as fully sovereign before all the nations to meet people and call them directly wherever they are into life in Christ. MacArthur prefers to hold God himself captive from his own sovereign will among the nations, reducing God’s work to MacArthur’s ideological limitations. This book is way short of what he should be able to produce. The Good News of God's Kingdom is so much greater than MacArthur's ideology allows!
This book is way short of what someone of his age and experience should be able to produce. I cannot recommend this book.
MacArthur seems so focused on ideological points that his rationalistic reductionism skews biblical passages to meet that need. One chapter is a diatribe on other religions and their universally condemnable character. It appears he has never actually had any interaction with devotees from another cultural setting. He easily dismisses the possibility of God’s working in any context other than the narrow historical cultural stream of the Hebrews.
This ignores the great prophetic tradition also celebrated in, for example, the powerful poetic proclamation of the biblical prophet Amos (Amos 9:7) declaring that Israel is no better than the other people God brought from the previous places where they used to live to the places where they then lived near the Hebrews. (See also Psalm 47:8.) It seems very odd that a Calvinist, who declares that God in fact predestines everything, would have so limited a concept of sovereignty that God could be understood to work in only one single cultural tradition in one genetic lineage in the whole history of the human race. The prophets declare otherwise, and Jewish scholars so declare also.
Sadly, MacArthur ignores the biblical declaration that God created and is still superintending the whole of the one human race we know today and is still free, indeed, to work out his own sovereign relationship and relation to any and all the ethnic groups of the world no matter how distantly removed from the mideastern-European stream of history. As Paul explains in his introduction to Romans, God has made himself known through all the cultures of the world’s nations.
MacArthur concludes this means they have been given only enough “light” to condemn them, and not enough light to enable response to the One True and Living God. How ironic, for a line of theology that declares that God is fully and totally sovereign over history. He belittles and dismisses relational missionary outreach methods that attempt to find insights in any people’s culture and religion that may provide a contact point through which the Living God revealed in Jesus Christ may be presented.
He lambastes Christian evangelists and theologians of other cultures like Indian Christian theologian Raymond Pannikar who points out many parallels in Indian worldview that can be used as a reference to positively declare the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. MacArthur sounds like the Judaizers that Paul the Apostle opposes, who want to make non-Jews come to Jesus only through the Jewish history and identity.
Paul presents God as fully sovereign before all the nations to meet people and call them directly wherever they are into life in Christ. MacArthur prefers to hold God himself captive from his own sovereign will among the nations, reducing God’s work to MacArthur’s ideological limitations. This book is way short of what he should be able to produce. The Good News of God's Kingdom is so much greater than MacArthur's ideology allows!
This book is way short of what someone of his age and experience should be able to produce. I cannot recommend this book.
January 25, 2018
First sentence: Who is Jesus? It’s a very basic question, but one that many struggle to answer. Virtually all the world’s religions and philosophies attempt to identify Him: as a gentle prophet, a faithful wise man, a spiritual teacher, or a social revolutionary ahead of His time. Others position Him as a sorcerer or a demigod, with access to supernatural power but subordinate to a greater divine overseer. Still others skirt the biblical accounts, treating Jesus as a great man whose legend has grown through myth and folklore—almost like a first-century Paul Bunyan.
Does the world need another book about the gospel of Jesus Christ? The good news never loses relevancy; it is ever-true. The lost of the world need to hear the good news just as much as they ever did. The truth is, however, that the lost of the church need to hear the good news too. And that is, in part, what this one is about: Recovering the good news for the church itself, or, distinguishing the true good news from various false gospels that are abundant.
This one has six chapters: "Jesus is the Messiah," "Jesus is Holy," "Jesus is the Only Way," "Jesus is the Redeemer," "Jesus is Righteous," and "Jesus is the Head of the Church." All the chapters address the question first asked: Who is Jesus? Answering that question correctly is a matter of life and death, and that is no exaggeration.
The book is concise and clear, though not without potential to offend. The truth is the good news of Jesus Christ is by its very nature offensive to the soul(s) that are perishing. The truth should be proclaimed, but proclaimed with love and in love. Those that have received the good news--been transformed by the good news--should be eager--zealous--to share the good news. MacArthur argues that there is no such thing as private faith.
I would also say the book is thought-provoking. The gospel should make you think, reflect, consider, reconsider. The gospel should not be taken for granted, put aside, seen as simple or childish.
Does the world need another book about the gospel of Jesus Christ? The good news never loses relevancy; it is ever-true. The lost of the world need to hear the good news just as much as they ever did. The truth is, however, that the lost of the church need to hear the good news too. And that is, in part, what this one is about: Recovering the good news for the church itself, or, distinguishing the true good news from various false gospels that are abundant.
This one has six chapters: "Jesus is the Messiah," "Jesus is Holy," "Jesus is the Only Way," "Jesus is the Redeemer," "Jesus is Righteous," and "Jesus is the Head of the Church." All the chapters address the question first asked: Who is Jesus? Answering that question correctly is a matter of life and death, and that is no exaggeration.
The book is concise and clear, though not without potential to offend. The truth is the good news of Jesus Christ is by its very nature offensive to the soul(s) that are perishing. The truth should be proclaimed, but proclaimed with love and in love. Those that have received the good news--been transformed by the good news--should be eager--zealous--to share the good news. MacArthur argues that there is no such thing as private faith.
I would also say the book is thought-provoking. The gospel should make you think, reflect, consider, reconsider. The gospel should not be taken for granted, put aside, seen as simple or childish.
September 9, 2021
Next to the Bible, the most influential book I’ve ever read is likely Mortimer J. Adler’s “How to Read a Book”. Because of that book, if I’m going to read classic literature, I always watch the movie first. Because of that book, I approach different genres with different methods. Because of that book, I also always read the cover (back, front, and sleeves!) and anything that comes before the first chapter, even the year a book was published. Why tell you this? Because this book had no sections of thanks, no preface, no introduction, and I think this greatly affected the scope and sequence of this book. Between the subtitle, chapter titles, short description, and two recommendations, I thought this book was going to be about Jesus’ role in salvation. It is not. Well, not the focus. It really doesn’t feel like this has a focus. It feels like a couple of chapters strewn together. I don’t know if MacArthur just hadn’t had a book published in a while and he had to meet a quota (this was copyrighted 2018) or someone pointed out to him he doesn’t have a book about the gospel, but this definitely seems pieced together. It might even just be a few of his sermons edited together. But all the harsh criticism aside, each individual chapter was good. They were insightful and the last few were full of interesting stories. It has a 3 stars because of the layout, not necessarily for the content.
January 9, 2019
John MacArthur's Good News is kind of a mixed bag. I've read several of MacArthur's books and usually quite enjoyed them. There is always some good content, but recently MacArthur's writing has occasionally begun to feel more like ranting than it used to. Each chapter of this book dealt with a different passage of Scripture and examined the theme of the Gospel from that passage. Some of these studies were quite helpful and thought-provoking, others less so. Also, though MacArthur has never been shy about his Calvinism, I was not a fan of a section of the book advocating for limited atonement as the only biblical position. Altogether, while not a bad book, this wasn't great either. There are better MacArthur books out there, as well as better books about the Gospel.
I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are entirely my own.
I received a digital copy of this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I express in this review are entirely my own.
March 24, 2019
I bought this book with high expectations. What could be said in a book of this title and subject matter that could go wrong? I am a follower of Christ, Roman Catholic, and was hurt by the words to describe my faith and traditions. Many men of all churches have made monumental mistakes but to spend pages upon pages of misunderstandings and lashings is not what this book was supposed to be about. How can a man preaching holiness spew such anger towards other followers of Christ. For a learned and devout man I found this book to be nothing like the title.
January 30, 2018
It took me a minute to decide how to start this review...Good News is not like anything I've read before. At first, I thought the guy was just dissing on tv preachers and certain religions but when he backed up those comments with scripture I realized the author was correct in calling them false gospels. I then thought about how much the church has changed its beliefs over the years and just how watered down the message of the Good News is becoming.
We must speak the truth to the lost, tell them they are in danger of hell no matter the good they do, there is only one way to Heaven and that's through Jesus Christ. This is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
We must speak the truth to the lost, tell them they are in danger of hell no matter the good they do, there is only one way to Heaven and that's through Jesus Christ. This is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2018
Any book by John MacArthur is well researched, written and factually presented. This book presents a strong, factual, doctrinal foundation for the Gospel - the most important facet of our Christian faith, and one that should govern everything we do. This book also harkens the call to the modern church to return to a passionate and relevant love for Jesus as the one way, our holy Messiah, the righteous Redeemer and the head of the church. A convicting read as well as an encouraging one!
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review.
January 10, 2023
This is an excellent book! It recounted the biblical account of the gospel of Jesus Christ; proving that Jesus is the promised messiah, the Holy One, the only way to salvation, the redeemer who purchased our salvation with his own blood, the sinless, righteous one, and the one, true head of the Church.
A lot of what constitutes gospel-ministry today has little to do with pointing people to Christ and more to do with enjoying a good life. This book is a reminder that the gospel is not about me, but about Jesus.
A lot of what constitutes gospel-ministry today has little to do with pointing people to Christ and more to do with enjoying a good life. This book is a reminder that the gospel is not about me, but about Jesus.
November 20, 2023
Awesome book for all Christians ,young and old
This is a foundational book that clearly explains Christianity. All Christians would do well to read this to affirm their belief. Read a chapter a night and let it sink in!
This is a foundational book that clearly explains Christianity. All Christians would do well to read this to affirm their belief. Read a chapter a night and let it sink in!
April 29, 2018
A deeper understanding of Jesus's lordship.
What a blessing it is to have this man of God teaching us truth about, "the way, the truth and the life".
What a blessing it is to have this man of God teaching us truth about, "the way, the truth and the life".
May 6, 2018
Well written and concise.
May 23, 2018
Great book. Really bringing the Gospel back to the basics and understanding that we stand on Christ and nothing else.
May 28, 2021
A thorough treatise on the person, work, & Lordship of Jesus Christ.
October 28, 2018
In this book about Jesus Christ and the Gospel, from one of our most respected pastors and authors, John MacArthur tells us that a right understanding of Jesus Christ is essential to understanding many other vital truths, particularly the gospel and salvation. He tells us that there is no good news apart from Christ, and how we answer the question “Who is Jesus?” has significant and ultimately permanent consequences. The right answer alone can lead to salvation.
The author addresses that there are even those who identify themselves as evangelicals that teach that there is more than one way to get to Heaven. He tells us that today the word evangelical is so ambiguous that it doesn’t really mean anything. A high percentage (between 45 and 65 percent of so-called evangelical Christians), are convinced that Jesus is not the only way to heaven. He writes that a “radically abridged and ambiguous view” of the gospel has captivated the church today. But there is no “back door” to heaven. If we don’t know the true God and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we will suffer the fury of God. Jesus made it clear to people that they needed to repent and believe.
In this short book comprised of six chapters that could have originally been delivered as sermons, he addresses such topics as Jesus’ glory and holiness (from John’s vision in the first chapter of Revelation), sin being an offense to God, the forgiveness of sins, evangelism, justification and sanctification, headship, and the authority of Christ.
He writes that 2 Corinthians 5:21 sums up the entire gospel and God’s ministry of reconciliation. He tells us that God treated Christ on the cross as if He had lived our life, so that He could treat us as if we had lived His life. That’s the beautiful glory of the gospel.
He writes about the difference between justification and sanctification. He tells us “Justification is instantaneous, while sanctification is a process that will continue throughout the life of the believer. Justification is a formal decree from God that our guilt has been wiped away and we’ve been declared righteous in Christ. Sanctification is the process of actually growing in righteousness. It’s the living out of the transformation that God has already worked in us.”
The author, long one of my favorites, is known for his defense of the Gospel and the Scriptures. This book is clearly written and easy to understand. It would be a good one to read and discuss with new believers.
The author addresses that there are even those who identify themselves as evangelicals that teach that there is more than one way to get to Heaven. He tells us that today the word evangelical is so ambiguous that it doesn’t really mean anything. A high percentage (between 45 and 65 percent of so-called evangelical Christians), are convinced that Jesus is not the only way to heaven. He writes that a “radically abridged and ambiguous view” of the gospel has captivated the church today. But there is no “back door” to heaven. If we don’t know the true God and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we will suffer the fury of God. Jesus made it clear to people that they needed to repent and believe.
In this short book comprised of six chapters that could have originally been delivered as sermons, he addresses such topics as Jesus’ glory and holiness (from John’s vision in the first chapter of Revelation), sin being an offense to God, the forgiveness of sins, evangelism, justification and sanctification, headship, and the authority of Christ.
He writes that 2 Corinthians 5:21 sums up the entire gospel and God’s ministry of reconciliation. He tells us that God treated Christ on the cross as if He had lived our life, so that He could treat us as if we had lived His life. That’s the beautiful glory of the gospel.
He writes about the difference between justification and sanctification. He tells us “Justification is instantaneous, while sanctification is a process that will continue throughout the life of the believer. Justification is a formal decree from God that our guilt has been wiped away and we’ve been declared righteous in Christ. Sanctification is the process of actually growing in righteousness. It’s the living out of the transformation that God has already worked in us.”
The author, long one of my favorites, is known for his defense of the Gospel and the Scriptures. This book is clearly written and easy to understand. It would be a good one to read and discuss with new believers.
December 26, 2021
La historia nos muestra cómo a través de los años se ha buscado cambiar la verdad y la posición de Cristo. Buenas nuevas hace un estudio bíblico sobre Jesús (el Mesías, santo, el único camino, el Redentor, justo y cabeza de la iglesia); descubre falsas teologías que buscan quitar toda reverencia al nombre y obra de Cristo, pero también anima, a los que creen en Su nombre, en todo lo que implicó su venida: reconciliación, perdón, justificación ... Muy buenas nuevas.
October 1, 2018
I love the writings of John MacArthur—and this book is no exception. No matter what topic he writes about, the reader can always be sure that it will be clearly written to be easily understood. Terms that may not be familiar to the reader are also clearly explained to be sure no one gets “lost” in the terminology. Great job!
April 30, 2023
I went into this thinking, “oh it’s just the basics of who Jesus is and I probably already know everything in here. I’ll regift it when I’m done.” Boy was I wrong. This went way deeper into each aspect of who Jesus is. That big towards the end about the reformation and why it was so important was very interesting and inspiring.
May 3, 2023
4.5 stars
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