One basic stands out above the others though. The word gospel is used twice in this lesson. This may be the first time it was used in referring to Christ's person and work. Our most basic question is, "What is the gospel?"
1. The gospel is Christ. Without him there would be no Christian gospel. Only because he came--of his own initiative--could Mark write a book called a Gospel. The gospel is something given--a gift--and not something that we either gain by climbing a ladder or do by accomplishing good things.
2. The gospel announces a radical change in the balance of power which prevails in the world. It was Satan who tempted Jesus (v.13). Satan personifies the super-human powers of evil. The world is an arena of battle in which forces hostile to God are extremely powerful. Jesus is engaged in a struggle with these forces. As God's son, Christ is the one who wins the victory over the powers of evil.
3. Another aspect of the gospel which Mark has to mention immediately because it is so basic: repentance and forgiveness. Jesus was the one who could, did, and does forgive. Only the gospel offers and gives forgiveness of sins!
4. There is another aspect of the gospel--faith. "Believe in the gospel" (1:15). The Spirit gives belief/faith as a gift, which allows us to realize our sinful nature and need to be saved. As a free gift, faith enables us to cling to Jesus as the Savior.
5. Among several other aspects of the gospel, one more should be stressed: the presence of the Spirit at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. "The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness," Mark says (v. 12). The Spirit is as essential to the gospel as Jesus Christ is--for without the Spirit we cannot call Jesus Lord. This may be the most overlooked aspect of the gospel in our traditional churches. But we may again be discovering how vital the Holy Spirit is in bringing us to faith.
Luther had it all together when he summarized the church's position and his own in the single statement, "The Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel" (the explanation of the Third Article in the Small Catechism).