What is the 'good news'?

The term "good news" is often used by Christians in reference to their faith. Good news is at the heart of Christianity, and it has both symbolic and literal meaning in reference to the New Testament.

According to the online biblical reference Bible Odyssey, "good news" is the literal translation of the Greek word "euangelion." It also can be interchanged with gospel, which is "good spiel" or "godspel," which means good news. New Testament authors offer that the good news means the salvation and liberation from sin and estrangement from God.

The Apostle Paul summarized the gospel, and in turn the good news, in this way:

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve.

Christians believe Christ's death symbolizes the ultimate sacrifice and paved the way for Jesus' resurrection. The death and resurrection - proving that their would be life after death for the faithful - became the core tenet of the Christian faith. Everyone who accepts the gospel and has faith in God will receive salvation in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Easter celebrations are important to Christians because this holiday is the most meaningful on the liturgical calendar. Easter highlights the good news in its most potent form.