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Q: I have Protestant friends who often talk about the Gospel message; as Catholics, how do we explain what the Good News of Jesus is?
In last month’s column, we looked at the core of the Gospel—the kerygma—as the Church has always proclaimed it: God has done something decisive in Jesus Christ. He has saved us from the powers of sin, death and the devil, and saved us for divine life—as adopted sons and daughters of God. That’s the Good News in a nutshell.
But how did he do it?
Let’s continue unpacking the kerygma by walking through the heart of the proclamation: the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, who is both the Christ and Lord.
First, he lived. We often skip over Jesus’ life and jump straight to his death. But the fact that Jesus truly lived is part of the Good News.
Why? Because it tells us that Christianity isn’t myth or fable. Our faith is built on real events that happened in a specific time and place. Jesus was born into a real family in a small village. He lived a human life—ordinary in many ways—yet perfectly obedient to his Father. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) puts it beautifully: “The obedience of Christ in the daily routine of his hidden life was already inaugurating his work of restoring what the disobedience of Adam had destroyed” (532).
That means even the hidden, humble years of Jesus’ life matter—and so do ours. In his humanity, Jesus shows us that no part of life is insignificant. Even the mundane can be salvific.
Next, he died. Of course, Jesus’ death is the moment we most associate with salvation. And rightly so.
But consider how radical this really is: the Son of God, who had the power to calm storms and raise the dead, chose the Cross. He chose to suffer injustice, mockery and torture—to be nailed to a tree and die in agony. And why? For us. As St. Paul wrote, “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3).
What seemed like utter defeat—the Messiah dying a criminal’s death—was in fact victory. Jesus gave his life freely as a sacrifice for our sins. He became, in his own words, “a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45). And his burial confirms the reality of it all: This was no illusion or mere metaphor. He really died.
But the Cross isn’t the end of the story. As the early Christians proclaimed boldly: He is risen!
The Resurrection isn’t just a happy ending, it’s the turning point of history. Jesus rose bodily from the dead, not just in spirit. He ate with his disciples, showed them his wounds and walked among them. But his risen body was glorified—no longer bound by space or time.
The Resurrection proves everything: that Jesus is who he said he is, that his teachings are true, and that death no longer has the final word. As the catechism says, “The resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ” (CCC 638).
Because he rose, we will rise. Because he lives, we have hope. Not just for someday in the future, but starting now.
Finally, the kerygma tells us who this is who lived, died and rose: Jesus, whose name means “God saves.” That’s not just a title; it’s his identity and his mission. He is God’s saving action in person.
He is also the Christ—the long-awaited Messiah. In him, all of God’s promises to Israel are fulfilled. The entire Old Testament, from Abraham to David to the prophets, pointed forward to Jesus. He’s not a side note to the story of salvation—he’s the climax.
And he is Lord—a title that, in Scripture, belongs to God himself. To say “Jesus is Lord” is to proclaim that he is not just a holy teacher or inspired prophet—he is God, the one to whom every knee shall bend.
In the Roman Empire, people said, “Caesar is Lord.” For Christians, the proclamation was different: Jesus is Lord—not just of our hearts, but of the universe.
So what’s the takeaway?
The Gospel isn’t just a message about being nice or spiritual. It’s the announcement of something real and world-changing: that God became man, lived, died, rose again and now reigns—for us and for our salvation.
It’s not first a call to do something—it’s a call to acknowledge something, to recognize and accept as true the proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that through him, God has opened the door to forgiveness, freedom and divine life.
That’s the Good News Catholics proclaim. That’s the kerygma. And that’s the message we’re called not only to know, but to share—with joy.
