Incarnation

Roman Catholics believe that Jesus is God made man. This is known as the incarnation. This is a central Catholic belief.

Incarnation quote

'The name ‘Jesus’ signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of the Son, made man…' [CCC 432]

Fully human and fully divine

Jesus is the second person of the Trinity, God the Son, but born of a human mother, Mary.
This was achieved by the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was both fully human and fully divine, so he could feel what humans feel.
Because Jesus is God, his teachings are believed to come from God.
Because he is God, the sacrifice of his life at his crucifixion is seen as an act of atonement (the reconciliation of God and humanity by making amends for wrongdoing) that takes away people’s sins.

Jesus' fathers

God the Father is the father of Jesus, and Joseph is looked upon as Jesus’ foster father.

Jesus' death

After his death and resurrection, Christians believed that Jesus ascended back to heaven to sit at God the Father’s right hand.
His resurrection is seen as proof of his divine nature and also that there is life after death.

God Made Man in the Bible

Here are a few instances in the Bible where Jesus is referred to as God the Son (and so God made man):

The prophets' forewarning

The Prophets are believed to have foretold the coming of Jesus as both Mighty God and Prince of Peace, but also as a suffering servant bringing people release from their sins.
- This can be seen in Isaiah 9:6 and Isaiah 53.

Mother Mary

God the Father sent the Angel Gabriel to tell Mary she would conceive the Son of God (Luke 1:36), and also confirmed Jesus as his son at the baptism (Luke 3:21-22) and at the Transfiguration (Luke 9:34-36).

Jesus to his apostles

Jesus is also believed to have told his apostles he was the Son of God (Matthew 16:15-17).

Jesus the Logos

In Christian theology, Jesus is often referred to as the Logos, which is Greek for ‘word’. Here is an example:

'Word became flesh'

Just as Jesus spoke the word of God in his earthly ministry, he is believed to be the Word spoken by God in the act of creation.
This is stated by St John at the start of his Gospel (John 1).
- ‘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 1:14 NIV]
Because Jesus is the Word of God, he always speaks the truth.

1Buddhism

2Christianity

2.1Key Beliefs

2.1.1The Nature of God

2.1.2The Problem of Evil

2.1.3Monotheism

2.1.4Creation

2.1.5Bible Accounts of Creation

2.1.6The Trinity and Creation

2.1.7Afterlife

2.1.8Heaven and Hell

2.1.9The Influence of Afterlife on Life

2.1.10End of Topic Test - Christianity Key Beliefs

2.1.11Exam-Style Questions - Christian Beliefs

2.2Jesus Christ & Salvation

2.2.1The Incarnation

2.2.2Jesus - Divine & Human

2.2.3The Crucifixion

2.2.4Jesus' Betrayal

2.2.5Resurrection & Ascension

2.2.6Sin

2.2.7Original Sin

2.2.8Punishment

2.2.9The Means of Salvation

2.2.10Achieving Salvation

2.2.11Disagreements About Salvation

2.2.12The Role of Christ in Salvation

2.2.13Theories of Salvation

2.2.14End of Topic Test - Jesus Christ & Salvation

2.3Worship & Festivals

2.3.1Different Forms of Worship

2.3.2Prayer

2.3.3Sacrament

2.3.4Baptism

2.3.5Other Sacraments

2.3.6Eucharist

2.3.7Pilgrimage & Celebrations

2.3.8Christmas & Easter

2.3.9End of Topic Test - Worship and Festivals

2.4Community

2.4.1Local Community

2.4.2Mission, Evangelism & Church Growth

2.4.3Worldwide Church

2.4.4Reconciliation

2.4.5Persecution

2.4.6Caring for Those in Need

2.4.7End of Topic Test - Community

2.4.8Exam-Style Questions - Christian Practices

3Catholicism (Christianity)

4Islam

5Judaism

Jump to other topics