Jesus as God

- Incarnation shows how God was ready to experience being a human to show his love for us, this helps
us value God’s love.
- Lukes's account: Focuses on MARY, and how she was told she would receive Jesus by Mary, by the
power of the holy spirit. It also shows that Mary had free will and Gabriels's message shows God
fulfilling his promises.
- Matthews Account focuses on JOSEPH and how he planned to break up with Mary until an angel visited
him and told him it was right to marry Mary. He was convinced by the Holy spirit, who confirms Jesus Is
being sent down.
- Both accounts say Mary was a virgin, God worked through human beings to bring his plan for humanity,
Jesus was the son of God, and the angel Gabriel announced it.

Jesus as the word of God

- The word of God became human.

- Like God, Jesus has always existed as the word. The word of God is God. The word of God is also
distinct from God. The word of God is how God expresses his love.
- Jesus is God’s free gift – grace. which teaches people how to share God’s love.

Jesus as God and Human

- Jesus is the “son of man” and is fully human because he experienced pain and suffering at the cruxifion.
- Jesus is the “son of God” because he is acknowledged by God as his son. God is eternal but he only
limited himself to His human form during his time on earth.

Christian Symbols

- Ichthus fish – acronym saying that Jesus is Christ, son of God and Saviour. It was a declaration that
they were Christian, when Christians were persecuted. For meetings.
- Alpha and Omega – First and last letter of Greek alphabet, symbolizes that God and Jesus are involved
in everything from the beginning to the end. Used a lot – church.
- Chi –Rho – Reminder of the death of Jesus, also that Jesus was sent to save humanity – inspiring to
Christians.

Incarnation in Religious art

- Against: You cannot portray God in a finite way because he is infinite. Art can mislead how God is like,
we must not idolize statues but pray to God himself, people may believe you are praying at a statue.
- For: Inspires people, gives people something to focus on, help people learn about God, allows to
represent Jesus because he is full human, and he can be showed in all colors because he helped all
people and ethnicities.

Interpretations of Statues of Jesus

 - Sacred Heart: Expression of love and peace with flame from his heart showing he has a burning love for
all. A hole in his heart and hands which symbolizes the soldiers piercing him in the side, a crown of
thorns to represent the crown of thorns.
- Reminder of the total love which Jesus has for humans.

Moral teachings of Jesus

- Jesus improved the law by telling people to focus on their attitudes. The beatitudes are statements
where Jesus blessed certain attitudes or approaches to living.
- Parable of the sheep: Jesus tells his followers that in following and caring for others they serve God;
Jesus teaches caring for others is very important and we will be judges at the end and rewarded by God
favorably.

Tradition and St Irenaeus

- Showed Christianity that Jesus was a mediator between God and humanity: because God is invisible
and beyond human understanding, but we got to know God through Jesus because he is the son of God
and has qualities of God, which allows us to grasp an understanding of God’s nature through Jesus’ life.
- He says: Jesus is the “Glory of God is a human being” which tells them that Jesus is perfect because he
followed God's wishes, and he is “fully alive”. And he sets an example for Christians to follow.

Understandings of the Incarnation

- Dei Verbum – God is revealed through Jesus ( “ he sent his son... tell them of the innermost being”) and
brings salvation. Jesus becomes human (“sent a man to man”)
- Verbum Domini – Jesus limits himself to human “the word of God becomes small” and he gave himself
to God by dying.

Grace and the Sacramental nature of Reality

- Grace is the gift of love that unites the three persons of the trinity and pours out to humanity to call them
to a deeper relationship with God, it helps people be aware of what God wants and gives strength to
believers.
- Everything is seen as a sacrament because it is is God’s love.

Imago dei and abortion

- Life begins at the moment of conception “the child in my womb leaped for joy” - Mary.
- Everyone was made in the image of God and so it is holy, and because fetuses are humans, we must
protect the unborn through supporting pro- life and women help organizations.

Seven Sacraments
- Help sanctify a person’s life. It is an inward sign of God’s grace. Which includes Baptism, confirmation,
Eucharist, Marriage, Ordination, Reconciliation, and the Sacrament of the sick