the incarnation

The Incarnation

The Incarnatio

n

What is the Incarnation?

The Annunciation by Fra Angelico

What is the Incarnation? (1)


By the word ‘Incarnation’ we mean that God the Son took to

himself a human nature like our

own.KEY DEFINITION



The word ‘Incarnation’ expresses the fact that Jesus Christ is:

… not merely a man… a perfect man

… or even a saint

But God himself become man for our salvation.


How did Jesus Christ come to be born?

The Nativity by Fra Angelico

How did Jesus Christ come to be born? (1)


The Annunciation is the historical event when God the Father, through the angel Gabriel, asked the Virgin Mary to become the mother of his Son.

“Hail, O favoured one, the Lord is with you! ... Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.”

Lk 1:28-31



Mary, who was and remained a virgin, questioned how she could conceive a child.

The angel answered that this child would be conceived through a miracle:“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”

Lk 1:35



Mary gave her free consent to become the Mother of God, opening the way to our salvation:“And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

Lk 1:38


The Annunciation is the moment of

the Incarnation. Mary responds in humble assent to the message of

the Angel Gabriel.

God the Holy Spirit

Acceptance of God the Son

God the Father

Mary

The Angel Gabriel


God the Holy Spirit

Acceptance of God the Son

God the Father

Fruitfulness the effect of grace.

Barrenness the effect of Original

Sin.

The Fall and Expulsion from Eden

Revelation the pulling back of the

veil.

Mary

The Angel Gabriel



The angel of the Lord also appeared to Joseph, Mary’s betrothed, assuring him that this child was born of God and to take Mary home as his wife.

At the time of a census called by the Roman Emperor Augustus, Jesus was born in Joseph’s home town of Bethlehem, the City of David.



Here in Bethlehem, Jesus, the king of kings, was born in the poverty of a stable.

His birth was heralded by a miraculous appearance of angels to nearby shepherds, and a star in the heavens which guided wise men to him.

“She gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger.”

Lk 2:4-7

‘Bethlehem’ means ‘the house of bread’ (a link to the Eucharist); we celebrate the birth of Jesus at ‘Christmas’, meaning ‘the Mass of

Christ’.


What are the titles of Jesus Christ?

The Baptism of Christ by Piero della Francesca

What are the titles of Jesus Christ? (1)


JesusThis is a Hebrew name meaning

‘God saves’, expressing well

in itself the purpose of the Incarnation.

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and

bear a son, and you shall call his name

Jesus.” Lk 1:31



ChristThis is from the Greek christos,

meaning ‘anointed one’, a title of a priest, prophet or king. This word was

used by the Jews for the promised

Messiah.Simon Peter

replied, “You are the

Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Mt 16:16



LordThis is from the

Greek kyrios, often

used for addressing

God in the Bible.

His name is the LORD (Kyrios),

exult before him! Ps 68:4



Son of God

This is a title of the Messiah and also indicates the divinity of Jesus

Christ.“The Holy Spirit will come upon

you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow

you; therefore the child to be born

will be called holy, the Son of God.”

Lk 1:35



Son of Man

This is a title of the Messiah and also indicates the humanity of Jesus

Christ.

“For the Son of Man

came to seek and to

save the lost.”Lk 19:10


SummaryQuestions

to reinforcekey points

Discussionquestions

Practicalactivities

Presentation Part II

Summary Activities I

Please select an activity or go immediately to part II of the presentation

Summary Activities I

Summary

Activities Menu Presentation Part II

• By the word ‘Incarnation’ we mean that God the Son took to himself a human nature like our own.

• The Annunciation is the historical event when God the Father, through the angel Gabriel, asked the Virgin Mary to become the mother of his Son.

• Jesus was born in Bethlehem. His birth was heralded by an appearance of angels to shepherds and a star in the heavens which guided wise men to him.

• The main titles of the incarnate God-man are ‘Jesus’, ‘Christ’, ‘Lord’, ‘Son of God’, ‘Son of Man’ and ‘Son of David’.

Summary I

Questions to reinforce key points

Jesus

Christ

Lord

Son of God

Son of Man

Son of David

What are the main titles of Jesus?


12

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answers

3456

Questions to reinforce key points I

Discussion questions


• Discuss what the accounts of the Annunciation and birth of Jesus Christ in Luke 1:26-38 and Luke 2:1-20 teach us about the Incarnation.

• Read Galatians 4:4-7 and discuss what this reveals to us about the reasons for the Incarnation.

Select one or more of the following:

Discussion questions I

Practical activities


• Read the Compendium of the Catechism questions 81-94.

• Read through the infancy narrative in the Gospel of Matthew 1:18-2:15.

• Find one or more further representations of the Annunciation or Nativity such as a painting, a crib or a Christmas card. Discuss how these pictures communicate the mystery of the Incarnation.


Practical activities I

True God and True Man

The Nativity by Petrus Christus

True God and True Man (1)


The divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ were revealed throughout his life on earth. Elizabeth hailed Mary as ‘mother of my Lord’ and wise men came to worship him at his birth (Mt 2:11).



The Gospel of John states that the Word, who is God, became flesh:In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made ... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

Jn 1:1-3, 14


Ass looking away from

Christsymbol of unbelief.


Humanity burdened by

sin

The triangle symbol of the

Trinity.

Mary Joseph

Jesus

Angels

Adam Eve

Removed Sandals

call to adoration

and symbol of Jesus’ divinity.

Jesus on Mary’s mantle

Jesus lies on the untainted

mantle of Mary rather than on the barren soil

of the fallen world.

The candle symbol of Jesus, the ‘light of the

world’.

Ox looking towards Christ

symbol of belief.

Joseph and the angels

adore

The battle of good and

evil



The ‘Word made flesh’ is the origin of the term ‘Incarnation’, from the Latin caro, -nis, meaning ‘flesh’, and in, meaning ‘into’.

The meaning and implications of the Incarnation are set out in the Creed.


The Incarnation in the Creed

The Adoration of the Magi by Fra Angelico

The Incarnation in the Creed (1)


JESUS IS TRUE GODI believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made.

He was, is and always will be God with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

He is begotten not made, a divine person, not a created person like us. All created things came to be through him.



JESUS IS TRUE MAN

For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

He became man, body and soul, participating fully in human life, and remaining incarnate to unite humanity with God forever.



MISTAKES ABOUT THE INCARNATION

Docetism

Denies that Jesus has come ‘in the flesh’, and claims that he only appears to be human.




Arianism

Denies that Jesus is truly God, and claims he is only a subordinate ‘god’ or merely a creature.




Nestorianism

Denies that Jesus is one person, God the Son, and claims he is two conjoined persons.




Monophysitism

Denies that Jesus has a distinct human nature and claims his divinity absorbs his humanity.


The Incarnation and the Hail Mary

The Virgin in Prayer by Sassoferrato

The Incarnation and the Hail Mary (1)

The Incarnation and the Hail Mary

The prayer Hail Mary is based on the words of the Angel Gabriel and Elizabeth to Mary. It includes the title ‘Mother of God’ because of the Incarnation.Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Incarnation and the Hail Mary (2)

SummaryQuestions

to reinforcekey points

Discussionquestions

Practicalactivities

Summary Activities IIPlease select an activity or go immediately

to the concluding prayer

Concluding Prayer

Summary Activities II

Summary

Activities Menu

• The ‘Word made flesh’ is the origin of the term ‘Incarnation’, from the Latin caro, -nis, meaning ‘flesh’, and in, meaning ‘into’.

• The meaning and implications of the Incarnation are set out in the Creed. This articulates how Jesus Christ is both true God and true man.

• The prayer Hail Mary is based on the words of the Angel Gabriel and Elizabeth to Mary. It includes the title ‘Mother of God’ because of the Incarnation.

Concluding Prayer

Summary II

Questions to reinforce key points

The only Son of God … begotten, not made,

of one Being with the Father.Through him all things were made.For us men and for our salvation

he came down from heaven.He become incarnate of the Virgin

Mary, and was made man.

What does the Creed say about Jesus Christ and the Incarnation?

Activities Menu Concluding Prayer

1

2

3

4Click on a box to reveal one of the

answers

Questions to reinforce key points II

Discussion questions

Activities Menu

• Discuss how we can demonstrate from Scripture that Jesus Christ is not merely a man, a perfect man or even a saint, but God himself become man for our salvation.

• Discuss what the Prologue of the Gospel of John 1:1-14 teaches us about the Incarnation.

Concluding Prayer


Discussion questions II

Practical activities

Activities Menu

• Look again at the The Nativity by Petrus Christus (left) and identify what the symbols communicate about the Incarnation.

• Read through one or more of the following: the Apostles’ creed; the Nicene creed used in the Mass; the Athanasian creed. Note carefully what is said about Jesus’ origin and identity.

• Pray the Hail Mary, pausing for a short period of meditation after each line.


Concluding Prayer

Practical activities II

Final Prayer

Ave Verum CorpusHail true body born of the Virgin Mary,That truly suffered and was sacrificed

on the Cross for men,From whose pierced side flowed water

and blood;Be for us a foretaste of death and

judgment.O sweet Jesus! O gentle Jesus! O Jesus,

son of Mary.Amen.

Final Prayer II

the incarnation

Spiritual