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The Hinge of History

The Incarnation is the beginning of the act of a salvation. It is the answer to the problem of the Fall. It the hinge of history. Our calendar reflects this. We live in 2013 A.D. The AD stands for Anno Domini: The Year of the Lord. 1 A.D. (there is no year zero) begins with the birth of Jesus, God Incarnate. The word Incarnate comes from Latin: Caro (flesh) + in (in or into)= Incarno (made into flesh). So when we refer to the incarnation, we are talking about God becoming human. This is such a momentous event that all of history before and after must be viewed in light of it.

Salvation History

The Old Testament tells us the story that leads to the Incarnation, through the Ancient Jewish people, Gods Chosen People, the people with whom God made a Covenant, and from which the Messiah would come. Many of the events described foreshadow the life of Jesus. They point the way to Jesus and his saving mission: Gods promise to Abraham (Gen.12 :1-3) The miraculous birth of Isaac (Gen.21) and his potential sacrifice. Noah and the Ark (Gen 6-9) The story of Joseph and his brothers (Gen.27-50) The Life of Moses, the Exodus of the Hebrews and the 40 years wandering in the desert (Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy Numbers) The foundation of the Kingdom of Israel and the reign of the Kings The prophets of Israel The fall of Jerusalem , the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish People (Jeremiah, Lamentations) The revolt of the Judas Maccabeus (1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabbees)

The Church remembers the bond that spiritually ties the people of the New Covenant to Abraham's stock...The beginnings of her faith and her election are found already among the Patriarchs, Moses and the prophets ...all who believe in Christ are Abraham's sons according to faith and are included in the same Patriarch's call. The Church, therefore, cannot forget that she received the revelation of the Old Testament through the people with whom God in His inexpressible mercy concluded the Ancient Covenant.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father! So -Nostra Aetate, you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child Vatican II then also an heir, through God. Galatians 4:4-7

The Annunciation

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. (The word angel means messenger) And the angel said to her, "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...And Mary said Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." Luke 1:35, 38 Marys free consent to God opens the door to salvation. From the moment of her acceptance The Word is Incarnate within her womb.

Titles Of Jesus Christ

Messiah From the Hebrew word ( Mashia) meaning anointed one. The title was used for kings, prophets and priests Jesus A Hebrew name ( Y or the English Joshua) meaning God Saves. This title shows the purpose of the Incarnation Christ From the Greek (Christs ) meaning anointed one. It was used as a title for a priest, prophet or king. The Greek-speaking Jews used it to refer to The Messiah Emmanuel From the Hebrew ( Imanu' El) meaning God is with us. This title points to what the Incarnation is. Lord From the Greek (kyrios). Often used to refer to God in the Bible. Son of God A title for The Messiah and an indication of Jesus divinity. Son of Man-A title for The Messiah and an indication of Jesus humanity Son of DavidThis title shows that Jesus is the heir to Israels great King David. This heir was promised by God and was believed by the Jews to be The Messiah

Discussion Questions Can we say Jesus is God? Why might we say Jesus is not God? Does it matter if Jesus is God? Can we say that Jesus is a human? Why might we say that Jesus is not human? Does it matter if Jesus is human

True God and True Man

Through the Incarnation, the second-person of the Holy trinity, the Son truly takes on human flesh. He is fully human, yet his divinity does not change or diminish. Therefore He is fully God as well. The way to express the nature of Jesus was one of the biggest problems in the early Church and often led to fighting and schism (groups breaking away from the Church.) The Church Councils of the 4th and 5th Centuries affirmed the True Doctrine that:

Mistakes about the Incarnation

Jesus was both fully God: begotten from, but not created by the Father; and fully man: taking his flesh and human nature from the Virgin Mary. These two natures, human and divine, were hypostatically united* into the one personhood of Jesus Christ.
* Hypostatic union is the technical word used by the church to describe the unique union of Jesus two natures

Docetism: Denies that Jesus was truly human and only appeared to be human. Arianism: Denies that Jesus is truly God but is some sort of ultimate creature or lesser God Nestorianism: Denies that Jesus is one person but two conjoined persons Monophysitism: Denies Jesus had a distinct human nature and claims his divinity absorbs his humanity

The Icons above depict Jesus as Christ Pantocrator (The Lord of Hosts) The two different facial expressions on either side emphasize Christ's two natures as fully God and fully human.

Discussion Questions What type of things did Jesus do in his earthly life that displayed his divinity? What type of things did Jesus do in his earthly life that displayed his humanity? Do any events display both his humanity and divinity? In what way is it correct to call Mary The Mother of God? Why might someone object to Mary being called the Mother of God?

Mother of God, Mother of the Church

Scripture and tradition tell us that the Virgin Mary was the mother of Jesus. She carried him in her womb and gave birth to Him in Bethlehem. Jesus takes His human nature from Mary. Any debate about Jesus divine and human nature will also touch upon Marys role. We know that God is not created or caused, and has no beginning or end. Therefore in one way God cannot have a mother. However to deny that Mary is the Mother of God is to deny the truth of the Incarnation. Jesus is fully God and fully human, so one can say that Mary is the Mother of God because she is the Mother of Jesus. The Council of Ephesus decreed in 431 that Mary is , (Theotokos). Literally translated this word means the one who gives birth to the one who is God. In English we render it Mother of God. On the cross Jesus gives Mary to the Church. Through his disciple St. John, he gives her to us and the whole world. She is our Mother.

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, Woman, here is your son. Then he said to the disciple, Here is your mother. And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. -John 19:26-27

By understanding who Jesus is, do we understand what he does more?