Incarnation (Year 11 - Autumn 2) Flashcards
What is Incarnation
Incarnation is the Christian belief that God came to Earth in human form
Why did God need to send his son down to earth?
Throughout the Old Testament, God promised to send the Jews a ‘Messiah’. This was needed to help re-establish the relationship between humans and God. This relationship was broken by Adam and Eve committing Orginal Sin
What things do Christians believe about Jesus and what God and Jesus got out sending him to Earth?
- In Christain belief, Jesus was fully human and fully God
- God loves humans so much, he was willing to share himself/his son in humanity fully
- Jesus experienced the stresses of being human - good, bad, hunger, fear, loss suffering
- The empathy Jesus has with humans helps Christians feel closer to God
What is the Annunciation
The Annunciation was the announcement to Mary that she will be the mother of Jesus - the son of God. It announces the Incarnation of Jesus
Differences between Matthew and Luke’s account of the Annunciation
Matthew wrote his account for Jewish Christians. Women had very limited roles in Judaism at the time he wrote, and a woman’s evidence would not have had any value. This is probably why Matthew focused on Joseph’s role in Jesus’ birth. In contrast, Luke was writing for non-Jewish Christians for whom the value of women was higher.
Similarities between Matthew and Luke’s account of the Annunciation
The main message of both accounts is the same: Mary was a virgin, Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, an angel announced Jesus’ birth and God worked through humans to enable his plan for humanity to come about.
Summarise Joseph’s role in the Annunciation in Matthew’s account
- Matthew’s gospel focuses on the role of Joseph who is described as the ‘husband of Mary’ - rather than a father of Jesus.
- This story stresses Jesus was born of a virgin and concieved by the power of God
- When Joseph finds out, he doesn’t expose her pregnancy publically to make the situation easier for Mary
- He is informed (through a dream) by God’s messenger that the child concieved in Mary is from the Holy Spirit.
- Joseph is told that Mary’s son will be named Jesus (he is also called by the name of Emmanuel to Joseph)
- Joseph willingly obeys God’s plan, no matter what it costs him
Summarise the story of the Annunciation from Luke’s gospel
- In the 6th month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth
- The angel came to her and said “peace be with you”, the Lord has greatly blessed you.
- Mary was deeply troubled by the angel’s message of her becoming pregnant and giving birth to the Son of God
- Mary asked “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?”
- Mary is told the Holy Spirit will rest upon her and that’s the reason her child will be called to Son of God.
- Mary is reminded that anything is possible through God “for there is nothing God cannot do” as Elizabeth is already 6 months pregnant even though she’s very old.
- Mary is now at peace to accept the angel’s message says “I am the Lord’s servant” and “may it happen as you have said”.
- The angel then left her.
Similarities and Differences from Luke and Matthew’s Accounts
Similarities:
- Mary was a virgin
- An angel announced Jesus’ birth
- Jesus was conceived by the power of God
- God worked through humans to bring about his plan for humanity
Differences:
- Gabriel appears on person to Mary but in a dream to Joseph
- Gabriel tells Mary to name the baby Jesus but gives the name ‘Emmanuel’ to Joseph
- Mary initially questions her role, while Joseph willing accepts it
What are the three names Jesus can be called?
- The Word of God
- The Son of Man
- The Son of God
Reason and Bible Evidence for Jesus being called The Word of God
Title of Jesus:
The Word of God
Reason for this Title:
Jesus is called the Word of God because God expresses himself through Jesus (like how humans use words to express themselves). This allows humans to get to know God through Jesus.
Bible Evidence:
(Taken from John 1: 1-4)
“The Word was God”
“The Word was with God”
“The Word became flesh and lived among us”
Reason and Bible Evidence for Jesus being called The Son of Man
Title of Jesus:
The Son of Man
Reason for this Title:
Christians believe Jesus was fully human and fully God. This means that Jesus lived a fully human life, and sometimes described himself as the Son of Man to emphasise his human nature. For example, he reffered to himself as the Son of Man when talked about his suffering at the crucifixion.
Bible Evidence:
“Jesus began to teach the Son of Man must undergo great suffering”
(Mark 8:31)
Reason and Bible Evidence for Jesus being called The Son of God
Title of Jesus:
The Son of God
Reason for this Title:
Jesus emphasised that he was also fully God by using the title “Son of Man”. When he was brough to trial for blasphemy, he was asked if he was the Son of God, which he replied with ‘I am’. This emphasises that he acknowledges God, so shares in his power.
Bible Evidence:
Jesus was taken to trial for blasphemy.
The Jewish high priest asked “ Are you the Messiah, the Son of God, the Blessed One?”
Jesus replied with “I am”
What are the five main Christian teachings that come from the Gospel of John about Jesus being the Word?
The 5 main Christian teachings that come from the Gospel of John are:
- The Word (Jesus) has always existed (has no beginning or end): In the beginning was the Word’
- The Word (Jesus) is God: The Word was God’
- The Word (Jesus) and God are united and live in harmony: ‘The Word was with God’
- Everything in existence depends on the Word (Jesus): ‘What has come into being in him was life’
- Jesus is the Word of God: ‘The Word became flesh and lived among us’
What 3 Symbols are a sign of Christianity
- The Ichthus (the fish with the acronym inside it: ΙΧΘΥΣ)
- The Alpha and Omega Symbol (an ‘A’ on top of a ‘Ω’)
- The Chi-Rho symbol (a P overlayed with the letter X)
What does the ICHTHUS symbol represent?
The ICHTHUS is a symbol of the fish with the greek acronym, ‘Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour’.
Christians used this symbol back in the early Christian days to keep them from persecution.
What does the Alpha and Omega symbol represent?
Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last letter.
This represents the belief that God is involved in everything from beginning to end.
What does the Chi-Rho symbol represent?
The Chi-Rho symbol contains first two letters of the Greek word for Christ (in capitals) - X and P.
It represents the belief that through his death, Jesus saved all humans (brought them back into a relationship with God)
Where is it illegal to be Christian?
North Korea - citizens have to worship this country’s leader - if you belong to another religion, you are an enemy of the state and risk imprisonment, torture, and execution.
Somalia - Islam is the state religion - converting to another religion is illegal
Iran, Syria - Christians are often abducted and publically executed.
Afghanistan - Christians must keep their faith secret or risk being killed. There are no churches (except secret ones)
What are the 3 statues that show Incarnation?
- Christ the Redeemer (Rio, Brazil)
- Crucifix
- Sacred Heart
What was Christ the Redeemer made for and What does it show?
- The statue was completed in 1931, and it sits on top of a mountain overlooking Rio de Janiero
- It was paid for largely by the Catholic population of Rio
- It challenged the percieved ‘godlessness’ of society at the time it was built
- The outstretched arms are a reminder of the cross on which Jesus accepted death, and are a symbol of Jesus’ love and obedience
- His outstretched arms also shows Jesus’s love for all and for all people, showing how everyone is welcome and no one is excluded.
What was the Crucifix made for an What does it show?
- The crucifix is a reminder of the pain and suffering that Jesus went through as he died
- When Catholics look at the crucifix, they remember the love of God poured out in Jesus. This loving obidience links back to how Original Sin was cancelled out by the death of Jesus, allowing future Christians to have the chance of making it to heaven
- There are many forms of the crucifix. Some focus on the angony he went through, by showing his dead body, other show him in priest vestments, showing his sacrifice for humanity, and sometimes, he is dressed in kingly robes to show his eternal victory over sin and death.
What was The Sacred Heart made for an What does it show?
- Sacred Heart statues reflect the self-giving love that Jesus had for all people. This statue is intended to remind people of this.
- The final proof of Jesus’s love was when he accepted death on the cross to save all people. This is why the symbols of Jesus’s suffering (the crown of thorns, the nail marks, and the piercing) are shown on the statue.
What features are included in Sacred Heart statues
- Holes in his hands (from where he was nailed to the cross)
- One of his hands is pointing to the heart that is shown on his breast
- An expression of peace and love
- A crown of thorns surrounding the heart, to represent the crown that was placed on Jesus’ head when he was mocked by the soldiers at his crucuifixion
- A piercing through the heart, to echo the words from John’s Gospel: ‘one of the soldiers pierced his sides with a spear (John 19:34)
- Flames coming from the heart, as a symbol of the burning love that Jesus has for people.
What are some Different Christian attitudes to scuptures, statues, and images of Jesus
- Some Christians believe that it is wring to depict Jesus in art, as the second commandment forbits using images in worship
- Some think that it is not at all possible to know what Jesus looked like, so it is wrong to try to depict him in any physical way.
- Jesus, as God the Son, is infinite. Some Christians think it is therefore wrong to hse the humanity of Jesus as a basis for any depiction, as it could destroy people’s understanding of the divinity of Jesus
- However, some Christians believe that a statue of Jesus can help people to concentrate on aspects of Jesus’ teachings and life.
Points For Catholics using Religious Art
- Religious art, like statues, can help us concentrate on Jesus’ qualities and become inspired by them. The statue itself is NOT being worshipped.
- Jesus was fully human - visible and tangible - like the statues and images.
- Statues and artwork give people something to focus on while they pray, e.g. a statue of Our Lady or a saint may help us be inspired by them.
- Jesus can be shown as any ethnicity in art, which reminds Christians that all people can be saved by his death and resurrection.
Points Against Catholics Using Religious Art
- It is not possible to portray God – an infinite, transcendent being - accurately because we are using finite (limited) human means.
- Art can mislead people about what Jesus looked like (we cannot know.)
- When praying in front of a statue/image, people may think the statue itself is being worshipped. This is against the second commandment ‘Do not worship idols’ – (this is the belief of Jews).
- Jesus was fully human - not stone or wood – so the proper way to honour the Incarnation is to serve others.
