P1- Incarnation Flashcards
What is the incarnation?
When God took on human condition in Jesus to show his love for humanity
Why is the incarnation important to Christians?
-Know God better as He lived among us
-Why humans can have a loving relationship with God in order to go to Heaven
Summarise Luke 1:26-38
-Angel Gabriel visited Mary telling her she will give birth to Jesus, the Son of God
-He will be conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit
-God gives Mary the choice (free will) and she gives consent
-Jesus is fully human and fully God
Quotes from Luke 1:26-38 (Annunciation)
“You will conceive in your womb and bear a son”
“He will be great and will be called the son of the Most High”
What does Luke 1:26-38 teach Christians
Jesus is fully human and fully God (born of a human woman but conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit)
Summarise Matthew 1:18-24
-Joseph was frustrated and annoyed with Mary as he thought she had cheated on him
-Just as they were separating, an angel of the Lord told him to marry Mary as her child was conceived by the Holy Spirit
-Angel confirms that Jesus is being sent to earth by God to save humanity from sin
-Angel calls Jesus ‘Emmanuel’ meaning ‘God is with us’
Quotes from Matthew 1:18-24 (God’s message to Joseph)
“For the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit”
“You are to name him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins”
What does Matthew 1:18-24 teach Christians?
-Jesus is being sent to earth to save humanity from sin
-Confirms he is the Son of God
Similarities between John 1:26-38 and Matthew 1:18-24
-Mary was a virgin
-God worked through humans to bring his plan for humanity
-Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
-Jesus was the Son of God
-Angel Gabriel announced Jesus’ birth
Differences between John 1:26-38 and Matthew 1:18-24
-Luke’s also says Elizabeth will have a baby
-Matthew’s talks about how Jesus will be known as Emmanuel
-Written for different audiences (Matthew= Jews and Luke= Gentiles)
Relationship between the Word and God
-Church teaches that God is three Persons
-Together these three are referred to as the Trinity
-The Son of God (second Person) is also the Word of God
-Word of God became human as Jesus
What does the quote ‘In the beginning was the word’ from John 1 teach about the word of God?
-The Word of God is eternal
-Like God the Father, the Word of God has always existed
What does the quote ‘The Word was God’ from John 1 teach about the word of God?
-The Word of God is God
-A word comes from inside a person/ expression of their inside
-Word of God comes from inside God/ God’s self expression
What does the quote ‘The Word was with God’ from John 1 teach about the word of God?
-Word of God is also distinct from God
-Whilst Word and God are united and co-exist, there is also a distinction between them
What does the quote ‘the Word of God became flesh and lived among us’ from John 1 teach about the word of God?
-Jesus is the Word/Son of God
-The Word has always existed but took on human form to live as Jesus
-The Word came to earth to guide people closer to God and to teach them how to share in his love
What does the title ‘Son of Man’ teach Christians about Jesus
-Emphasises Jesus’ human nature (lived a human life)
-It is used either as a general title referring to a normal human or a title for someone given authority by God
Quote about Jesus as the Son of Man
“Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering […] and be killed, and after three days rise again”- Mark 8:31
What does the title ‘Son of God’ teach Christians about Jesus?
-The Son of God means the Son of the Blessed One which means Jesus was the only Son of God the Father
Quote about Jesus as the Son of God
“ ‘Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?’ Jesus said ‘I am’ “ which shows that Jesus knew and glorified the fact that he was God’s only son.
What is the Nature of Jesus
Fully God and Fully Human
What does the Ichthus symbol look like and what does it mean
-Symbol of a fish
-Used as an acronym meaning ‘Jesus Christ, Son of God,Saviour’
-Used by early Christians as a declaration of their faith
What do the Alpha and Omega signs look like and what do they mean
-First and last letter of the Greek alphabet
-Indicate that God and Jesus are involved in everything from beginning to end
-Used in Christianity since at least the first century
-Used in churches, vestments, and art
-Special place on Paschal Candle
What does the Chi-Rho symbol look like and what does it mean
-A cross with a P going through it
-A monogram formed from the first two letters of the Greek word for ‘Christ’
-Reminder of Jesus’ death
-Reminder Jesus was sent to save humanity through his death
-Can be worn as an expression of faith
Four features of the Sacred Heart Statue
1) Holes in Jesus’ hands to show he was nailed to the cross to die for humanity
2) Flames from heart to show Jesus’ burning love for humanity
3) Crown of thorns around heart to show the crown placed on Jesus’ head when mocked by soldiers at crucifixion
4) Piercing through the heart to show one of soldiers piercing Jesus’ side with a spear after he died
Why do Catholics use Sacred Heart statues and what are they a reminder of
A reminder of how much love Jesus has for humanity and the extent of the pain and struggle he endured to save out sins
Ways that Catholics use religious art
-As a stimulus for worship and prayer
-To learn about the aspects of God’s work
3 reasons why Catholics agree with the use of religious art
1) Appreciate work done by other Christians which was a talent given to them by God
2) As a stimulus for prayer to worship God “Whoever venerates an image, venerates the person portrayed in it” (Youcat)
3) Educated us on qualities of God and Jesus and some events from bible
3 reasons why Catholics disagree with the use of religious art
1) 10 Commandments- 2nd is “You shall not worship false idols” should not make paintings of God which could be wrong
2) God is infinite so He cannot be represented using finite human means
3) Might mislead people into thinking God is a certain way and that we are worshipping the statue/ painting as a God
Why do some Christians disapprove specifically of art that shows Jesus (2 reasons)
1) 2nd commandment indicates it’s wrong to worship images and some may believe that Christians are worshipping the statues
2) Depicting Jesus as human can be misleading as it ignores the fact he is also fully God
Why is religious art of Jesus more effective than religious symbols
-Allows Christians to see everything more visually, prayer is easier
-Can appreciate the work of other Christians