Incarnation
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What does 'incarnation' mean in Christianity?
In Christianity, Incarnation is a core doctrine that God took on human form in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and second person of the Trinity. Jesus Christ was both fully God and fully human. His divine and human natures are united in one person, a concept known as the hypostatic union. This union doesn't diminish or mix the two natures but preserves the identity of each. The term "Incarnation," from the Latin caro ("flesh"), refers to this union becoming active in Mary's womb or to its permanent reality in Jesus.
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Who is Jesus Christ in Christian belief?
In Christian belief, Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God, the Son of God, who took on human form. This is a core doctrine known as the Incarnation, where the divine and human natures are united in the person of Jesus, as affirmed by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE.
The New Testament indicates Christ's preexistence and embodiment as a human, and that he is in close union with God. Regarded as both fully God and fully human, Jesus's life, death, and resurrection are understood as God's plan for humanity's salvation.
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How do Christians believe Jesus is both God and human?
Christians believe that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully human through the Incarnation, a core doctrine stating that God took on human nature in the form of Jesus. This means that Jesus is not just divine, but also truly human, experiencing life as a man.
The Council of Chalcedon (451 CE) declared that Jesus is perfect in both deity and humanity, with these natures united in one person without being diminished or mixed. This union is understood as a gift, offering redemption and highlighting the potential goodness within humanity.
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Why do Christians think the incarnation is important?
Christians consider the Incarnation, the belief that God became flesh in the form of Jesus Christ, a central doctrine. The core of this belief is that the preexistent Word of God was embodied in Jesus of Nazareth, who is seen as being in close union with God.
The Christian understanding of the Incarnation is grounded in the Gospel of John: "the Word became flesh". God Himself entered into human history, taking on the figure of Jesus Christ, and through His suffering and overcoming, initiated a transformation of humanity, offering a renewed form of being and opening a realm of love for God and others.
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What do the Gospels say about the birth of Jesus?
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke recount the birth of Jesus Christ, an event known as the Nativity. These narratives describe the incarnation of God as a human being, born as a baby in humble circumstances.
According to Matthew and Luke, Jesus was born in Bethlehem but raised in Nazareth. Mary conceived Jesus as a virgin through the Holy Spirit, not through Joseph, who was only his legal father. The Gospels describe the visit of the Magi and the adoration of the shepherds, emphasizing the miracles and symbolic contrasts surrounding Jesus' birth.
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How does belief in the incarnation affect Christian practices and holidays?
The central Christian doctrine of the Incarnation is the belief that God took on human form in Jesus Christ. This belief shapes Christian practices and holidays by emphasizing the humanity of Jesus and the accessibility of God.
The Incarnation is visually represented in Eastern Christian traditions through icons of Christ, which serve as a confession of faith that God was truly visible in Jesus. Easter celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus, representing the defeat of death and the hope of salvation, which are central themes tied to the Incarnation.
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Incarnation, central Christian doctrine that God became flesh, that God assumed a human nature and became a man in the form of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the second person of the Trinity. Christ was truly God and truly man. The doctrine maintains that the divine and human natures of Jesus do not exist beside one another in an unconnected way but rather are joined in him in a personal unity that has traditionally been referred to as the hypostatic union. The union of the two natures has not resulted in their diminution or mixture; rather, the identity of each is believed to have been preserved. See also two natures of Christ.
The word “Incarnation” (from the Latin caro, “flesh”) may refer to the moment when this union of the divine nature of the second person of the Trinity with the human nature became operative in the womb of the Virgin Mary or to the permanent reality of that union in the person of Jesus. The term may be most closely related to the claim in the prologue of the Gospel According to John that the Word became flesh—that is, assumed human nature. (See logos.) The essence of the doctrine of the Incarnation is that the preexistent Word has been embodied in the man Jesus of Nazareth, who is presented in the Gospel According to John as being in close personal union with the Father, whose words Jesus is speaking when he preaches the gospel.
Belief in the preexistence of Christ is indicated in various letters of the New Testament but particularly in the Letter of Paul to the Philippians, in which the Incarnation is presented as the emptying of Christ Jesus, who was by nature God and equal to God (i.e., the Father) but who took on the nature of a slave (i.e., a human) and was later glorified by God.
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The development of a more refined theology of the Incarnation resulted from the response of the early church to various misinterpretations concerning the question of the divinity of Jesus and the relationship of the divine and human natures of Jesus. The First Council of Nicaea (325 ce) determined that Christ was “begotten, not made” and that he was therefore not creature but Creator. The basis for this claim was the doctrine that he was “of the same substance as the Father.” The doctrine was further defined by the Council of Chalcedon (451 ce), at which it was declared that Jesus was perfect in deity and in humanity and that the identity of each nature was preserved in the person of Jesus Christ. The affirmation of the oneness of Christ with God and with humanity was made while maintaining the oneness of his person.
Subsequent theology has worked out the implications of this definition, although there have been various tendencies emphasizing either the divinity or the humanity of Jesus throughout the history of Christian thought, at times within the parameters set by Nicaea and Chalcedon, at times not. It has commonly been accepted that the union of the human nature of Christ with his divine nature had significant consequences for his human nature—for example, the grace of great sanctity. The union of the two natures has been viewed by theologians as a gift for other humans, both in terms of its benefit for their redemption from sin and in terms of the appreciation of the potential goodness inherent in human activity that can be derived from the doctrine of the Incarnation.