What does the title Theotokos express about Jesus Christ?

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Christology The Transfiguration, the nature of Jesus as the Son of God being revealed to the apostles Peter, James, and John, mosaic icon, early 13th century; in the Louvre, Paris.

The title Theotokos, meaning "God-bearer," is a significant theological term that affirms the unity of the person of Jesus Christ. Rather than describing the Virgin Mary in isolation, the title serves to protect the doctrine that Christ is truly divine.1

By asserting that Mary is the mother of God, the church emphasizes that the one born of her was not merely a human being, but the divine Word incarnate. This designation was central to the Council of Chalcedon (451), which used the term to formulate the hypostatic union—the belief that Christ’s divine and human natures are united in one person.1

The use of Theotokos was historically contested by Nestorians, who preferred the term Christotokos ("Christ-bearer") out of concern that Theotokos might obscure Christ's human nature. However, the Council of Ephesus upheld Theotokos to ensure that the divinity of Christ remained central to the Christian understanding of his identity.1