CREED 2
Jesus Christ
Course Description
We Believe in Jesus Christ…
This course is Christological. It
presents the life of Jesus Christ, Son of
God and Savior of humankind, who came
and proclaimed the kingdom of God. It is a
reflection on the mysteries of the
Incarnation of the Son of God, His
passion, death and resurrection.
Course Outline
•Jesus: Who is this Person?
•Jesus: His Birth and His Early Years
•Jesus Christ: His Ministry and Mission
•Christ : The Teacher and His Teachings about
God’s Kingdom
•Christ Had died for Us
•Christ is Risen and will Come Again
Etymology of “Jesus” [God saves]
There have been a number of proposals as to the origin
and etymological origin of the name Jesus (cf. Matthew
1:21). The name is related to the Hebrew form
[Yehoshua`] ְיהֹוֻׁש ַעJoshua, which is a theophoric name first
mentioned within the Biblical tradition in Exodus 17:9
referring to one of Moses' companions (and his successor
as leader of the Israelites). This name is usually
considered to be a compound of two parts: יהוYeho, a
theophoric reference to YHWH, the distinctive personal
name of the God of Israel, plus a form derived from the
Hebrew triconsonantal root y-š-ʕ or ע-ש-" יto liberate,
save".
Etymology of “Jesus” [God saves]
There have been various proposals as to how the literal
etymological meaning of the name should be translated.
YHWH saves
YHWH (is) salvation
YHWH (is) a saving-cry
YHWH (is) a cry-for-saving
YHWH (is) a cry-for-help
YHWH (is) my help
TITLES OF JESUS
Christ [Gk. Christos, Annointed one]
Messiah [Heb. Mashah, annointed one]
Lord [Gk. Kyrios, lord/master]
Son of God
Son of Man
Son of David
Emmanuel [Heb. God is with us]
Savior
Prophet
Rabbi
Logos [Gk. Word]
“Conceived by the power
of the Holy Spirit and
born of the Virgin Mary...”
Why did the Word became flesh?
1.To save us by reconciling us with God
2.So that we might know of God’s love
3.To be our model of holiness
4.To make us “partakers” of the divine nature
The Incarnation
Who?
One Divine Person
What?
Two Natures: Divine nature &
Human Nature
How?
Hypostatic Union—the union of
two natures in one Divine Person.
The Incarnation
Who?
One Divine Person
What?
Two Natures: Divine nature &
Human Nature
How?
Hypostatic Union—the union of
two natures in one Divine Person.
Christological Heresies
DOCETISM
• Christ body was not human but either a
phantasm or real but of celestial
substance. Sufferings were hence only
apparent.
• Consequently denied Christ’s
resurrection and ascension
Christological Heresies
ARIANISM
• The Son of God was created by the
Father, hence neither coeternal nor
consubstantial with the Father.
• Rejected Jesus’ equal divinity with God.
Hence this denied the belief of the Holy
Trinity.
Christological Heresies
ADOPTIONISM
• Jesus was adopted as the Son of God at
his baptism, his resurrection, or his
ascension.
Christological Heresies
APOLLINARIANISM
• Jesus had a human body but a divine mind
instead of a regular human soul. Hence he
had no rational mind or free human will.
His rational soul was replaced by the divine
logos.
• Jesus has two natures, human and divine,
but could not co-exist in one person
Christological Heresies
NESTORIANISM
• There were two separate persons, one
human and one divine, in the incarnate
Christ. The two natures of Jesus were
joined by will rather than personhood.
• Denies that the virgin Mary was the
Mother of God
Christological Heresies
MONOPHYSITISM
• Christ has a single inseparable nature
that is at once divine and human rather
than having two distinct but unified
natures.
Christological Heresies
MONOTHELITISM
• Jesus has two natures but only one will.
The human nature of Christ was
absorbed into his divine nature like a
drop of water is absorbed into the sea.
Christological Heresies
PATRIPASSIANISM
• There is only one person in the Trinity.
• God the Father was incarnate and
suffered on the cross; whatever
happened to the Son happened to the
Father and so the Father co-suffered
with the human Jesus on the cross.
Christological Heresies
SABELLIANISM
• There is only one person in the Trinity.
• God has three modes or aspects of
manifesting himself as Creator,
Redeemer, and Sanctifier.
Christological Heresies
Docetism
Arianism
Adoptionism
Apollinarianism
Nestorianism
Monophysitism
Monoteletism
Patripassianism
Sabellianism
JESUS’ BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS
• The preparations (John the Baptist)
• Nativity (Christmas)
• Circumcision
• Epiphany
• Presentation in the Temple
• Flight into Egypt
• Finding of Jesus in the Temple
JESUS’ MINISTRY AND MISSION
• Baptism of Jesus
• Jesus’ temptations
• Proclamation of the Kingdom of God
• Signs of the kingdom of God
• The Twelve
• Transfiguration
• Jesus’ ascent and entrance to Jerusalem
THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST
Purpose:
• To dispose witnesses and hearers to faith
• To confirm the truth of the message and Messenger
• To illustrate Christ’s teaching
Meaning and significance:
• Sign of God’s love
• Signs of the coming of the Kingdom
• Guarantees of a divine mission and message
• Revelation of the divinity of Christ
• Symbols of the sacramental economy
• Signs of transformation of the end-time
Christ has Died... (CFC 567 ff.)
• Characteristics of Christ’s Suffering and Death
– Jesus Passion and Death was redemptive (to
redeem the people)
– Jesus died for our sins (because of our human
sinfulness and to show us to overcome sin and its
effects
Christ has Died...
• Effect of Christ’s Death
– Universal. He died not for our sins alone but for
those of the whole world
– Eschatological, that those who follow him will
receive eternal life to come
– Empowerment, so that all our actions can have
“saving” power.
Christ is Risen... (CFC
620 ff.)
• The RESURRECTION of Christ is the primordial
Christian proclamation.
• Meaning and Importance of the Resurrection
– His resurrection affirmed everything Christ had done and taught
– Through the resurrection, Christ fulfilled the Old Testament
prophesies
– The resurrection confirmed Christ’s divinity
– Christ death freed us from sin, and his Resurrection brought us a
share in the new life
– The Risen Christ is the principle and source of our future
resurrection
Christ is Risen... (CFC 628 ff.)
• Nature of the Resurrection
– As passage, an event in human history
– As the glorified life of the Risen Christ (both like and
unlike the historical earthly Jesus)
– As effected by the Blessed Trinity
Christ is Risen... (CFC 628 ff.)
• New Testament Witness to the Resurrection
– The Resurrection as Kerygma
– The Resurrection as Jesus Presence
– The resurrection and the empty tomb
“The corpse of Jesus was a symbol of human sin, and God
took the corpse and made of it the beginning of the new
creation. Redemption in the catholic sense, is not
escaping from this sinful world, but transforming it with
all its evil and suffering.” (CFC 647)
Christ will Come Again... (Creed 6)
Thank You!
