THE WORD MADE FLESH, JESUS, BOTH

GOD AND HUMAN

Knowing Jesus

Objectives (of the lesson)

Doctrine: To know the personhood of Jesus – both God and Human

Morals: To Believe in the Incarnation of Christ.

Worship: To celebrate the divinity and humanity of Christ through prayers and worship.

Is Jesus God? In unison we say yes. The mystery of this truth confounds us, but our faith is based on our
belief in the divinity of Christ.

Is Jesus human? Sometimes we are uncertain about this question, perhaps because we are afraid of taking
away from the majesty or the reality of Jesus’ divinity by emphasizing his humanity. However, Christ is
fully human just as He is fully divine – not merely God-filled human or a human-formed God, but divine-
human. This difficult theology is stated quite simply in the classic text: “The Word became flesh” (John
1:14).

Scriptures

“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the
beginning with God.” – John 1:1-2

“And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us” – John 1:14

“The Word”

As John 1:1 reminds us, is God, the Logos (the Greek word for “word”), who is eternally God, not
created. The Word is the second person of the Blessed Trinity, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable.

“The Flesh”

In John 1:14, the word “flesh” comes after the word “Word.” This word order places an emphasis
on “flesh.” Flesh in this context means “humanity.” It emphasizes human weakness and frailty.

Jesus spoke of His own flesh and he said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
Whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give in my flesh for the life of the world.”
(John 6:51)

“Became”
 While remaining divine, the Word became human. It is like the situation when man’s wife gives
birth, we speak of him as becoming a father while remaining a husband.

“Made His dwelling among us”

This means that God “tabernacle” among us, as God’s presence was with his people in the desert
and His Shekinah revealed his power, love and grace.

Jesus truly lived a human life. He was one with us in all things. He experienced our joys and hopes,
our grief and anxieties. He was no stranger to the difficulties, frustrations, uncertainties, and fears we
know too well. He showed us that amid sufferings and in the face of death, God’s love prevails. Truly, He is
the Word of God made flesh.

Church Teaching (Catechism for Filipino Catholic, 476)

We proclaim in the Creed that the Son of God came down from heaven “for us and our salvation.”
Scriptures likewise declares: “The Father sent His Son as Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). This means

• First, that God sent His Son as an offering for our sins (cf. 1 John 4:10)
• Second, he came to reveal to us God’s love that we might have life through Him (cf. John 3:16)
• Third, He came to be our model for sanctity; and
• Fourth, we could share in His divine sonship (cf. 2 Peter 1:4; CCC, 456-460)

Jesus, Truly God and Truly Human

Jesus Is Truly Human

In the scriptures, let us seek, which vividly records the profound humanity of Jesus.

• “Behold, you will conceived in your womb and bear a Son and you shall name Him Jesus.” (Luke
1:31)
• But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.
(Galatians 4:4)
• Christ felt what every human person experiences.
o He got tired from His journeys (John 4:6)
o He knew what it was to be thirsty (John 4:7)
o He knew what it was to be hungry (Luke 4:2)
o He was deeply moved with great sadness (John 11:33)
o He was tested through sufferings (Hebrews 2:17-18)
o His heart was moved with pity for the crowd (Matthew 15:32)
o He wept over Jerusalem in sorrow (Luke 19:42)
o He faced the cross in agony (Mark 14:34-36)
o He felt fear in the face of the cross (John 12:27)
o He felt sorrow so deep to the point of death (Matthew 26:38)
• Christ has bodily historical existence
 o Then, he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand
and put it into my side…” (John 20:27)
o “The women who had come to Galilee with Him followed behind when they had seen the
tomb and the way in which the body was laid in it, they returned and prepared spices and
perfumed oils” (Luke 23:55-56)
o “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon and touched with our hands…” (1 John 1:1)

Jesus is Truly God

Jesus Manifested His divine presence and authority through signs. Miracles were signs pointing to
Jesus’ person and mission.

• He changed water into wine (John 2:1-11)

• He made the blind see (Mark 2:22-25)
• He made the lame walk (John 5:1)
• He made the dumb speak (Mark 7:31-37)
• He healed the sick (Mark 5:21-24)
• He calmed the wind and the sea (Mark 5:35-41)
• He cast out demons and evil spirits (Matthew 18:23)
• He forgave sins (Mark 2:5)
• He raised the dead to life (John 11:1)

“Christ has died! Christ has risen! Christ will come again!” is the profound memorial acclamation.
The Incarnation is therefore the mystery of the union of the divine and human natures in the one persons
of the Word. For if the incarnation was an imagined thing, then our salvation was an illusion. Christ is
twofold: He is both God and Human.