Who do you say that I am? Artistic Depictions of Jesus Works of art reach our imagination and ‘speak’ to us in ways that words alone cannot. Artistic presentations of Jesus by Christian artists from cultures throughout the world continue to contribute to our image of Jesus.

Who do you say that I am? What qualities did you depict in your own image of Jesus? What does your image say about Jesus? What does it say about you? What does your image of Jesus ask of your life?

Jesus is the Good News The Word Became Flesh in Jesus God fulfilled his promise in a remarkable way in Palestine of the first century. The Son of God took on a human nature and lived among us in the body, mind and spirit of Jesus of Nazareth. The Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, embraced a human nature in order to bring us closer to God, to one another and to save and free us from the bondage of sin.

Jesus is the Good News The Word Became Flesh in Jesus All of God’s saving work of Salvation revolves around and in Jesus. Jesus was both a historical figure and a Person who transcends history. Jesus is the one and only Mediator between God and man. The Letter to the Philippians includes a hymn about Jesus. Philippians 2:5−8 expresses the faith of the Church in the Incarnation and the saving work of Jesus.

Jesus is the Good News Incarnation By the Incarnation, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity assumed our human nature, taking flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary. There is one Person in Jesus and that is the divine Person of the Son of God. Jesus has two natures, a human one and a divine one. USCCA, 515

Jesus was fully human and fully divine—for us! The Word Became Flesh For us and our salvation he came down from heaven. In order to save us by reconciling us with God. So that we might know God’s love. To be our model of holiness. To make us partakers of the divine nature.

Jesus was fully human and fully divine—for us! Jesus Was Both Fully Human and Fully Divine These heresies in the early Church falsely explained the Incarnation. Gnosticism and Docetism: overemphasized the divinity of Jesus and denied his full humanity. —The Church condemned these heresies, insisting that ‘Jesus Christ has come in the flesh … from God’ (1 John 4:2). Arianism: taught that Jesus was not truly God because he was not of the ‘same substance’ as God. — Council of Nicaea I in 325 taught that Jesus is truly God, of the same substance. — Council of Constantinople in 381 declared Arianism to be heretical.

Jesus was fully human and fully divine—for us! Jesus Was Both Fully Divine and Fully Human Nestorianism: taught that Jesus was two separate persons, one human and one divine. —Council of Ephesus in 431 decreed that there is one divine Person, Jesus, who has two natures, a divine nature and a human nature. Monophysitism: taught that there is only one (mono) nature (physis) in Christ; the human nature of Christ ceased to exist when the divine Person of God the Son assumed it. —Council of Chalcedon in 451 responded that ‘The distinction between the natures was never abolished by their union. —Second Vatican Council reasserted this mystery of faith.

Jesus—Savior, Redeemer and Liberator Jesus, the Redeemer and the Savior of All Redemption is the Salvation won for us by Jesus by his paying the price of his own sacrificial death on the Cross to ransom us, to set us free from the slavery of sin. CCC Glossary Salvation is the forgiveness of sins and restoration of friendship with God, which can be done by God alone. CCC Glossary

Jesus—Savior, Redeemer and Liberator Jesus, the Liberator The title ‘Liberator’, meaning ‘one who frees’, is closely aligned with the ancient title of Messiah. When we say Jesus is the Liberator, we are professing our faith in the fact that Jesus sets us free from the power of sin.

Experiencing the Risen Jesus today Through his life and the Paschal Mystery of his Death-Resurrection-Ascension, Jesus fulfilled his work as Redeemer and Savior and Liberator. Jesus gives us the power, God’s grace, to live the ‘way’ he lived and taught. Jesus remains present with us in Sacred Scripture, in the Sacraments and especially in his Church. The Church is the sacrament of salvation in the world, ‘the sign and instrument of the communion of God and men’ (CCC, no. 780). We also encounter the Risen Christ today through the experiences and events and people in our lives.