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CHRISTOLOGY
Christology is a field of study within Christian theology which is concerned with the nature of Jesus the
Christ. In particular, how the divine and human are related in his person. Christology is generally less
concerned with the details of Jesus’ life than it is with how the human and divine co-exist in one person.
Although this study of the inter-relationship of these two natures is the foundation of Christology, some
essential sub-topic within the field of Christology include:
 the Incarnation,
 the resurrection, and
 the salvific work of Jesus (known as soteriology).
Traditionally, Christological reflection has focused on two specific aspects of that portrayal—namely:
person and the work of Jesus.
It has also sought to clarify and systematize the meaning of the scriptural depiction of Jesus.
The incarnation
The incarnation is the Christian belief that God took human form by becoming Jesus. Incarnation literally
means ‘to take on flesh’. For Christians, the incarnation shows that Jesus was fully God and fully human.
It is an essential part of belief in the Trinity, and in many ways it forms the basis of Christianity.
Jesus as incarnate
Through the incarnation of Jesus, humans were able to start repairing their damaged relationship with
God. This relationship had been imperfect since Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Through Jesus’
incarnation, God began the process of salvation from sin, making it possible for humans to have a full
relationship with him and go to Heaven.
As Jesus was the son of God, most Christians believe he could not have been conceived and born like a
normal human. Because Jesus was the son of God, and his father was God rather than a human man, his
mother Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born. This idea is known as the immaculate conception.
Biblical accounts of the incarnation
The incarnation is referred to several times in the Gospels, in particular the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and
John.
The Gospel of Matthew tells Christians about the miraculous conception of Jesus and describes the
events leading to his birth.
The Gospel of Luke tells Christians of the miraculous birth of John the Baptist. It also describes the
journey Mary and Joseph took from Nazareth, where they lived, to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.
The Gospel of John is less like a story and takes a more theological approach. At the start of this Gospel,
Jesus is identified as the Word of God: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God” (John 1:1).
Resurrection
For Christians, the resurrection is the belief that Jesus came back to life three days after he died on the
cross. The Gospel of Matthew (28:1–10) includes a detailed account of how Jesus’ followers discovered
that he had been resurrected:
Mary Magdalene and Mary, Jesus’ mother, go to Jesus’ tomb on the Sunday after the crucifixion.
An angel appears like lightning and rolls away the stone covering the entrance to the tomb, causing an
earthquake. The guards at the tomb are so afraid that they shake and become like dead men.
The angel speaks to the women, telling them that Jesus is not there, that he has risen from the dead and
that he is on his way to Galilee.
The women rush away to tell Jesus’ disciples.
Jesus greets them on the way. The women clutch his feet and worship him. He tells them not to be afraid
and tells his followers to go to Galilee to see him there.
Belief in the resurrection is central to Christianity. It shows that Jesus defeated death, and it is considered
by many Christians to be proof of life after death. Many Christians also think of Jesus’ resurrection as
evidence of God’s omnipotent and omnibenevolent nature.
Salvation
Following the mistake made by Adam and Eve, which led to evil entering the world, God offered salvation.
This means human souls can be saved from eternal punishment (or separation from God) and are
allowed to enter Heaven (and be in the presence of God).
In order for this salvation to happen, God set a process in motion:
 God gave his only son, Jesus, so that all humans could be saved.
 Jesus was a perfect human - he had no sin.
 God placed the sins of the world upon him at his crucifixion.
 Jesus’ actions meant that there was reconciliation between God and humanity - his death atoned
or made up for human sin.
Christians believe that this process shows how loving God is as he gave his only son to save humanity. It
also shows that he is able to forgive humans.
There are several different ways to achieve salvation.
1. Salvation through law
Some Christians believe that people can achieve salvation by following God’s teachings and carrying out
good deeds that will please God. An example is caring for those who are less fortunate or giving to
charity.
2. Salvation through grace
Grace is the unconditional love that God has for everyone. Salvation does not need to be earned. Instead,
it can be achieved by believing in God and his son Jesus Christ.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith … it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8
3. Salvation through spirit
The Holy Spirit helps Christians to follow the teachings of God, and God recognizes that everyone will sin
but that they will turn to God in repentance (Acts 20:21). This means that, despite sinning, humans will try
to make amends and ask for forgiveness by agreeing that God exists.
APPROACHES TO DEFINITION FOCUS

CHRISTOLOGY
Cosmological Christology from above Jesus’ divinity
Anthropological Christology from below Jesus’ humanity
Jesus: The Man Who Changed History

NAME HEBREW GREEK LATIN ENGLISH
Jesus (God saves) Yeshua ΙΗΣΟΥΣ Iesus Jesus
EMMANUEL = God is with us
By Place of Origin: Jesus of Nazareth / the Nazarene / the Galilean

By Family Relations: Jesus, the son of Joseph / the carpenter’s son
Jesus, the brother of James, Joses, Judas, Simon
Jesus, the son of Mary
CHRISTOLOGICAL TITLES
Messiah/Christ Heb. “Mashiah” = Gk. “Christos” = “Anointed”
Son of God My Beloved Son
The Holy One of God
Son of the Blessed One
Son of Man “Bar Nasha” = Human One or Heavenly Judge
Rabbi/Teacher Common Title in Mark; Portrayal in Matthew
Lord/LORD
Prophet Gk. pro-phemi = “to speak on behalf of (God)”
King of the Jews/King of Israel
Lamb of God/Good Shepherd
HYPOSTATIC UNION
Hypostatic Union is the doctrine that Jesus is truly God, truly man, and one person
The form of God refers to “the essence of being”
THE CENTER OF OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH IS JESUS CHRIST

 First, we must recognize that to really know Jesus Christ is a life-long task.
 Second, knowing Jesus is a living, changing, growing and deepening experience.
 Third, the Jesus we come to know is both the historical earthly Jesus and the Risen Christ of
faith.
 Fourth, to know Jesus means being committed to following him, being his disciple.
Did Jesus really exist?

Most of the detailed information we have about Jesus comes from four books. They were written by
Matthew, Luke, Mark, and John and we call them the Gospels, which mean good news. Of these writers,
Matthew and John were close friends of Jesus, who were with him right from the beginning of his work.
Mark was a young man when Jesus died, but he knew the disciples and worked closely with their leader,
Peter. Luke took great care to interview those who had known Jesus, before writing his history. All of
these four men wrote their books within about fifty years of Jesus’ death, when people who knew him
would still have been alive to check the facts.
Matthew and Luke, who wrote two of the Gospels, give details of what happened through the first years of
Jesus’ life. Luke focuses on Mary; Matthew writes from Joseph’s point of view. Putting the two together,
here is the summary of the main events.
1. Mary and Joseph, who lived in the town of Nazareth in the north of Palestine, were engaged to be
married.
2. An angel messenger from God appeared to Mary, telling her that she would have a child - God's
own Son.
3. An angel also appeared to Joseph, in a dream, telling him not to be afraid to marry Mary. He also
told Joseph that the baby she was expecting should be called Jesus. (The name means 'rescuer',
'one who saves'.)
4. During her pregnancy, Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, who was also expecting a baby. He
would be Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist, sent to prepare people for Jesus' coming.
5. A census ordered by the Roman emperor forced the couple to travel to Bethlehem to register
their names. There was no room for them to stay in the inn. When the baby was born, they
wrapped him in strips of cloth and settled him to sleep in a manger where the animals were fed.
6. Shepherds on the hills outside the town were frightened when they saw an angel who told them
about the birth of the baby. Suddenly the whole sky was filled with thousands of angels, all
praising God. Immediately the shepherds set out to find the baby in the town.
7. Joseph and Mary named the baby Jesus. Later, they took him to the temple in Jerusalem to
dedicate him to God.
8. While they were there, an old man named Simeon and an old woman called Anna both
recognized the baby as someone very special.They said that here, at last, was the person God
had promised to send to rescue his people.
9. Some men from the East, who studied the stars, came to Jerusalem. They were looking for a
baby whom they believed would grow up to be the king of the Jews. King Herod sent them on to
Bethlehem, where they found the baby and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They
were warned in a dream not to go back to the jealous king, who intended to kill the baby.
10. Also in a dream, Joseph was told to take his family into hiding in Egypt.
11. King Herod, determined to destroy the baby king, ordered the death of all baby boys in and
around Bethlehem.
12. After Herod's death in 4 BC, the family returned and settled in Nazareth.

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CHRISTOLOGY

APPROACHES TO DEFINITION FOCUS

Jesus: The Man Who Changed History

EMMANUEL = God is with us

By Place of Origin: Jesus of Nazareth / the Nazarene / the Galilean

THE CENTER OF OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH IS JESUS CHRIST

Did Jesus really exist?

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