The Incarnation and Salvation (1RB0)
Who do Christians say Jesus is, and how do they believe people are saved? Explore the Incarnation, sin and grace, atonement and resurrection.
Use it, the way the marks are given
Free interactive practice at using the material, which is what the marks are for.
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Two big questions
Christian belief turns on two questions: who is Jesus? and how are people saved? The answers are the Incarnation (God became human in Jesus) and salvation (rescue from sin). Write about what Christians believe, and remember Christians differ in their views. This module ends by looking at one of those differences.
The Incarnation
Christians believe Jesus is the incarnate Son of God: God who took on human flesh. That is what the Incarnation means, and the word itself comes from the Latin for flesh. The claim has two halves and dropping either one gets it wrong. Jesus is held to be fully God, so he is not only a wise teacher or a prophet. And he is fully human, so he is not a spirit wearing a body, nor an angel: Christians hold that he felt hunger, pain and death as any person does. John 1:14 speaks of the Word becoming flesh, and 1 Timothy 3:16 of God being revealed in the flesh.
Mark the claims
Five statements about the Incarnation. Tap the TWO that Christians would say are WRONG.
- Christians believe God took on human flesh in Jesus.
- Christians believe Jesus was an angel sent by God rather than God himself.
- Christians believe Jesus was fully God and fully human at the same time.
- Christians believe Jesus only appeared to have a body, and felt no real pain.
- John 1:14 describes the Word becoming flesh.
The problem, and the answer
Salvation is needed because of sin. Four words carry the whole account, and the exam wants them used precisely rather than swapped about:
How it fits together
Christians believe that _____ separates people from God. God's _____ shows them the right way to live, but it also shows how far short they fall, and simply keeping rules cannot rescue anyone. What saves is _____: God's free and undeserved gift. Afterwards the Holy _____ helps believers to live a new life.
Earned or given?
A student writes: "Christians believe people earn their salvation by keeping God's law carefully enough." What is wrong with that sentence?
- Salvation is believed to come by grace, as a free gift. The law shows people their sin but cannot save them from it
- Christians do not believe in God's law at all
- Christians do not believe anyone needs saving
- Nothing is wrong: that is exactly what Christians believe
The atonement
At the heart of salvation is the atonement. Christians believe Jesus's death on the cross deals with sin and reconciles people to God. The word breaks apart as at-one-ment: being made "at one" with God again. Acts 4:12 expresses the belief that salvation is found in Jesus, and John 3:16 that God acted out of love. Christians believe Jesus then rose from the dead on the third day, the resurrection celebrated at Easter, and later ascended to heaven. The resurrection is understood as victory over death, and as God confirming that the sacrifice brings salvation and the hope of eternal life.
The last days of Jesus
Put these events from the end of Jesus's life in the order the Gospels give them.
- The Last Supper
- Betrayal and arrest
- Crucifixion
- Resurrection
- Ascension
Which source supports which belief?
- John 1:14
- John 3:16
- Acts 4:12
- Genesis
- The Word became flesh: the Incarnation
- God so loved the world: salvation flows from God's love
- Salvation is found in no one else: salvation comes through Jesus
- The Fall of Adam and Eve: how sin entered the world
Where Christians differ
Christians agree that salvation comes through Jesus. They differ in emphasis over how it is received, and an exam answer that can describe both sides fairly is worth far more than one that knows only its own:
Agreeing and differing
Two Christians disagree about how far good works matter for salvation. Which statement best describes what they still SHARE?
- Both believe salvation comes through Jesus and that it depends on God's grace; they differ over how it is received and what part works play
- They share nothing: one believes Jesus saves and the other does not
- One believes in God and the other does not
- There is no real disagreement at all between them
Explain a belief
You are answering an exam question: "Explain the importance of salvation for Christians." Choose the strongest move at each step.
- How should you start?
- Next, to strengthen the point you should...
- For the top marks, you should also...
Write the evaluation
Evaluate the statement: "For Christians, how you live matters more than what you believe." Refer to Christian teaching, give reasoned arguments on both sides, and reach a justified conclusion.
- Give at least one argument Christians would use to AGREE, with a reason
- Give at least one argument Christians would use to DISAGREE, with a reason
- Refer to a source of authority somewhere in your answer
- Conclude by saying which arguments are stronger and WHY, rather than restating both sides
Belief summary
Christians believe Jesus is the _____ Son of God, both fully God and fully human. People are separated from God by sin, but through God's _____ they can be saved. Jesus's death is called the _____, and his _____ at Easter shows victory over death.