1. Jesus Christ The Sacrament of God

2. 2 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God What is a sacrament? An outward sign instituted by Christ to give Grace.

3. 3 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Origin & Meaning  Greek mysterion meaning “mystery”  Example  Baptism  Visible sign: flowing water with the words of Baptism  Invisible grace: washes away our sins and configures our souls more closely to Christ  Jesus Christ  Visible sign: became man  Invisible grace: SALVATION

4. 4 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Why do we need to properly understand?  Omnipresence of God  We are charged to guard the Faith  “ O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid profane babbling and the absurdities of so- called knowledge. By professing it, some people have deviated from the faith.” (1 TIM 6:20-21).

5. 5 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Christology  Christology is the study of Christ  2 Dimensions 1. His person (who He is)  Christology per se 2. His purpose (what He does)  Soteriology (soter in Greek means salvation – the study of salvation)

6. 6 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Council of Nicea (AD 325)  Deals with the Natures of Jesus Christ  Same nature with God  Begotten not made  Not an angel  Not a first-born creature but divine with the same personhood and power as Almighty God  Affirms that only God can save us, if Jesus saves us then Jesus is God  Nicene Creed (Apostles Creed)

7. 7 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God ? ? ? Q U E S T I O N S ? ? ?

8. 8 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Council of Chalcedon (AD 451)  “One Person, 2 Natures” (hypostatic union)  “Like us in all things but sin”  It is not in our nature to sin  Sin is a corruption of what it is to be human  Saint Athanaius  “What is not assumed is not saved!”  Catholics confess  Jesus Chris is TRUE MAN and TRUE GOD

9. 9 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God ? ? ? Q U E S T I O N S ? ? ?

10. 10 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Atonement  Saint Anselm  Why do we need to be saved?  Original Sin turns us away from the love of God  Lack of devotion dishonors God  Justice demands restoration and payment  How can humans who are born in sin, pay the penalty of a sinless death?  We can’t, but one who is of God (sinless) can do that and one who is of humanity ought to do that.

11. 11 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Why did God become man? 4 Principle Reasons: 1. To save us and reconcile us with God (1 John 4:10) 2. That we might know God’s love (1 John 4:9) 3. To be our model of holiness (Matthew 11:29) 4. To make us partakers of the Divine Nature (2 Peter 1:3-4)  “God became man so that man might become like god.” (Saint Augustine) Bottom Line: The Son of God assumes human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it.

12. 12 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God ? ? ? Q U E S T I O N S ? ? ?

13. 13 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God The Paschal Mystery  It’s the central mystery of our faith because our salvation rests upon it: the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ  St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Corinthians that the resurrection is the principal and source of our future resurrection (1Cor. 15:20-22)  At the end of the world, on Judgment Day we will definitely recognize once and for all the victory over evil and the dignity of the Human race because of the Paschal Mystery

14. 14 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Life of Jesus  Sacred Scripture – the Gospels  4 Gospels – 1 story  Extra-Biblical Evidence  Roman Writers  Jewish Writers  Heterodox Christian Writers

15. 15 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Historicity  Cardinal John Henry Newman  Sancta Mater Ecclesia (1964), para. #3  “The teaching & the life of Jesus have not been recounted simply to preserve his memory, but were preached in order to give to the Church the foundation of the faith & the basis of morals.”

16. 16 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Back to the New Testament  NT writings, in particular the 4 Gospels DO NOT present to incorporate all the objective data about Jesus Christ  Not biographies of Jesus, but TESTIMONIES

17. 17 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God ? ? ? Q U E S T I O N S ? ? ?

18. 18 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God How does Christ bring Meaning to Our Lives 1. Christ lives a real human existence 2. In becoming man the eternal Son assumes the full human condition 3. The teaching of Jesus is fundamental to the sign of His person and life  Unique authority – Matthew 7:29 4. Christ presents Himself as the full realization of all the qualities necessary for the full moral development of mankind 5. In Christ the suffering and pains of human existence find meaning

19. 19 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Why is it important to know & understand who Jesus Christ is? H E R E S I E S A false statement or lie (usually contains some element of truth). Chris does not want our relationship with Him to be based upon a lie!

20. 20 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God A Few Heresies (There are literally THOUSANDS) 1. Ebionitism 2. Adoptionism 3. Docetism 4. Gnostism

21. 21 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God ? ? ? Q U E S T I O N S ? ? ?

22. 22 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Important Figures

23. 23 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Irenaeus of Lyon (AD 202)  Very careful in all his refutations of heresy to remain faithful to Sacred Scripture and the Traditions of the Apostles themselves  Affirmed Christ was “true man and true God”  Doctrine of Recapitulation

24. 24 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Tertullian (AD 220)  Basically: Jesus is NOT a composite of a Divine Person and a Human Person but a single Divine Person  His apologies refuted 3 of the greatest Christological errors: 1. Apollinariansism 2. Nestorianism 3. Monophysitism

25. 25 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Origen of Alexandria (AD 250)  Makes it clear that the Son proceeds from the Father not by division, but by a spiritual act of agape love – the Son has no beginning  Succeeded in refuting the Arian heresy which clearly stated that the Son had a beginning

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27. 27 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Nicea I (AD 325)  A very important Church Council that came to discuss the Divinity of Jesus Christ  Condemned the Arian Controversy as heresy  Arius’ Opinions  He used Sacred Scripture as a method to proof text  Ardent foe: Alexander  Saint Athanasius

28. 28 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God Saint Athanasius  One of the greatest defenders of the faith of Nicea  Did not proof text, but used John 1:14

29. 29 STM RCIA Jesus Christ: the Sacrament of God ? ? ? Q U E S T I O N S ? ? ?