58. Incarnation

Incarnation which literally means embodied in flesh refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature (generally a human) who is the material manifestation of an entity or force whose original nature is immaterial. In its religious context the word is used to mean the descent of a divine being or the Supreme Being (God) in human form on Earth. While Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism are perhaps the most widely-known traditions to employ this concept within the context of their respective belief systems, they are by no means the only ones to do so.

Incarnation literally means "the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form," or "a concrete or actual form of a quality or concept." The Incarnation, to most Christians, refers to God coming down to Earth as a man, Jesus, also called the Christ. The Bible indicates that Jesus claimed to be God Incarnate, or in the flesh, on several occasions, although some segments debate this interpretation. The only way Jesus' death could be the once-for-all atonement for our sins is for Him to have been sinless, which would be impossible had he been a mere man. Only by being both God *and* man could His death on the cross substitute for our own.

I would presume that incarnation for a non-Christian would refer to the second definition above, or perhaps to the possession of a body or object by a ghost or spirit, depending on one's view of things spiritual. In the Incarnation, as traditionally defined, the divine nature of the Son was joined but not mixed with human nature in one divine Person, Jesus Christ, who was both "truly God and truly man". The Incarnation is commemorated and celebrated each year at the Feast of the Incarnation, which is better known as the Annunciation. This is central to the traditional Christian faith held by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic Churches, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, and most Protestants.

Alternative views on the subject have been proposed throughout the centuries (see below), but all were rejected by mainstream Christian bodies. Jesus never claimed to be the 'Son of God' - which title was given to him by others. He claimed much more. He claimed to be 'God the Son' - something very different. By forgiving sins (only God could do that), by his miracles (only God could heal), by his teaching with authority (rather than second hand from the law) and by his claim to be 'I AM' (ja-whe, Jehovah) - 'My father and I are one', Jesus claimed to be God incarnate. That is one of the reasons why Christians follow him.