By: Angelo de Jesus | Catechist

Importance of this topic
We will explore the gift of salvation through the promise of a messiah, a deliverer, a teacher and Our God, the second person in the Trinity, Jesus.

One Line Summary
God, the Incarnate Son, a sacrificial Lamb, foretold and then fulfilled for the salvation of man.

Important Scripture Passages
Gen 3:15 – The first sign of God’s plan of redemption
Gen 22:1-19 - Abraham is told by God to sacrifice Isaac, his son.
Exodus 3:1-15 – The Great I AM as revealed to Moses
Isaiah 7:10-14 – A passage that foretells the promise of a Messiah.
Luke 1:26-38 – Mary’s acceptance to carry the Messiah in her womb.
Matthew 26:26-28 – Jesus gives himself to us through the Eucharist.
John 8: 12-59 – Jesus explains where He came from and who sent Him.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

422 - ‘But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.’ This is ‘the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God God has visited his people. He has fulfilled the promise he made to Abraham and his descendants. He acted far beyond all expectation - he has sent his own ‘beloved Son’.
426 - “At the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a Person, the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son from the Father. . .who suffered and died for us and who now, after rising, is living with us forever.”

Discussion Points

God created us to be free and at the same time willingly be subjected to Him. God bonded Himself to us through this friendship of trust and reliance on Him. Adam’s disobedience toward God created a rift that separated us from Him and we lost the grace of original holiness.

“By one man’s disobedience many (that is, all men) were made sinners”: “sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned.” Rom 5:12,19. St. Paul explains it best, the implications of Adam’s sin. That all humanity became prone to sin through one man’s disobedience. St. Paul also noted hope, “Then as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to acquittal and life for all men. “ Rom 5:18.

The “New Adam” who, because he “became obedient unto death, even death on a cross”, makes amends superabundantly for the disobedience, of Adam. In Genesis 3:15 we see the first announcement of the Messiah and Redeemer, of a battle between the serpent and the Woman, and of the final victory of a descendant of hers.

Jesus means in Hebrew: “God saves.” In the history of salvation God was not content to deliver Israel “out of the house of bondage” by bringing them out of Egypt. He also saves them from their sin. Because sin is always an offence against God, only he can forgive it. For this reason Israel, becoming more and more aware of the universality of sin, will no longer be able to seek salvation except by invoking the name of the Redeemer God.

The Word became flesh for us in order to save us by reconciling us with God, who “loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins”: “the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world”, and “he was revealed to take away sins”

“God sent forth his Son”, but to prepare a body for him, he wanted the free co-operation of a creature. For this, from all eternity God chose for the mother of his Son a daughter of Israel, a young Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, “a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary”

The cross is the unique sacrifice of Christ, the “one mediator between God and men”.452 But because in his incarnate divine person he has in some way united himself to every man, “the possibility of being made partners, in a way known to God, in the paschal mystery” is offered to all men.453 He calls his disciples to “take up [their] cross and follow [him]”,454 for “Christ also suffered for [us], leaving [us] an example so that [we] should follow in his steps.”455 In fact Jesus desires to associate with his redeeming sacrifice those who were to be its first beneficiaries.456 This is achieved supremely in the case of his mother, who was associated more intimately than any other person in the mystery of his redemptive suffering.457

Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.458

Common Misunderstandings

Jesus has paved the way for our salvation. We are not automatically saved by faith alone. Instead, it is also required that we work towards our salvation. Faith cannot be faith without works. “Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Mt 7:21

Jesus is fully man and fully God. He is not half god and half man. The first Gnostic Docetism, denied Christ’s full humanity. “The Word became flesh”,82 the Church calls “Incarnation” the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it.

A question to think about

Jesus carried the sins of the world through His sacrifice. He carried His cross to death for the salvation of many. He did all this with joy and love for us. How much of your cross have you picked up and carried? All rights reserved. You may print one copy for personal use.