SAINT MICHAEL COLLEGE

THE CREED (12 ARTICLES) – Week 4 Module OF HINDANG, LEYTE, INC.

A. Bonifacio St., Poblacion II, Hindang, Leyte
Website: [Link]

Good Day Class!

Another blissful week and another module for you to read and answer. This module tackles the second
article of the Apostles’ Creed, “I Believe in Jesus Christ, His Only Son, Our Lord”.

Before you read, let’s pray the Lord’s Prayer. Let us pray. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, Amen:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it
is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who
trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. (sign of the cross)

ARTICLE 2: I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD

JESUS CHRIST

Who is Jesus Christ?

Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity and the Incarnated Son of God.

He is the Second Person of

the Blessed Trinity, otherwise known
as The Word of God, because he
existed from eternity as God the Son,
in unity with the Father and the Holy
Spirit. As it is written in the Prologue
of the Gospel of St. John: “In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

He is also the Incarnated Son of God because, in order to redeem humankind, he became a man
in the womb of the Virgin Mary. As the prologue declares: “And the Word became flesh and made his
dwelling among us” (John 1:14). His coming was foretold in the Protoevangelium (Genesis 3:15),
proclaimed by the Old Testament prophets, and finally announced by the Archangel Gabriel to Mary: “The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child
to be born will be called holy, the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).

What are the Old Testament prophecies concerning Jesus Christ?

The whole Bible speaks of Jesus Christ,

either directly or indirectly. The following are the
major prophecies that gradually revealed the
Messiah’s identity.

1) The Messiah from a woman: The first

announcement of the coming of Jesus
Christ, known as the Protoevangelium,
was made by God to Adam and Eve
before their expulsion from the Garden
of Eden: “I will put enmity between you
and the woman, and between your
offspring and hers; they will strike at your
head, while you strike at their heel” (Genesis 3:15). The woman is the Virgin Mary, and her
offspring is Jesus.

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2) The Messiah born of a Virgin Mother: The prophet Isaiah made known to
King Ahaz that the Messiah would be born of a virgin: “The virgin will conceive
and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah7:14). The Gospel of
Matthew confirms that the prophecy was fulfilled with Mary of Nazareth, who
conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit: "All this took place to fulfill what the
Lord had said through the prophet [Isaiah]: The virgin will be with child and will
give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (Matthew 1:22-23).

3) The Messiah from Israel: The prophets specified that the Messiah was to be:

a) From the people of Israel, whose ancestor was Abraham: "Through your
offspring all nations on earth will be blessed" (Genesis 22:18).
b) From the Tribe of Judah: "The scepter will not depart
from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience
of the nations is his" (Genesis 49:10).
c) From the family line of Jesse: "A shoot will come up
from the stump of Jesse: from his roots a Branch will
bear fruit" (Isaiah 11:1).
d) From the House of David: "The days are coming,
declares the Lord, when I will raise up to David a
righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do
what is just and right in the land" (Jeremiah 23:5).

Indeed St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, met

all these prophetic requirements, which were legally
acquired by his adopted son. For this reason, the
genealogy of Jesus does not follow the lineage of Mary
but that of Joseph: "Joseph, the husband of Mary; of
her was born Jesus who is called the
Messiah"(Matthew 1:16).

4) The Messiah from Bethlehem: The prophecy of

Micah pinpointed exactly the location of the birth of
the Messiah: “But you Bethlehem-Ephra-thah least
among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth
for me one who is to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:1). The
Prophecy specific that when the Magi asked the chief
priests was so and the teachers of the law of King Herod
for the birthplace of the Messiah, they answered
without any doubt: “In Bethlehem in Judea, for this is
what the prophet [Micah] has written” (Matthew2:5).

THE TWO NATURES OF JESUS CHRIST

What are the two natures of Jesus Christ?

Jesus Christ is true God and true man,

because in him there are two natures, divine and
human, but only one divine person. His divine
nature is eternal and was never created; his human
nature is mortal and was conceived in the womb of
the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Council of Ephesus (431 AD) declared

that the two natures are united in one divine
person in the so-called hypostatic union. This
union, also referred to as mystical union, is beyond
human comprehension and can be accepted only
by faith.
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 In order to explain the union of the two natures into one person, the church suggested a two color
coding for the icons of Jesus: blue, the color of Heaven, to signify his divine nature; and red, the color of
blood, to signify his human nature.

What are the proofs of the divine nature of Jesus?

The proofs of the divine nature of Jesus Christ are the following:

1) The Prologue of St. John: In the introduction to his Gospel,

St. John the Evangelist declared that Jesus Christ, referred
to as the Logos or the Word of God, existed as God from all
eternity: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

2) Jesus’ answer to St. Philip: During the Last Supper, the

apostle Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father. In his
reply, Jesus confirmed his divine nature: “Whoever has
seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us
the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and
the Father is in me?” (John 14:9-10)

3) The profession of faith of St. Thomas: After probing his

fingers in the wounds of Jesus, St. Thomas made the
profession of faith in his divine nature, saying: “My Lord
and my God” (John 20:28). And Jesus commented: “Have you come to believe because you have
seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29).

What are the proofs or the human nature of Jesus?

The proofs of the human nature of Jesus Christ are the following:

1) The incarnation in Mary’s Womb: The Son of God became

a real man in the womb of Mary, as Gabriel announced
unto her: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear
a Son, and you shall name him Jesus” (Luke1:31). St. John
proclaimed: “And the Word became flesh and made his
dwelling among us” (John 1:14). The term incarnation
comes from the Latin words in and carnem, which literally
means “to enter into the flesh,” or “to become a man.”

2) The death of Jesus: The ultimate demonstration of the

human nature of Christ is his death on the cross, because
God cannot die; only humans do. Jesus identified himself
as Son of Man, when he said: “The Son of Man must be
handed over to sinners and be crucified” (Luke 24:7).

3) The teaching of St. Paul: St. Paul declared that Jesus is the
only mediator between God and man because he is true
God and also true man: “For there is one God, and one
Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1
Timothy 2:5).

What are the Christological heresies?

The Christological heresies are the errors concerning the real identity of Jesus Christ.

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 1) Ebionism: This Jewish-Christian sect founded in Jerusalem during the century, denied the divine
nature of Jesus, rejected the virgin birth, and regarded Jesus as a man normally born of Joseph
and Mary. It faded into oblivion during the 2nd century for lack of support from both Jews and
Christians.

2) Adoptionism: This heretical group, founded by Theodotus of Byzantium during the 2d century,
rejected the divine nature of Jesus and considered him as a normal man, who was adopted by
God as his Son during the baptism at the Jordan. It was first condemned by Pope Victor I (186-198
AD), and finally by the Synods of Ratisbon in 792.

3) Docetism: This 2nd century heresy, whose name comes from the Greek verb dokein meaning “to
seem,” denied the human nature of Jesus. It considered Jesus as God, who seemed to be a man;
thus, his human appearance was merely a phantasm, and his birth, sufferings, and death were
only apparent. Some extremists even claimed that someone else was crucified in the place of
Christ. It was condemned by St. Polycarp (69 – 155 AD).

4) Arianism: This heresy, originated from the priest Arius of Alexandria (256-336 AD), rejected the
divine nature of Jesus and considered him as a man, not of the same nature but of similar nature
with the Father. As a consequence, it also denied the Dogma of the Trinity and the divine
motherhood of Mary. It was condemned by the Councils of Nicea (325 AD) and Constantinople
(381 AD)

5) Apollinarianism: This mistake, initiated by Apollinaris, Bishop of Laodicea (310-390 AD), believed
that the human nature of Jesus was incomplete, consisting of a body without the rational soul. It
was condemned by the Council of Antioch (378 AD) and the Council of Constantinople (381 AD).

6) Nestorianism: This heresy, invented by Nestorius, Bishop of Constantinople, in 429 AD,

maintained that the two natures of Christ remained separated, and were not united into one
divine person. It objected to the use of the term Theotokos (Mother of God), and proposed the
term Christokos (Mother of Christ). It was condemned by the Synod of Ephesus in 431 AD.

7) Monophysitism: This erroneous belief, started by Eutyches in the 5th century, asserted that the
human nature of Jesus was completely absorbed by his divine nature, thus ultimately he has only
one divine nature. It was condemned by Pope Leo the Great, in his famous Letter to Flavian (449
AD), and by the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD).

THE NAME “JESUS”

What is the meaning of the name “Jesus”?

Jesus is a Hebrew name which means God Saves, because his mission
was to save humankind. The Archangel Gabriel revealed the name to Mary at
the Annunciation: “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you
shall name him Jesus” (Luke 1:31); and also to Joseph in a dream: “She will
bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he Will save his people
from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Jesus is the most beautiful name of all. The
original Hebrew name Ye-hosua, which literally means “Yah-weh Saves,” was
translated Yeshua in Aramaic; Iesous in Greek; Iesus in Latin; Jesus in English;
Hesus in Filipino; Gesù in Italian; Jesús in Spanish. It was a very common name
in Judaea at the time of his birth.

Why do we celebrate the name of Jesus?

In order to be saved we must believe in the name of Jesus, just as St. Peter proclaimed before the
Sanhedrin of Jerusalem: “There is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved”
(Acts 4:12). Thus, the name of Jesus is at the heart of Christian spirituality, and all liturgical prayers
conclude with the words: “Through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

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 We celebrate the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus on
January 3, in connection with the circumcision and the
naming of the Holy Child on January 1, as recounted in the
Gospels: “When eight days were completed for his
circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the
angel before he was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:21).

The greatest promoter of the Holy Name of Jesus was

St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444). He coined the Latin
Christogram “IHS,” which stands for Iesus Hominum Salvator
(Jesus Savior of Men), which he propagated throughout the
world. At the end of his sermons, he usually displayed the IHS on a tablet in gold letters, and would ask
the faithful to kneel in adoration. The devotion to the Holy Name became so popular that the IHS was
often inscribed in churches, liturgical vestments, and on the Eucharistic bread.

Do biblical names have meaning?

In the Bible, a name identifies a person’s character and mission, as we see in the following
examples.

Lucifer: It means Bearer of Light, because he was the brightest of all angels (Isaiah 14:12).
Michael: It means Who-Is-Like-God, because his task is to fight Satan, who pretended to be God
(Revelation 12:7).
Raphael: It means Medicine-of-God, because his mission is to cure the sick (Tobit 12:15).
Gabriel: It means Power-of-God, because he said unto Mary that “nothing is impossible with God” (Luke
1:37).
Adam: It means Earth, because he was made by God out of the soil (Genesis 2:7).
Eve: It means Mother of all the Living, because all men descend from her (Genesis 3:20).
Abraham: It means Father of a Multitude, because he is the spiritual father of billions of believers,
including Jews, Christians and Muslims (Genesis 17:5).
Isaac: It means Laughter, because his mother Sarah laughed when the three angels announced unto
Abraham that in her old age she would conceive a son (Genesis 18:13).
Jacob: It means Supplanter, because of his bad attitude of cheating and stealing from his brother Esau and
other relatives; after his conversion at the Jabbok River, God changed his name into “Israel” which means
Strong with God (Genesis 32:28).
John: It means God is Gracious, because Elizabeth conceived her child despite her husband Zachariah’s
lack of faith (Luke 1:63).
Miriam: It means Princess, because the Mother of Jesus was to become the Queen of Heaven and Earth.

It is important to give Christian names to our children, so that they may find inspiration and
guidance in life.

Why do the Popes and some religious change their names?

When a cardinal is elected Pope, he chooses a name which signifies his personality and spirituality.
The practice was established by Jesus who, after calling Simon to be the shepherd of the Universal Church,
he changed his name into Peter, meaning “The Rock”: “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my
Church” (Matthew 16:18). Out of respect for the first Pope, none of his successor has ever adopted the
name of Peter II.

In the case of the religious, some change their names at the first profession to signify their new
life totally dedicated to Christ; others retain their baptismal names to emphasize that religious life is the
fulfillment of their Baptism.

THE TITLE “CHRIST”

What is the meaning of the title “Christ”?

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 The title “Christ,” which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word
Messiah, means anointed, or covered with oil. The Hebrew word
Mashiach (Messiah), was translated Khristos in Greek, Christus in Latin,
Cristo in Spanish, and Christ in English. Christ is not the family name of
Jesus, but a title which identifies his mission. Thus, the expression Jesus
Christ is a profession of faith, meaning: “Jesus is the Christ.”

The Prophets of the Old Testament announced that one day God
would send his Anointed to save humankind. Simon Peter was the first
to profess his faith in Jesus as the Messiah at Caesarea Philippi, when
he exclaimed: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”
(Matthew 16:16).

We are called Christians precisely because we believe that Jesus

from Nazareth, the son of Mary, is the Messiah. The term was coined in Antioch, at the time of Sts.
Barnabas and Paul, as it is written: “It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts
11:26)

Why majority of the Jews don’t believe that Jesus is the Christ?

Although Jesus was a Jew, along with all of his relatives and disciples, majority of his countrymen
did not believe in him. This fulfilled the prophecy he uttered in Nazareth: “No prophet is accepted in his
own country” (Luke 2:24). They were expecting a glorious Messiah
to come down from Heaven, and instead they got a poor man,
whom they despised as “the son of the carpenter” (Matthew 13:55).
For this reason the Jewish authorities nailed him on the cross on
charges of blasphemy: as they said to Pilate: “He ought to die,
because he made himself the Son of God” (John 19:7).

St. Paul explained that “a veil” covers the Jewish people, making
them unable to recognize Jesus as the Christ; and that in God’s time,
the veil will be taken away: “To this day, in fact, whenever Moses is
read, a veil lies over their hearts, but whenever a person turns to the
Lord the veil is removed” (2 Corinthians 3:15-16).

Up to the present, the Jews are still waiting for the arrival of their
Messiah. In the past 2,000 years, there was a long list of failed
messianic claimants: beginning with Judas of Galilee, who led a
violent resistance against the Romans and “was killed and all his
followers were scattered” (Acts 5:37); until Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994). They all died and
faded away. Only Jesus, the true Messiah, died and rose again and lives forever.

Why is the Christ the ultimate Prophet, King, and Priest?

In the Old Testament, prophets, kings, and priests, were

instituted by means of anointing. Isaiah was anointed as prophet,
as he testified: “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because
the Lord has anointed me; He has sent me to bring good news to
the afflicted” (Isaiah 6l:1). David was anointed as king of Israel by
Samuel, as ordered by God: “Samuel took the horn of oil and
anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day
on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David” (1 Samuel
16:13). Aaron was anointed as priest of Israel by his brother
Moses, as it is written: “He poured some of the anointing oil on
Aaron’s head and anointed him to consecrate him” (Leviticus
8:12).

All the prophets, kings, and priests of Israel, prefigured

the coming of Jesus as the Messiah, or the ultimate and perfect

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Anointed. This was fulfilled by Jesus in the synagogue of Nazareth, when he said: “The Spirit of the Lord is
on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor … Today this scripture is fulfilled in
your hearing” (Luke 4:18.21). Jesus Christ is the greatest Prophet, because he announces and fulfills the
Word of God; he is the Universal King, because all power and glory belong to him; he is the Highest Priest
because his sacrifice on the Cross completes and fulfills all others.

What are the other titles of Jesus Christ?

The Christological titles are those referring exclusively to Jesus Christ. The complete list follows.

1) The Son of God: Jesus is the Son of God because he is the second person of the Blessed Trinity.
This title was revealed by God the Father during Jesus baptism at the Jordan, when he said: “This
is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). It was later confirmed at the
Transfiguration, when the voice from Heaven proclaimed: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I
am well pleased; listen to him” (Matthew 17:5). The Son of God was not created but, he existed
from eternity. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God by nature: we are the children of God only
by adoption.

2) The Lord: God’s ineffable Hebrew name Yahweh is translated Kyrios in Greek, Dominus in Latin,
Panginoon in Filipino, and Lord in English. The title Lord, which means God, applies to the three
persons of the Blessed Trinity, but in particular to Jesus Christ. During the Last Supper, Jesus
ascribed this title to himself, saying: “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is
what l am” (John 13:13). St. Thomas, after probing his fingers in Jesus wounds, made the solemn
profession of faith: “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Christian prayer begins with an invocation
to the Lord (The Lord be with you); and the Bible ends with the exclamation: “Come Lord Jesus!”
(Revelation 22:20).

3) The Immanuel: Jesus is called the Immanuel, a Hebrew title which means God-Is-With-Us, because
with his incarnation God made his dwelling among us. The prophesy of Isaiah, “The virgin will
conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14), was fulfilled with Jesus,
as Gabriel proclaimed to Joseph in a dream: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said
through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they Will call him
Immanuel, which means ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:22-23).

4) The Redeemer: Jesus is the Redeemer because he paid for us the debt due for our sins. This title,
which comes from the Latin word redemptio, meaning “ransom-price,” is based on the teaching
of St. Paul: “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God, but are justified freely by his
grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24). At the time of Jesus, a debtor
unable to pay his due would become a slave to his creditor, and a ransom was needed to redeem
and make him free again. Similarly, because of our sins,
we became slaves to Satan; until Christ redeemed us by
paying a ransom, namely, by offering his life in sacrifice
on the cross.

5) The Pantocrator: Jesus is identified as the Pantocrator,

a Greek title which means Almighty, because he is all-
powerful, as he declared before his ascension: “All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”
(Matthew 28:18). The title Pantocrator was used once
St. Paul: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my
sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty
[Pantocrator]” (2 Corinthians 6:18), and several times by
St. John in the Book of Revelation: “I am the Alpha and
the Omega, says the Lord God, the one who is and who
was and who is to come, the Almighty [Pantocrator]”
(Revelation 1:8). The image of Christ Pantocrator was
among the first representations of Jesus, and is the
central icon among the Orthodox.

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 6) The King of the Universe: Jesus Christ is referred to as the King of the Universe, because “all things
were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16). When Pilate asked whether he was a
king, Jesus replied in the positive, but added: “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). The
inscription placed over the cross, which was intended to mock Jesus, became a profession of faith:
I.N.R.I., the Latin acronym for Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudeorum, is translated: “Jesus of Nazareth,
the King of the Jews” (John 19:19). St. John said that the saints in heaven will sing forever this title:
“Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, O king of
the nations” (Revelation 15:3). The feast of Christ the King, which close the liturgical year, was
instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1925.

You have successfully read your module. Now, I’m sure you are ready to answer our quiz. Kindly prepare
a one whole sheet of yellow pad.

Reference:
Rev. Fr. Paolo O. Pirlo, SHMI, 2013. The Apostles’ Creed. Sons of Holy Mary Immaculate Quality Catholic
Publications. Pages 35 – 51

Prepared by: FRANKLIN M. CABIGAS

Instructor

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