The Incarnation
What does the word Incarnation mean?
God taking flesh / God becoming man
Which king felt threatened by Jesus’ birth?
Herod
How long is the Nativity Fast in the Coptic Church?
43 days
What does Christ’s humility at birth teach us about pride?
Pride separates us from God
What human experience did Christ accept by being born?
Weakness / dependency
Why did God become man instead of saving us another way?
To heal human nature from within
Why did Herod fear a newborn child?
Because Christ is the true King
Why does the Church fast before the Nativity?
To prepare spiritually to receive Christ
Why do we call Christ the “Second Adam”?
He restores what Adam broke
How does Christ’s hunger and tiredness relate to the Incarnation?
He fully shared human limitations without sin
What does “The Word became flesh” teach us about Jesus?
He is fully God and fully man
How is Christ’s kingship different from Herod’s?
Based on love and salvation, not force
Why is the Nativity celebrated on January 7?
Because the Church follows the Julian calendar
How does the Incarnation affect how we view our bodies?
Our bodies are sanctified and valuable
Why couldn’t humanity heal itself without God becoming man?
A broken nature cannot fix itself
How does Christ’s birth restore the dignity of human nature?
By uniting humanity to divinity
Why was Jesus born in poverty instead of a palace?
To show humility and accessibility
Why is Egypt important in the Nativity story?
Christ sanctified Egypt by entering it
Why is salvation impossible without the Incarnation?
God must unite Himself to humanity to save it
Why were shepherds chosen as the first witnesses?
God reveals Himself to the humble
According to St. Athanasius, why did God become man?
So that man might become god by grace
What does Christ’s birth teach us about true greatness?
True greatness comes through humility
What feast immediately follows the Nativity?
The Feast of the Circumcision
How should the Incarnation change the way we treat others?
We honor every person as bearing God’s image
What does the star reveal about God’s plan for the nations?
Salvation is for all people