“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.” — Colossians 1:15–20 (BSB)
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” — Hebrews 1:3 (BSB)
“The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.’” — Luke 1:35 (BSB)
“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” — 1 Timothy 2:5 (BSB)
The Incarnation is central to Christian faith and worship. As the Book of Common Prayer affirms in the Creed, “He became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man.” He lived in perfect obedience to the Father, fulfilling the law and revealing God’s love and truth. He suffered and died on the cross to atone for the sins of the world, taking upon Himself the punishment we deserved. His death is the one sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for sin forever, as stated in the Prayer of Consecration in the Holy Communion service.
Jesus rose bodily from the grave on the third day, defeating death and inaugurating the new creation. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father, where He intercedes for us as our High Priest and reigns as King. His bodily resurrection guarantees the future resurrection of the faithful and the restoration of all things. As the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion declare in Article IV, “Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again his body… with which he ascended into heaven.”
Jesus is not merely a teacher, prophet, or moral example—He is Lord and God. Bishop J.C. Ryle wrote: “He is the sinner’s Friend, the Brother born for adversity, the great High Priest, the very God of very God. To reject Him is to reject God Himself.” He alone is the Mediator between God and man, the only Way, Truth, and Life. Faith in Him is necessary for salvation, and He alone is able to reconcile us to the Father.
To know Jesus Christ is to be drawn into the life of the Holy Trinity. Through Him we are adopted as sons and daughters of God. The collect for Christmas Day in the Book of Common Prayer beautifully proclaims: “Almighty God… grant that we who joyfully receive the Word made flesh may one day be made partakers of His divine nature.” The worship, prayer, and mission of the Church are centered on the living Christ—fully God, fully man, and Lord of all.
Athanasius defended the full divinity and humanity of Christ against Arianism. He taught that Christ must be fully God to save us, and fully man to represent us.
St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444 AD) affirmed: “We do not say that the nature of the Word was changed and became flesh, but that the Word, having personally united flesh to Himself, became man.” — Third Letter to Nestorius
Cyril emphasized the unity of Christ’s person—one Person with two natures, divine and human—in opposition to the Nestorian heresy.
St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130–202 AD) wrote: “He became what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself.” — Against Heresies, 5. Preface
Irenaeus presented Christ as the new Adam who recapitulates human history, correcting Adam’s disobedience through His perfect obedience.
St. Leo the Great (c. 400–461 AD) proclaimed in his Tome to Flavian: “One and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, is made known in two natures without confusion, without change, without division, without separation.”
Leo articulated the orthodox doctrine of the two natures of Christ, which became foundational at the Council of Chalcedon in 451.
St. John Chrysostom (c. 349–407 AD) preached: “Behold on earth that which is above. And in that which is above, behold Him who is below. The God of glory is made man; He who is above with the Father has taken flesh.” — Homily on John 1
Chrysostom marveled at the mystery of the Incarnation and called believers to worship the God who condescended to dwell among us.
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
St. Thomas Church
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V2T 7A2, Canada
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St. Thomas Church is a Church planting movement in ancient tradition.
