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New
New
Year 10
AQA

Jesus as the incarnation

I can explain Christian beliefs about the incarnation and how this belief influences Christians today.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA

Jesus as the incarnation

I can explain Christian beliefs about the incarnation and how this belief influences Christians today.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Incarnation means “in flesh” and refers to the Christian belief that God became human in the person of Jesus.
  2. Most Christians believe that the book of Isaiah, in the Old Testament, prophesied the coming of Jesus.
  3. Most Christians believe that the New Testament confirms the incarnation and shows Jesus as fully human and fully divine.
  4. The belief in the incarnation is significant for Christians today and influences practices such as prayer and Christmas.

Keywords

  • Divine - of or like God, or a god/goddess

  • Incarnation - 'in flesh', or 'enfleshed'; belief that God took on human form in the person of Jesus

  • Jesus - believed by Christians to be the Son of God, he was a first-century Jewish teacher living and travelling in Palestine/Israel

Common misconception

Jesus is entirely distinct and separate from God.

For most Christians, Jesus is God in human form. Jesus is both fully human and fully divine.


To help you plan your year 10 religious education lesson on: Jesus as the incarnation, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

You may wish to give students copies of the Bible passages referenced in learning cycle 1.
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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who was Jesus’ mother, according to the Gospels?
Elizabeth
Correct answer: Mary
Sarah
Q2.
Which Gospel includes the story of the wise men visiting Jesus?
Luke
Correct answer: Matthew
John
Q3.
Who was king of Judea at the time of Jesus’ birth?
Correct answer: Herod
Augustus
David
Q4.
Who ordered a census that led Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem?
Herod
Pontius Pilate
Correct answer: Caesar Augustus
Q5.
According to Christian belief, because she was a virgin, Mary’s pregnancy is considered a ...
Correct Answer: miracle, Miracle
Q6.
Christians celebrate at to remember the birth of Jesus.
Correct Answer: Christmas, christmas

6 Questions

Q1.
The name ‘Immanuel’ means ‘God with .’
Correct Answer: us, Us
Q2.
What does the term ‘incarnation’ mean in Christianity?
the belief that Jesus was a great prophet
Correct answer: the belief that God took on human form in Jesus
the belief that Jesus was only a spiritual being
Q3.
Which New Testament passage describes ‘The Word’ becoming flesh?
Matthew 5:7
Luke 2:10
Correct answer: John 1:14
Q4.
How does belief in the incarnation influence Christian worship today?
it leads Christians to pray to saints
Correct answer: it influences practices like prayer and Christmas celebrations
it means Christians only follow the Old Testament
Q5.
Why do many Christians believe Jesus was both fully human and fully divine?
Correct answer: because Jesus performed miracles and experienced human emotions
because Jesus never showed any human characteristics
because Jesus only existed spiritually
Q6.
How might belief in the incarnation provide comfort to Christians?
Correct answer: It reminds them that Jesus understands human suffering.
It teaches that God never interacts with the world.
It shows that God does not care about human struggles.