Understanding Jesus

Like all Christians, Catholics believe that Jesus of Nazareth is their Lord and Savior. The term Lord is used because Christians believe that Jesus is divine as the Son of God. The term Savior is used because Christians believe that Jesus died to save all of humankind from their sins. The Old Testament actually uses the word Lord (Adonai in Hebrew) in connection with the word God (Elohim in Hebrew). For example, consider the phrase "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one" from Deuteronomy 6:4. However, the New Testament asserts through the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians (2:11) "that Jesus Christ is Lord."

Catholics also believe that Jesus was human as well as divine. For this reason, "true God" and "became man" are key phrases in the Nicene Creed, highlighting the fundamental doctrine of Jesus as the God-Man. Consider:

-As God, Jesus possessed a fully divine nature, so he was able to perform miracles, such as changing water into wine. His greatest divine act, however, was his own resurrection from the dead.
- As man, Jesus had a human mother (Mary) who gave birth to him. He grew up in the same manner as any other man. He taught, preached, suffered, and died. All of these are examples of his human nature.
Jesus, the God-Man, with his fully divine nature and his fully human nature, is the center of Catholic belief.

Some people think that Catholics (and Christians in general) believe Jesus is some kind of half man/half deity hybrid. But this is not the case. Catholics don't see Jesus as possessing a split personality, but as both completely human and completely God. He is considered a single person with two distinct, equal natures. This is an example of Christian mystery (probably the core mystery, actually), which is something that cannot be explained, but can only be believed on faith alone.