3.7.3: Incarnations
- Page ID
- 299480
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)To best understand incarnations, we need to look inside the word itself. When we do, we find in and carn. The prefix in means "within"; for example, if you inhabit a home, you are within it. The root carn means "flesh." For instance, a carnivore eats flesh. With incarnations the Absolute, the Ultimate, the Holy is being enfleshed, or assuming human form. In other words, it is the divine in a human body. Two religions founded by incarnations include Hinduism, whose founder or founders have been lost to history, and Christianity, whose founder is Jesus of Nazareth.
Case study: Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus from the Deesis Mosaic
For Christians, Jesus is both the son of God and God, who became a man in order to save all humankind. Devout members of other religions, and even non–believers, admit him be one of humanity's greatest religious leaders; in fact, many Hinduism consider Jesus to be the incarnation of God, just as Christians. After all, if you remember from the previous chapter that Hinduism is polytheistic and has many deities.
Surprisingly little is known about Jesus' life. Born a Jew in Judea, an occupied province of the Roman Empire, approximately 3 CE, it appears he had no formal school education. He also had no rabbinical training although, according to the Gospel of Luke, he functioned as a qualified teacher at the age of twelve. The Gospels in no way constitute his biography, but rather are a justification of faith in the resurrection and the Messiah, whose coming had already been announced by the prophets.
Of Jesus the Galilean we know only that his public career began after he had spent some time on the banks of the Jordan, in the company of John the Baptist who announced the imminent coming of the Messiah, and baptized Jesus. After his baptism, Jesus spent forty days in the desert, in the manner of ancient prophets. Then, when he was about thirty years old, he began to preach in Galilee, accompanied by the twelve chosen Apostles.
Rather than preach in the synagogues, Jesus preferred the open air, where the lowly, humble people gathered around him. He declared that it was for them, neglected or rejected as they were by Judaism, the official religion, that he had come, curing the sick and “casting out demons.” We do not even know how long this itinerant ministry lasted because, although the Gospel according to John speaks of three Passovers in a row, the other three gospels only mention one, which would shorten the length of Jesus' public ministry to one year.
Nevertheless, Jesus went to Jerusalem where people were discontented with his preaching. In Jerusalem his teachings aroused the hostility of the Sadducee and Pharisee priesthoods because Jesus denounced their hypocritical nature and their interpretation of Judaic law. During his last supper with the Apostles, he celebrated the Passover. Then, accused of disturbing the peace and of blasphemy, he was arrested and brought before Jewish and Roman tribunals. He was condemned to the Roman punishment of crucifixion.
This took place on the day of Passover, when Jesus was 34 or 35 years old. After a period of understandable confusion, the apostles, some of whom saw Jesus after his death, announced the Resurrection. It is at this point that the history of Christianity begins.