The Word Becomes Human

John begins with the Word who is with God and is God. This same Word becomes flesh. The subject of the Incarnation is the eternal Son, rather than a new being brought into existence by a union between two parents of different kinds.

His humanity is complete. Christian teaching does not describe a partial human nature added to a partial divinity. The Son becomes truly human while remaining truly divine.

This gives the comparison with heroes a firm limit. A divine ancestor, an extraordinary birth, and a godlike reputation do not supply the Christian account of who Jesus is. He cannot be fitted into that category merely because both traditions speak about heaven and human life.

The Incarnation addresses the possibility of union at a different level. It brings God and humanity together in one person without making either nature an incomplete contribution to a mixed third being.