The Word Became Flesh, Part One

21 Wednesday Dec 2016

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Advent, Christmas, Jesus, Lamb of God, meditations, Son of God, Word became flesh, Word of God

This is Part One in a Series of meditations on the incarnation from John chapter one. If you missed the intro post, you can find it here.

Jesus is the Word of God. I’ve been meditating on John chapter one for a while now (months, actually), and I can’t get passed this description.

Words are essential to clear communication. But written words alone can’t always give us a completely accurate picture. Ever sent an email that was completely misinterpreted by someone because your tone and inflection was taken in a totally unintended way?

In Jesus we have a picture of what God is like and who He is–in words, in deeds, in emotion, everything. We don’t exactly have a visual because we are those who believe without having actually seen Him (1 Peter 1:8, John 20:29). (Cheesy nativity scene pictures admittedly don’t help, but alas I have succumbed.) Nothing seen can truly define the unseen God anyway. Maybe that’s why the bible didn’t come complete with an inspired painting of the Lord.

Still, in Jesus Christ, we have the ultimate representation, the ultimate communication about God.

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. Hebrews 1:1-3

This Word was not only spoken or written, but it was translated into real, live humanity. To be seen. To be touched. To be felt. To be heard.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

But more than a mere representation, more than just a communication, the scripture demonstrates that this Word has been around since the beginning. This Word was with God. This Word was God. Emmanuel, God with us, isn’t just a platitude or a nice meaning for a nice person’s name. It describes the very essence of the incarnation itself.

It tells us who Jesus is.

More to come tomorrow. But for now, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have you ever longed for God to show Himself to you? Second Corinthians 4:6 says “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” How does this compare with the description of Jesus in John chapter one? How does this meet our longing, at times, to see God?

Part Two Part Three

The Word Became Flesh: A Short Series of Meditations on the Incarnation from John Chapter One

20 Tuesday Dec 2016

Posted by Lauren Scott in Living Faith

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Advent, Christmas, Jesus, John chapter one, Lamb of God, meditations, Son of God, the Incarnation, Word became flesh, Word of God

The opening of the Gospel of John is a grand invitation to “come and see” who this Jesus, this “Word” and “Light” and “Son of God”, is. The first sentences to leave the apostle’s pen are some of the most poetic and yet absolute statements about Christ in all of scripture:

In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came into being through Him,

and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

Three verses, six strong assertions. They are foundational statements–not merely about this man Jesus, but also about the nature of God Himself and the relationship of Jesus to all of Creation.

This isn’t a passage to gloss over. It is rich with grandeur. To simply nod and move on doesn’t seem right. I have to weigh these statements because they are heavy.

Who is this Jesus? Do I believe the things John is saying about Him? Do I also accept the testimony of John the Baptist that “this is the Son of God, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”?

The apostle John says that “His own did not receive Him.” Jesus warns in the Sermon on the Mount that few actually believe and follow Him. And so I have to ask myself these questions and not rush past them. I have to take time to ponder, to let it all sink in.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)

So the invitation is to come and see–and believe. Come and see–and become a child of God. Come and see–and receive grace upon grace.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

I invite you to join me in meditating on the incarnation over the next few days leading up to Christmas. Let us sit for a while in John chapter one as we prepare to welcome and celebrate the One who has come and is coming again.

Part One Part Two Part Three