“And the Word Became Flesh…” – Theology Bites
“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 were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:1-5).
“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:9-13)
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
The gospel of John gives us a deeper view of who the Father and the Son (Yeshua or Jesus) are. In order to understand “the Word became flesh … ”, we must read John’s entire first chapter, some of which I have included above. God is divine to include three personas: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. John teaches us that the Son (Jesus Messiah) existed from eternity and was present at the beginning of Creation (that’s another Theology bite!). The Messiah is sometimes referred to as “the Word” in that through Him, the Word of God is Truth spoken and sacred. (Tony Evans Bible Commentary)
Notice the very first sentence in John’s gospel. “In the beginning WAS the WORD, and the WORD was WITH God, and the WORD WAS God.” Even if it’s difficult to wrap our human brains around this fact, faith helps us accept its Truth. And if we accept this Truth, then we understand how “the WORD became FLESH and dwelt among us (humanity). We know Him as Jesus Christ, the Son of God or more accurately, God Himself, who “emptied Himself” to be born into humanity on earth. He is Jesus the Messiah, the Word of God.
Paul, the apostle, expands on this fact further in a most humbling passage to the church of Philippi.
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5-11).
Even His very name is holy. God came as flesh into humanity and lived life as a servant. He died a heinous death on the Cross meant for criminals to atone for all mankind.
Yes, the day will come when everyone will indeed recognize Him. The choice is and will be whether they accept Him or not. To paraphrase my late sister, “He loves you, whether or not you love Him.” It is a love greater than anyone can imagine. I am immensely comforted by this truth. Amen.
*Underlined for emphasis as these words are critical to the meaning of the passages.
Tonya Noren
October 16, 2022