The Word Became Flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, ‘This is the one I spoke about when I said, “He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.”’) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.  John 1:1-18

I approach this passage today with awe. It’s stunning, isn’t it?

Just read it again.

Read it slowly.

It says it all. It’s an incredible piece of writing about a mind-blowing concept. John writes this at the very beginning of his account as a prologue. It sets the scene for what is to come. It puts the actual events surrounding the birth of Jesus into the context of the whole universe, the whole of time and space.

John starts at the very beginning, echoing the very beginning of time, as recorded in Genesis. The first words of the whole Bible read like this –

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Genesis 1:1

In the beginning, God created…

And Jesus was right there with Him. Jesus was with God and Jesus was God. That’s the mystery of the Trinity right there – how the Father, Son and Spirit can all be distinct beings and yet part of the whole. It’s impossible for our human minds to take in, isn’t it – how Jesus could have been there from the very beginning and then burst through time and space to come to earth as a human?

John refers to Jesus here as the Word. In the Old Testament, in the book of Psalms in particular, the Word is used to denote the will of God in action.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.  Psalm 33:6

God spoke and it was done. Not literally spoke. It was the intention of God’s heart brought into being. Just as recorded in Genesis –

And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.  Genesis 1:3

What God desired came into being.

He sent out his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.  Psalm 107:20

God’s word is God’s will in action. And Jesus is here referred to as the Word. In the Greek, the word is Logos. The Greeks would have been familiar with this concept too – the idea of the word being a bridge between a transcendent God and this material world.

The Word is life. The Word brings life to this world.

The Word is light. The Word brings light to this world.

There is nothing in the whole world that can extinguish that life.

There is nothing in the whole world that can extinguish that light.

Ever.

Because this is God we’re talking about, the God of the universe. There is nothing greater. There will never be anything greater.

Hear these words and take heart.

John feels the need to clarify in this passage that it is not John (the Baptist) who is the light himself but the one that John is talking about.

It is Jesus himself who is the light of the world. He says so himself.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’  John 8:12

There were to be some who would not be able to recognise Jesus as the light of life. That has always been the way. But those that do become children of God, part of God’s family here on earth. How incredible is that?

This is God’s grace as never seen before.

This is God reaching out to humankind as never before.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. 

God with us in human form. God incarnate.

The concepts in this passage are too huge to get my head around let alone write about! I catch a glimpse of this glorious truth out of the corner of my eye and I’m lost for words.

If we take one thought with us through this preparation for Christmas, let it be this – God with us in human form.

That’s what Christmas is all about. Let that phrase sit in your heart and mind this festive season and work its magic there.

It all becomes so familiar that it somehow loses its impact for us: this whole idea of Emmanuel – God with us. My son’s secondary school was Emmanuel College, Gateshead. He then went on to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. That word is part of out everyday vocabulary. And yet…how much does the meaning of that word influence our daily lives?

One final thought to leave with you.

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in the closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

That is why Jesus came. To make God known to us.

We can know God because of Jesus.

We can look to Jesus and study his words and actions – and then see God.

I believe that what happened that first Christmas is the most significant event in the history of the universe.

Let’s not lose sight of that in the presents and parties and food and festive jumpers and cute nativity plays….