The Word Became Flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

As far as I am concerned this passage tells of an amazing gift God brought to earth in the Baby Jesus.  I am going to attempt to unwrap this gift as best I can with my limited mind.

 However, I need to offer an honest warning: What you will read are words and thoughts in this message that makes perfect sense to me as I sit here in my chair all alone.

With no one else to enter into my limited-self conversation.

My mine works in thoughts that sometimes jerk — don’t run smoothly — but it all makes perfect sense to me sitting here with my fingers moving on the keys of my computer.

It is the way my mind makes order out of the Bible truth. 

The “incarnation of God” in the baby boy is not easily explained.

What I hope you will understand is how personal, intimately personal this Gospel is for each of us.

“Incarnation,” from the latin, means “in the flesh.”

This passage, from John. is explaining the true — actual — identity of Jesus.

The “Word” — God’s creative energy — from the very beginning.

I invite you to think about how God created, all that is, in the beginning of time.(see Geneses 1&2) 

God spoke.

    God spoke and it was!

                     “Let there be: And there was light.

                                              Light in the darkness.

There was earth, sky and water.

                                    And there was life.

animals

             birds 

                plants 

           humans.

That was “the Word” in the beginning.

Jesus is the Word of God — in the beginning and now.

The baby in the manger, God’s entire divine fullness dwelled.

Brain shift:

The Word informs.

                The light reveals. 

“The Word became flesh. And revealed God’s heart — God’s heart, God’s love.  God’s Peace and good will.  God’s divine will being done on earth.

An absence of arrogance for all people.

Grace upon grace.

That is what the Angel announced at the Christ child’s birth.

The Christmas story goes much furthers than what happened on the first holy night.

It is actually has to do with how God operates even now in you and me today.

That tiny baby, born in a dirty manager, grew up like all little boys.  He grew into a man who revealed himself — that is, revealed God to all who would listen,

Brain shift:

Now here is where we need to move.  We need to move away from this well told story; and move into how God works in us today.

God lives in all of us in much the same way as he live in Jesus skin.

Later in John’s Gospel Jesus tell us how it all works.  You can find it in chapters 14-16.

Jesus tells his Disciples all of this as he is preparing to leave his earthly body:

“I will not leave you orphaned, I am coming to you.”

“ In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; be cause I live, you also will live”

“I am in he father, and you in me. and I in you.”

“I am the vine, you are the branches”

An intimate connection -- incarnation -- an extremely intimate connection between God, Jesus and us.

God’s light, God’s word equals Jesus.

Now is to be revealed through you and me.

God’s Word first came into being in that baby boy on the first Christmas.

When Jesus/God left his physical body; he left us with himself in the form of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit who live in our physical bodies.

Jesus tell the disciples: 

I have said these things while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. And remind you of all that I have said to you.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.”

“Incarnation can be grasped as one of God’s way of engaging with us.”(p 148 The Haunt of Grace by Ted Loder)

                                     More tomorrow

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹²But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵(John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) ¹⁶From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. (Jn.1)