Word 15: Word
Jesus
Through the Advent season we have journeyed through the
prophets and the story of Christmas in Luke’s gospel, as well as parts
of Matthew’s gospel. We have read of the characters who make up this story culminating
with our main character, Jesus, who is Messiah and Immanuel. Today, on Christmas
day, we wrap up the story in John’s gospel. John does not give his readers the
traditional Christmas story that we read in Luke and Matthew, but instead he
focuses on another title for Jesus: The Word.
Just as Immanuel describes Jesus as God with us, Word
describes his incarnation as well.
“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.” John
1:1-4
In
these opening verses John tells us so much about who Jesus is:
He is
eternal – with God from the beginning.
He is
divine – the Word was God.
He is
Creator – through him all things were made and in him was life.
In
the beginning God spoke Creation into being. “In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1. Throughout the Creation story in
Genesis we are told that God spoke words and from those words the created
things came into existence. God spoke and it was done.
Now
God speaks to us through His Son, the Word become flesh.
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors
through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these
last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed
heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The
Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his
being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had
provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the
Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3
John
continues in his gospel:
"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling
among us." John 1:14a
The Word became flesh ~ the Incarnation. This is the
great mystery, wonder, and truth of Christmas. God took on human form and lived
among us, and thus became fully like us. He understands us. The author of the
book of Hebrews tells us that the incarnation means that Jesus is able to
sympathize with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15), because He was tempted in every
way He is able to "help those who are being tempted"
(Hebrews 2:18). Jesus was fully human.
Yet He was also fully divine, fully God. We saw in the
beginning of John that "In the beginning was the Word" -
Jesus. The Word existed before time. He was with God. He was distinct from God,
yet He was fully God.
In His humanity He does not give up His divinity. Paul
tells us in Philippians that Jesus willingly laid it aside and
submitted humbly to becoming a man. In this He submitted to the Father's
will.
"In your relationships with one another, have the
same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with
God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a
servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a
cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above
every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under
the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is
Lord,
to the glory of God the
Father."
Philippians 2:5-11
The Word became flesh and lived among us ~ He was
fully human and fully God. He was the fulfillment of the promise of Immanuel ~
God with us! This is the wonder of Christmas!
Thank you for joining me for Advent Words 2022! Please feel free to continue to post art on Instagram or in the Words FaceBook group.
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