Creation to Christ: Reading 37 – September 13, 2016 - John 1:1-18, The Word Became Flesh

Today’s Readings

Context 

Though we believe that all Scripture is inspired by God and useful, we are not required to pretend hat all Scripture has the same force and power. There are high points among the words of God. I've maintained that the Mt. Everest of the Bible is Romans 8 - if you are ever going to memorize one chapter of the Bible, make it that one! Psalm 23 is part of the Himalayas as well. So is Hebrews 11, Matthew 5-7, John 14-16 and several other great peaks of revelation.

Among the highest of the high peaks we find John 1:1-5. Frankly, the whole book of John is a high mountain range, but this introduction is powerful.

It is the story of the birth of Christ from a theological perspective. Jesus is the "Word" - the message of God to the world . Verse 1, more than any other verse in the Bible, settles the issue of Jesus' divinity clearly, beyond disputation. 

Devotional - The Word became Flesh

Matthew and Luke begin with the stories of Jesus' birth from an earthly perspective - a maiden and shepherds and Magi and such. But this passage gets to the heart of the work of God - light invading darkness, God speaking through Jesus to a sinful world. 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Permit me to point out a few of the wondrous beauties on this mountaintop of Scripture.

First, God spoke to us. He did not turn his back on sinful humanity, but he spoke to us. He gave us a "Word." That Word was Jesus, as this passage makes clear. The Creator spoke to creation by sending the Co-Creator to live among us, as verse 14 tells us.

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.

Jesus took up residence among us to reveal who God was and to demonstrate his love for us. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! God spoke loudly and clearly. Jesus was that message.

Second, this passage, as clearly as any in Scripture, affirms the deity of Christ. "The Word WAS God." He was not "a god", nor was he some kind of emanation from God, a secondary deity or or a deified human. He was the God of glory come to dwell in a human body.

Third, Jesus is life. Through the Word that came among us, we have life. John later tells us, in his first epistle, that "he who has the Son has life and he who does not have the Son does not have life, but the wrath of God abides on him." Jesus Christ became the point of division for all of humanity. Eternity is not about following a religion or doing enough good works or any other human activity. It's about Jesus. Do you "have him"? Then you have life. If you do not have Jesus you do not have life no matter how good you think you are, how busy you are at church or how many good things you try to do.

Finally (for this post anyway), Jesus is the light. This world is blanketed in the darkness of sin and Jesus was the light of God to show us the way to him. "I am the way, the truth and the life," Jesus would later say. Jesus IS life and he GIVES light.

As you read John 1 today, take a few minutes to let the Spirit guide you to amazing truths about Jesus revealed in this passage. Besides these high points I hit today, there are many more. Just thank God that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us!

Father, thank you for the Word who told us who you were, who demonstrated your love for us, who gave us life by sacrificing his own and who shines the light of truth and righteousness on our sinful lives. Praise his holy name!

Think and Pray

Take time to meditate on this passage and consider the glories of it.
Remember the truth of verse 5 - the darkness cannot overcome the light. This world may be dark, but Jesus will defeat it and shine the light in it. He will shine the light of God's glory and bring truth.
Thank God for his ultimate victory in this wicked world.