The Word Became Flesh

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 bore witness about Him, and cried out, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.’”) For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, He has made Him known.

John 1:14-18

What word do we long to hear from God? If God would speak to us, what word would make the biggest difference? Would it be a word of guidance for a relationship, vocation, or decision? Or maybe a word of wisdom to know how to live in a certain situation? Would it be a word of affirmation that we’re on the right path? Or maybe a word of reassurance that God is in control? Would it be a word of comfort in the midst of suffering and grief? Most of us would love a word from God, and the Scriptures do speak into all these scenarios. But what if God has already spoken the definitive Word?

In our longing to receive some specific word from God, we may miss the awesome truth of John’s prologue. John tells us that our God is not simply the God who speaks words; our God is the Word. And wonder of wonders, the Word who was in the beginning, the Word who was with God, the Word who was God (John 1:1-2); the Word through whom all things were made (1:3), the Word in whom was life (1:4), the Word who was the true light (1:9)…became flesh and dwelt among us (1:14). If we are startled when the boss goes “undercover” to be among the employees, or when the athlete stops to spend time with the fans, how should we respond when we hear that God put on flesh and moved into our neighborhood?

In His days on Earth, Jesus would speak many words, but John wants us to marvel, not so much at the words spoken, but at the Word embodied. For a brief time, the Son of God walked among us. The disciples heard Him, saw Him, and touched Him (1 John 1:1). They could say, “We have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). If we ask, “What is God like?” the disciples respond, “Look at Jesus.” If we say, “I want a word from God,” John responds, “Jesus is the Word.” These are staggering claims that demand a response. The Incarnation begs the question, and each of us must answer: “Who is Jesus?”

What word do we long to hear from God? As we continue in the Gospel of John, let’s remember what John is offering us. He’s not writing simply to give us words to call upon in certain moments. He’s writing to point us to the Word who is our life in every moment. It’s not bad to want a word from God, but let’s not miss the Word of God. Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God, the Word who changes everything. May we believe that He is the Christ, the Son of God, and by believing may we have life in His name (John 20:31).