John has a way
with words. This is one of those classic
statements that are succinct and packed with meaning. Whole theological treatises have been
dedicated to the topic contained in this short verse. This passage casts a whole new dimension into
the picture John is describing of the Word.
What he says is unheard of and amazing; it would forever change the way
the Almighty is seen—not only as a transcendent being that is above it all, but
an imminent being that is invested in the lives and trials of those He created.
Think about it
for a moment: let’s set aside all the
pictures of deities that existed outside the Jewish tradition. Certainly, most of those pictures portray the
gods as capricious and often arbitrary regents that are mostly entertained by
the puny humans that inhabit this world.
Some gods, by some quirk of fate, shared our space but only as a way to
gain entrance back into the world of the gods.
On the other hand the Jewish concept of God allows for the “angel of the
Lord” or even an epiphany by Moses or Abraham with the Almighty. This divine
being walks and talks with humans. He
eats with them. He seeks to reveal
himself to humanity. But John takes this
to a totally different level. “The Word
became flesh.” Four words change the
landscape of the connection between God and humanity forever.
God does not simply
visit humanity—He stays with us. God is
not satisfied with sharing space and time with this fallen race—He becomes one
of us. The incarnation changes
everything. He feels our
helplessness. He laughs at our
jokes. He experiences infancy,
adolescence, youth, young adulthood, and maturity. We not only hear of him, read about him, or
in rare occasions see a veiled demonstration of him; we become a part of him,
or better stated, He becomes a part of us.
Our flesh and blood! He is our God. He is Son of God with us. He is Grace in us. He is Truth for us. Wow—a million times wow!
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