The Word Became Flesh

Well, I trust that you understand that every time we open the Bible, we are in a sense upon holy ground. But it's clear to me that whenever we approach the doctrine of the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

We are upon especially holy ground for that is one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith, the union of two natures in one person God and man in the person of Jesus Christ. The text that I chosen for that today in John chapter 1 verse 14 declares this grand doctrine, the Savior really did take upon himself human nature in order to save sinners like you and like me today I'd like for us. First of all to examine the sentence examine rather the setting of this text in its context.

In the prologue. In John chapter 1 and then secondly to do a careful examination of the text itself. First of all, the setting the first 18 verses of the Gospel of John are generally called the prologue something of an introduction to the remainder of the book and then that pro blog we find a number of things we find in verses one through five and introduction to the eternal one in verses six, the rate we are told about the forerunner of this one. Namely, John the Baptist. The attention turns back to this one and he is coming as light in verses nine through 13 and then finally the last part of the prologue of verses 14 to 18 tells us that in his coming.

He came to reveal God.

He came to declare the character and nature of God to humanity, and did so in the clearest expression of that truth that had come to mankind to date. It is particularly the first section of the prologue that is of primary interest to us in regard to our text for today because those verses introduced to us the log us. The word that's what we are looking at them. We come to our text in verse for 14 which tells us, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among unless we have looked at the opening verses we may not understand what is indicated by that word word, and so we look at verses one through five. In the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God all things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made in him was life and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. The word the log us. Who is this one. He's described in several ways. In verses one through five. He is the eternal one. The expressive one the divine one. The creating one. The living one. The illuminating one, the eternal one. The verse opens the book opens with these words in the beginning was the word in the beginning. In the beginning the beginning of what will of course we know the God is eternal so there really is no beginning with God.

But this is telling us that in the beginning as far back as man's mind is able to think, to conceive, to comprehend taken back as far as you are able to take it back in your mind. In the beginning beginning of the world.

Indeed, that would be one beginning in the beginning and the beginning of anything that existed apart from God that would be another beginning any beginning that you can conceive of. This tells us that in the beginning, not came the word or not, became the word, but in the beginning, wives the word. The word was already there.

He already existed. He was already present in the beginning as far back as you can conceive of that beginning eater analogy is not a concept that our minds readily understand effect. I would say is not a concept that our minds can understand that all I cannot comprehend it. Eternity can you I've never been able to yet.

That's why John guided by the Holy Spirit of God puts it to us. This way because we can think about beginnings are our minds are oriented to time, our minds are oriented to events that take place here and then another one here is another one here is another one here and so our minds can at least contemplate a beginning point when something began. And this is a beautiful expression of the terminology of the word because it tells us how whatever beginning you can conceive of. However, far back your mind is able to go at that point, the word already was. He is eternal. He had no beginning.

He is the eternal one.

Secondly, we learned that he is the expressive one that we learn by the focus upon the title that is given to him here. The word Greek log us a term that was more familiar in John's day than it is in hours because it was a very common term in Greek philosophy and was well-known to the culture of that day, but the word the log. God's.

What does log's mean it means word what does that mean it means speech.

It means a message that means an expression of thoughts and of revelation of things that are that are revealed to us and we are told that in the beginning was the word. There was this expressive one. This one who expressed something he was speech he was a message. He was a revelation of God. This is God speaking to us. This is God revealing himself to us. This is God communicating himself to us. This is the word of God in the beginning was the word, the one who expresses to us the very nature and character of God that brings us thoroughly.

Then, therefore, to consider that he is the divine one in the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. The simplicity of these expressions are mind-boggling to me.

John can take such incredibly sublime truth and condense it into just a few words, and yet those words communicate the truth so beautifully so clearly so powerfully in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, a simple Greek preposition process. The word was with God, but mean something like was face-to-face with God was in the presence of God. This word is one who is called the word.

He is the divine one because not only was he in the beginning with God. That means he had no beginning. Remember in the beginning he was already there and who has no beginning, but God, but in the beginning was the word already there and this word is face-to-face with God. In fact were not surprised that the next phrase tells us the word was God. He must be what we've learned so far would demand who put God predates the beginning.

In other words, is eternal hello but God could be face-to-face with God.

No other being can be face-to-face with God.

There other beings, of course, that are in the presence of God, the holy angels are in the presence of God but they are always submitted, subject to him clearly are of lesser importance of lesser authority of lesser being than God.

We buy God's saving grace will be in the very presence of God someday. But again, always creatures in the presence of the uncreated one, but here is one who had no beginning, who was in the presence of God face-to-face with God. In other words, equal with God face-to-face with God and therefore we have no surprise to learn the next statement that this one was God's eternity is repeated again in verse two he was in the beginning with God.

He had an eternal relationship with God. He did not begin at some point in time, but has always been. We moved from the divine one to the creating one.

Verse three. All things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made that short text describes this one called the word as the agent of creation, but unless last we misunderstand what that means.

It's followed up by a statement that tells us that he is the very source of creation. He is the create tour and of course what were dealing with in this language is the mystery of the Trinity that God exists eternally in three-person father-son Holy Spirit, and so at times we are talking about two and not in this passage, but in other passages. Three persons who make up the eternal God kid, but there are not three gods. There is one so we can talk about one who is face-to-face with God. That suggests to and then we learned that he is God that suggests one because God is one we learn here in verse three that all the things were made through him, as if he is an ancient in the hands and purposes of God. And yet, we've learned that he is actually the creating one without him nothing was made that was made. He is the very agent of creation.

He is God, the create tour number five. We learned that he is a living one verse four in him was life and the life was the light of men. These two ideas life. The first part of verse four light. The last part of verse four and verse five he is the living one in him was life in himself. Life didn't come to him. He always had life he always was life. No one gave him life, but all things that have life derived their life from him.

In him was life, and he is the source of life and then also in him was light and life in light are are joined very close together here.

He is the living one. He is eliminating one the life was.

We are told the life of man. The life he is the source of life, the one who gives life and the life was the light of men that parallels what we understand about spiritual life that spiritual light can only be understood, comprehended, received become a part of us to benefit us as we are given life to be able to receive it. So he is the life that brings light. He is the life and that life is the light of men.

Wherever light comes. Darkness is forced to retreat. Light always overcomes darkness.

Darkness never overcomes light.

It never overpowers light.

If you go into a dark room and shine a light flashlight, a lantern, a candle electric like triple flip the light switch switch.

What happens darkness retreats.

Now the room is illuminated is filled with like to flip flip the light switch and light sufficient to to enlighten every part of that room now floods the room is there anyway that you could import enough darkness to extinguish that light, no light always conquers darkness.

Darkness never overpowers light light always causes darkness to retreat.

Darkness never never causes light to retreat. And so, how suitable are these expressions of who this one is when this one comes into anyplace. Darkness is forced to flee, and he indeed is the light of the world. The light of the world is Jesus. He's the illuminating one, but we are told and this is introducing up thought that comes to us a little bit later in the prologue, we are told that this light came into the darkness but the darkness did not comprehend it.

The darkness did not understand it, the darkness did not. When translation puts it apprehended the darkness had to retreat from the presence of light had to back away from it, but the darkness does not understand the darkness does not comprehend the light that's a fitting picture of what happens to mankind. When the light comes it causes things to happen but of of itself darkened hearts do not understand and receive the light, unless with the light comes the life that enables the darkness to receive the light and the light to banish the darkness in that soul lets the setting of our text today, logon us, we could talk about the forerunner and other things in the prologue, but I'm going to skip that now move into the text itself, we skip down to verse 14 in the word, the thing we have been talking about the one we have been talking about in the first five verses and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. The word what does the word do to accomplish his purpose. How does God save sinful men by the coming of this one. The word in their five questions that I would like to ask of the text in verse 14, number one, who became flesh to what does it mean to become flesh.

Third, what is the significance of his glory for what is the significance of the only begotten of the father in number five.

What is the significance of grace and truth. What is this water who is this one who became flesh, and the word became flesh. This is why we took time of the first five verses because that explains who the word is and the word word is only used in verse one, actually, and then everything following that in the first five verses clearly refers back to the word in the beginning was the word of the word was with God and the Word was God. What was God. He, the word was in the beginning with God all things were made through him, the word, and so forth refers back to the word but that word word which is used three times in verse one doesn't appear again until verse 14 we could reverse water, then skip to verse 14.

In the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory is etc. so to answer the question, who became flesh, the answer is the word the logon us. That is the one who is revealed in verses one through 51 we've Artie talked about the eternal one.

The expressive one the divine one. The creating one.

The living one.

The illuminating one. This one is who John by the spirit of God is talking about when he tells us the word became flesh, God became flesh, question number two.

What does it mean to become flesh the condition flesh. The Greek word is Sark's is sometimes used in the New Testament of sinful or fallen human nature.

We are continuing to struggle with our flesh with our Adamic nature. Even after we are redeemed, and though we been given victory in power over the strength of sin. We still are struggling with sin. We are still in the flesh, and often times in the New Testament flesh is contrasted with spirit flesh refers to the sinful part of my spirit to the new the new life that is given to us in Jesus Christ. But there are other times when the word Sark's the very same word refers to human nature apart from its sinful condition. Human nature as was created by God in the beginning human nature. As Adam was a human being, Adam. What was a man, but until he sinned, he was a sinless man.

He was in the flesh, but his flesh was not yet sinful and that's the way that the word flesh is used here in verse 14 it is of his human nature without sin. It is of human nature as it existed before the fall.

What it is emphasizing is that the word became man. God became man as people have struggled to understand and deal with these statements, there have been attempts down through the years of the fallen short, and actually are heresies that have been propounded to try to explain this mystery of God becoming man and some have said well he didn't actually become a man, but he appeared to be the looked like one, he seemed to be one, but of course he really wasn't one of the Greeks with their dualistic philosophy often leaned up on that idea because in their mind anything that was material was automatically sinful, was automatically corrupted and obviously God could not be sinful or corrupted. Therefore, in their minds. God could not become flesh he could not become man he must have appeared to be a man. He must've looked like a man, but he could've actually been one but nothing is more clear than the statement of our text this morning. The word not appeared to be flesh.

The word look like flesh, but the word became flesh, God became man mystery of mysteries and what we need to understand is that in becoming flesh. He didn't cease to become God. This is not a became flesh by changing from deity and into humanity. It's not that kind of becoming what it is that humanity was now added to his deity. He has eternally been God and now he becomes God and man both in one person and will for the rest of eternity be the God man, he added humanity to his deity and he did that eternally he still man. He was not man before the virgin conception he was God, but ever after that for all eternity. He is man as much as he is God, mystery of mysteries, he became man, we use the word become in two different ways. Sometimes we use it to indicate somebody who changes from one thing to another.

We could say that man is no longer the governor. He became a senator factor wouldn't even have to say is no longer the governor if we said so and so was governor but became senator, we would automatically understand that he changed. There was a transformation he was one thing he became something else because we know from our experience that in our system of government. Nobody is both governor and senator. At the same time. So if a governor becomes a senator than he changed from governor to Sen., but if I said a husband became a father. We would understand. He didn't cease to become a husband in order to become a father. He added something to his is his person and she is being his description of who he was. He was a husband and is still a husband, but as a husband.

He now became a father and so he is both in one person, and that's the idea here the word became flesh. God became man.

God's self expression became flesh the word the logon us. The one who is the expression of God, the communication of God, the one who reveals to us God by communicating the nature and person of God to us. Hence the title word that one became flesh in order to better communicate his mission to better fulfill his mission of communicating God to us. He became flesh and we read dwelt among us were literally tabernacle among us, the tabernacle, the Old Testament was a very elaborate tent.

It was set up but it was taken down. The tent is a temporary dwelling place. Our bodies are temporary dwelling places as we know, because they will die to be gloriously raised in a permanent form a heavenly form, but in its present form. It's like a tent. Someday the tent is going to be turned into a temple. Someday the temporary is going to be turned into something that is permanent and far more glorious. So when he came in tabernacle among us. He came and tabernacle old in the same kind of body. The same kind of flesh that we was.

Not only humanity but it was humanity subject to all of the trials and difficulties of humanity in every regard except what except sin. No sin, but every other human weakness and experience. He underwent because he tabernacle among us to manifest you his humanity to reveal to us deity to reveal to us the father and he tabernacle among us so that we could examine him closely at least those who were there at the time of his earthly sojourn. John says that's exactly what I did and that's what others did.

The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. We beheld his glory is a word that means examined deserved study reflected upon, to behold something is not a passing glance to behold something is a long, careful days with with drawnout examination and contemplation and he became flesh for the very purpose of allowing man to examine him carefully, and in doing so.

John tells us that we who had this opportunity of seeing him as he dwelt in the flesh among us. We beheld his glory, so that brings me to the third question, therefore, which is what is the significance of his glory.

We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father. What is his glory, the glory of God is the manifestation of his divine nature.

When John tells us that he beheld his glory, something that is talking about the visible glory the Shekinah glory of God that dwelt upon, or that dwelt within Jesus and was manifested externally on a couple of occasions. The most notable being the one on the Mount of Transfiguration when John was writing this in Peter and James were present with him in the Bible tells us that while he was there his body took on an appearance that they never seen before because it began to shine. It began glow. They began to see the glory of God. They recognize that as the Shekinah of God that that Old Testament glory that was seen in the temple of the tabernacle and that was seen by Moses and others. In those days, and some think that's what John is talking about. We beheld his glory, we saw the Shekinah this this amazing light is amazing glory that belongs only to God and reveals to us something about the glory of his character and yet we also note was some puzzlement and cause for consideration the fact that John is the only one of the four Gospels that doesn't record the Transfiguration Matthew does Mark does Luke does John doesn't.

John evidently doesn't put the same emphasis upon the Transfiguration of the others did the John was there and no doubt it was a very momentous time for him, but all of that leads me to believe that when John says he dwelt among us, and we beheld we examine very closely. His life and his character earned everything we can see about him and in that examination we beheld his glory. It causes me to think that John doesn't want us to think about the, the visible shining glory of Jesus Christ but rather the invisible expressions of his divine character that can only be seen by the eye of faith.

They are invisible to the human eye, but they are apprehended by those who view these things with faith. What we talking about will take for example the glory of his sinless life as they examined him over a long period of time they came to the conclusion that this one though he is a man in all respects like we are yet there's one thing about him. We have never observed anything that we could call sinful.

Not once, not one slip of the tongue, not one ungodly at of any kind whatsoever, not even the slightest, not anything that even hinted of sin.

What did that do that showed us his glory that showed us his deity that shows us is God likeness. He is a man, but in observing him. We beheld his glory, we beheld something that no other man that we've ever known has manifested everybody we've known as no matter how godly a person they are.

Everybody we've known has dropped their guard once in a while or had a slip of the tongue once in a while are done things with the shouldn't of done in an unguarded moment, and if you are around someone at times 24 seven as the apostles were with Jesus Christ and you would certainly have opportunity to see those things. It's amazing how Christians who want to live godly lives and have a good testimony for the Lord managed to do that pretty well in public and particularly the church, but let me go home with you and and live in your house for two or three weeks and let's see what we might observe and I'm not being critical. What will observe our redeemed sons of and daughters of Adam who are fallen and not yet fully sanctified, we will see examples of sinfulness and the way you talk to your spouse in the way you talk to your children and the way you are critical of others in the way you drop a word of slander or gossip so forth. There will be evidences of your sin, but John says this one we beheld his life and when we did we saw this glory. This unbelievable characteristic of him that there was no sin. This perfect righteousness.

We beheld his glory, the glory of his sinless life, the glory of his words as we listen to his words. There was life and power in those words like no one else we've ever heard that reveal to us the glory of his true nature, the glory of his miracles. The signs we talked previously about how two people viewing the same signs one sees the hand of God.

One Mrs. Atul Joyce another one choice another one people who never could seem to get understand the reason for the sign. The spiritual reason for the side that escaped them. But there are others who, because they have believing hearts to the eye of faith view those signs and those miracles filled their hearts with wonder and off because they realized they were seeing the evidence of God Almighty. In this miracle and decide we beheld his glory, the glory of the cross.

Some look at the cross and what are they saying shame criminal when it must obviously be a center one who cannot be approved by God because God wouldn't allow someone approved by him to dine such an ignominious way. Some look at the crossings and think they see in the cross evidence that he could not be who he claimed to be. He ought not only could not be God come in the flesh.

He couldn't even be in an esteemed and honorable prophet of God dine such a fashion. But others with the eye of faith look at the cross and they see the glory of the cross. They are amazed that eternal God would take flesh and give his own body as a payment for the transgressions of hell deserving sinners. What mercy, what love what grace, what glory how this exalts the glory of this one. He is God come in the flesh. Only God can love like that. To that extent. Only God could give himself in this way only God could devise a plan whereby he can be both just and justifier of the one who believes in Jesus and so we beheld his glory on the cross of Calvary. Yes, some saw the same things, and learned nothing other saw these evidences and saw God the character of God. The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, how about you what you see in the person of Christ Jesus you don't see in the course with your physical eyes the way John, the disciples did, but she's revealed to you in the pages of Scripture.

The Bible records all these things so that we can see them and benefit from them.

When you see these things.

What do you see when you hear these things.

What do you hear do you see the Col. God of glory whose common human form, or do you just see a possible myth. You really don't know what to think about it it doesn't it doesn't compel you to bow in worship and adoration. And if that's your condition. Oh, I urge you take that evidence of your faithless heart to God and ask him to give you a heart of faith so that you can see the revelation that he has given there.

It is made everyone. Behold his glory.

But I move on to question number four what is the significance of the only begotten of the father. What does that phrase mean the only begotten of the father. Let me something like the one and only son one and only begotten son.

It speaks of unique son trip. God has many sons by salvation. You and I are sons of God by faith in Jesus Christ, but we are sons in the same way that this one was.

We could even talk about being begotten of God because we are born again by the work of the Spirit in our hearts that is a begetting but it's not the beginning. This one represents. This is the one and only son, and when we talk about him as being the begotten son of God were talking about eternal son ship were talking about eternal begetting were talking about Trinitarian son ship were talking about a begetting that has something to do with the interrelationships of the three persons of the Trinity that the sun has always from all eternity.

Been begotten of the father he is.

I guess in a sense always being begotten.

There's that relationship between law for one text to underscore that before moving on. When we listen to that best-known verse in all the Bible John 316 which says for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, think carefully what that sentence he doesn't say God so loved the world that he decided to beget a son in the womb of the Virgin Mary, no in eternity in heaven. God gave one wives. The begotten son of God.

It is the begotten son of God who was given he was already begotten, he is eternally begotten is begetting is a unique begetting is begetting speaks of his eternal son ship but then question number five what is the significance of grace and truth. Grace of course is unmerited favor grace is undeserved kindness to the guilty truth is unswerving commitment to absolute truth, I don't know what else to say except to use the word again.

It's interesting that God revealed his glory to Moses and he did so in the same areas of grace and truth. Listen Moses in Exodus 3318 said to God, please show me your glory that he said I will make all my goodness pass before you and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion is not a strange think this is God's mercy. This is God's grace.

This is God's goodness that is his glory, but it is coupled with his absolute sovereignty as well because even his grace must be grounded upon truth takes his back to the just way, the God found to save sinners he had to do it justly.

He couldn't stop being the truthful, just and holy God said is important, said deserves judgment.

Sin must be judged. But how can God be both merciful and just. At the same time look at the cross of Calvary and see the glory of God and that then in chapter 34 we find something again verse five the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with Moses there and proclaim the name of the Lord and the Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sin, by no means clearing the guilty know that sounds contradictory, doesn't it. But again, it is this combination of mercy and truth.

God does not clear the guilty he deals with the guilt of the guilty through the death of his son, but he doesn't just overlook it or excuse it mercy and truth. Well, this is just scratching the surface. I couldn't begin to expound what John 114 means and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth.

But let me conclude with these last few thoughts.

This is telling us that God was born of a woman that he grew from infancy into boyhood and from boyhood to manhood that he hungered and thirsted grew tired he slept. He felt pain.

He wept, he rejoiced the exercised anger but only righteous anger, he felt compassion. He prayed he read and studied the Scriptures. He was tempted, he submitted his will to God the father he suffered, he bled, he died.

He was buried, then he rose again from the dead and ascended to heaven. He is both God and man, and we can see that we can see that in the account before us and thus we are brought face-to-face with the reality of the incarnation.

Two natures in Jesus Christ two natures never confounded deity never laid aside, though veiled humanity. Never. Unlike our own, though never sinful and incarnation the qualifies him to be the Savior is a man, he relates to us as a man.

He has a life to give a body and a life to give in the place of sinners is God. He represents us to the father on equal terms. We need a representative who can represent us face-to-face with the father and there's only one who can do that.

He is the log us. The word was made flesh, whose righteousness earned by a perfect life upon the earth is of infinite value because he's not only man but is also God and so that righteousness is worth far more than earthly righteousness and his atonement is of infinite value because these not only of man, but is also God.

He has atonement is great enough not just to pay for the sins of one other person one to one. But he's the God man in his atonement. Therefore, is of sufficient value to atone for all the sins of all of his people of all those who have or believe in him. So the question is, what is your response to these things that I have declared to you this morning. I trust your response is faith. I believe I do not fully understand, but I believe because God said so, and then my faith I approached this truth with wonder and with gratitude. And I draw a great benefit. Great hope great help. Great consolation for.

Therefore, I come to God Almighty with praise and worship and service and I testify to others of the greatness of this God.

If that is not your response. Again, what do I recommend that you do go to God Almighty go to the source of life and light humbly ask him to give you the life in the light to be able to comprehend and benefit from these amazing true, shall we pray. Father, we are humbled we are astounded we are stretched beyond our capacity we bow before your throne reef we drop on our faces before your throne and give you a grateful praise. Thank you. In Jesus name, amen