The Word Became Flesh
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Nativity as per John
Nativity as per John
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 was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 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.
Matt and Luke describe genealogy and circumstances of Jesus’ birth. Mark doesn’t <— Roman hearers wanted what someone did, not who their parents were.
John does deal with Jesus’ birth - not as Matt & Luke, but the basic theological implications. What does it MEAN “the word became flesh”?
Warren Wiersbe ...
The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter One: God Is Here! (John 1)
He was not a phantom or a spirit when He ministered on earth, nor was His body a mere illusion. John and the other disciples each had a personal experience that convinced them of the reality of the body of Jesus (1 John 1:1–2). Even though John’s emphasis is the deity of Christ, he makes it clear that the Son of God came in the flesh and was subject to the sinless infirmities of human nature.
A PHYSICAL being, not just APPEARANCE.
John’s main message - deity of Jesus - i.e. He IS God. But also makes it clear that while being God, took on and was subject to “Sinless infirmities of human nature” - everything, including our weaknesses, that makes us human - but without sin. Hungry, tired, emotional, many limitations - all these show humanity, but can be seen without human sin.
Many NT writers refer to humanity as “flesh” - not always from perspective of sin, simply to show weakness, frailty, total inadequacy before God.
What did the Son do about our human condition?
Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.
So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.
Hebrews 2:
He became flesh and blood, just like all humanity - proud to call us “brothers” - to identify with us
The word Flesh expresses the meaning of the Evangelist more forcibly than if he had said that he was made man. He intended to show to what a mean and despicable condition the Son of God, on our account, descended from the height of his heavenly glory. When Scripture speaks of man contemptuously, it calls him flesh. Now, though there be so wide a distance between the spiritual glory of the Speech of God and the abominable filth of our flesh, yet the Son of God stooped so low as to take upon himself that flesh, subject to so many miseries.
Quoting Calvin ***REMOVE some text** Calvin’s point - how far below heavenly glory Jesus came. “Emptied Himself”
Most religions of ANE despised physical body - many do today. Many Greco-Roman myths - gods APPEARED like men, LOOKED like men, ACTED like men - but really weren’t. But Jesus didn’t just look and act like us, He BECAME one of us.
Jewish worship - the high priest offered sacrifice for the people AS ONE OF those people. As much as possible, genuinely understood and related to them.
This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.
Some versions “He was TEMPTED as we are” - yes, regarding doing wrong - but here means “tested” - every kind of problem we have as humans, He had - hungry, tired, emotional, didn’t know everything. He knows EVERY kind of weakness we have.
Much theology behind this - but practicality of God becoming human is - shows He values us. Identified with us in every way, just as high priest did —> truly represent us when dealing with sin.
How important is this? How does it relate to us? To those around us?
First - creation. From “good” to “very good”. And though man brought death to his physical body, God already had a plan to reverse that. Shows God has high concern for our total being, physical and spiritual. Adam was ashamed of himself - but God still valued him.
Alongside that -
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.
Ps 8:3-
Beings made of flesh & blood - yet (following vv) placed 2nd in command over rest of creation. —> highly valued in God’s order
Second - purpose in creation. Evolutionary teaching - humanity <— random physical, biological and chemical accidents - no one made them happen. Result - we’re worth no more or less than any other part of existence - universe won’t care if planet Earth disappears any more than a lump of ice hitting the sun.
But God created humanity <— desire for fellowship. Not a random thought, or as distraction, or - as in some creation myths, so we can do what the gods don’t want to do themselves. God created us as much like Himself as He could —> values us accordingly. On the scale of status in creation, we’re not good - we’re VERY good.
Not only made us like Himself - Christmas reminds us He made Himself like us. Didn’t come as lion, storm, earthquake, nuclear explosion - but as human flesh and blood, taking on a body just like ours. And Jesus will keep that body for eternity. Forever He identifies Himself as fully God - yes - AND fully human. Adds value to our view of ourselves - our creator became one of us.
God became one of us, so we might become one with Him. Values us, values our fellowship.
Jewish rabbis took on disciples who wanted to be like them. We can do similar - sport champions, business people, entertainment stars. Shows how we value them, or at least their status or achievements. Jesus became like us <— values us. Values all of humankind, although supposedly insignificant specks in our vast universe - God values us above all of it. Sees no lowering of His standards, no denial of His character, to become human. Retains His value, imparts that value to us.
What does that mean for us in daily life?
First - see ourselves as God sees us - not worthless, not failures, not even stupid (although we sometimes do stupid things!) In His eyes we are valuable, precious.
Second - see others as God sees them. Start with fellow believers - our brothers & sisters in Christ. Even if doing stupid things (e.g. preacher who goes too long) - still valuable and precious to God, so should be to us. Then, those outside Christ - down-and-outs, arrogant, irrational, greedy, those who use us for selfish purposes, noisy neighbours, cheeky kids, those who take our spot - Jesus values them. Died for them. Lives again for them. Prays for them in heaven.
“Value adding” - but perhaps only to our understanding of ourselves. God has ALWAYS valued us as of maximum worth - from creation to redemption to eternity. We are His treasure - and where His treasure is, there His heart is.