Word Became Flesh

Intro.

This is week three of being in the Prologue of John.

And Honestly we could probably spend more time swimming in the riches of this passage, but this will be the last week we spend here.

Just an overview of the last 3 weeks.

2 Weeks ago we looked at the purpose statement or thesis of John’s gospel.

He wants us to know and believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the son of God.

He wants us to know that Jesus existed before any and all of creation.

And That he is God.

Last week we looked at Jesus being the true light of the world.

The true light that creates.

We talked about the beauty and majesty of God’s creation.

How when we look at all that God created we are naturally drawn to the place of recognizing that there has to be a creator.

Then we discussed that like the John the Baptist we need to testify to the light of Jesus.

We should be witnesses to the light.

And we were comforted by the fact that even with all the darkness in the world, the Light will not be overcome.

The light of Jesus is going to banish all the darkness.

And when we see the light our response is either to be drawn to it as moths or to flee from it like cockroaches.

In today’s text, John hits the pinnacle of his prologue

Everything he has said up to now has been leading to this moment.

So what I want to do is read what he has said in verses 1-13 before we get into verses 14-18.

This is a refresher to draw back to our minds the truths about Jesus found in these opening verses.

John 1:1–13 CSB

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

and then we read v.14

John 1:14 CSB

14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Incarnation

Incarnation is a fancy theological term that means that Jesus, fully God, became fully human to accomplish salvation for his people.

God Made Flesh.

Or as John puts it, “The word became flesh.”

This is the first time since the opening lines of John that he returns to the phrase and message of “The Word.”

Remember, this phrase logos, or the word, carries with it a lot of weight.

John tells us that Jn 1:1 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

So having established that the Word was God he now tells us that God came to live with humanity.

The perfect, holy, and eternal God stepped down into his messy creation.

Now for the Greek readers of this text they were used to stories about their gods coming to walk among humans.

But their stories and teachings about their pantheon of gods was one of them appearing to have flesh.

Or they just put on human skin like a costume.

They came to walkabout and interact with humanity without wanting to actually be a part of humanity.

They didn’t want to defile their divinity with humanity.

And this was not an uncommon view among some who followed Jesus as well.

There were those called Docestist who believed that Jesus didn’t take on a physical body, but rather only appeared as human.

But John is telling us that this is heresy.

Jesus didn’t appear to be human.

Jesus didn’t seem to be human.

Jesus became flesh.

There was a point in time when God came down from his heavenly throne and stepped into our world.

The world he created.

The world that he loved.

And when he came he didn’t separated himself from humanity but he became fully human.

He donned on flesh.

In all aspects he was like us except without sin.

And we have to realize and recognize that with that coming as flesh he dealt with a lot of the same stuff that we deal with.

His experience was fully human yet supremely divine.

Meaning that he didn’t avoid the messiness of life.

He came as a baby.

Had to have his diaper changed.

He had upset stomachs.

He got sick.

He felt pain.

He experienced the death of loved ones.

I was listening to this pastor over the last week and he was talking about how it felt when his father passed away.

And one of the things that he pointed out is the Jesus went through the pain of loss with his earthly father Joseph.

Somewhere between Jesus’ at the temple at 12 and the beginning of his ministry at 30, Joseph died.

Jesus knows what loss feels like.

He knows the sting of betrayal.

He knows what it means to be hungry.

He knows what it means to tired.

He knows what it means to love.

He knows what it means to be human.

I think sometimes we mythologize Jesus.

Meaning that we divorce his Godness from his Humanness.

We have lost the reality that Jesus didn’t come to act human.

He came to be human.

He came to fully participate in humanity.

And yet he was without sin.

We do have to be careful though.

We don’t want to over ascribe humanity to Jesus he was still God.

He lived in the tension of being fully God and fully man.

That can be hard for us to wrap our minds around.

But we need to enjoy the tension knowing that we can’t wrap our minds fully around it.

This is the beginning of the message of the gospel of Jesus.

God came to live as a person.

And as I was thinking about this reality.

I started thinking about what this would look like for us.

How could I relate this truth to you more fully.

I started to think about the thousands of missionaries across the globe that go to third world countries to preach the gospel.

When a missionary does missions work right it is often called an “incarnational ministry.”

Now this isn’t a perfect picture of what Jesus did, but it will help to wrap our minds a little more tightly to Jesus incarnation.

These missionaries leave the comfort of their home.

They leave family behind.

They leave friends behind.

They leave their homes behind.

And they go live with a people group that may accept them or may reject them.

They have to learn the language.

They have to study the customs.

They have to know the right ways to interact with certain groups and individuals.

They don’t have the modern conveniences that we have.

No running water.

No sewage.

No Supermarkets.

No internet.

No Amazon.

And they choose to go and live their lives in these conditions that we think are so radical.

That we think are so extreme.

And why do they do that?

So that people will hear the good news of Jesus.

So that people will come to know Jesus.

That’s what Jesus did emptied himself and came to live, serve, and love his creation.

The doctrine of the incarnation is a line in the sand when it comes to followers of Jesus.

If you don’t believe that Jesus existed as fully God and fully man you have abandoned the orthodox or right way to believe who Jesus is.

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And John is going to further draw this truth for us when he then brings our attention back to the Old Testament again by saying

Jn 1:14 “and dwelt among us."

You may be asking yourself how does these phrases draw our attention back to the OT.

It would specifically draw the reader back to the Exodus account.

This word “dwelt” is better translated as “tabernacled” or “pitched his tent” among us.

For those of you new to the bible or biblical story let me give you a quick history on the tabernacle.

After the Israelites were rescued and freed from Egypt, they met with God on Mount Sinai where he gave them the commandments.

They were now a people without a home.

But they needed somewhere to worship God.

So in Exodus 24-31 they were given very strict instructions on building the tabernacle and everything else that was going to be used in the worship of God.

Now because they didn’t have a permanent land to live on yet, this tabernacle was mobile.

They would set it up when they camped and they would break it down when they moved.

God was moving with his people.

Showing them the way.

Now the special thing about the tabernacle was that God would come and dwell with his people when the tabernacle was set up.

When camp was set up the tabernacle would be in the center of the camp and the each tribe would set up around the tabernacle.

So that they could remember that at the center of their lives, history, and story there was God.

The tabernacle and later the temple signifies God dwelling with his people.

God living with his people.

God being with his people.

Ex 40:34 “34 The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.”

The Tabernacle served as a visual reminder of God’s Divine presence

God Chose to dwell with his people in the tabernacle, but he wasn’t strictly limited to the tabernacle.

Yet access to God was limited to the tabernacle or temple.

It was limited to only the High Priest.

God’s presence was with the people, but people did not have access to God.

In fact, to enter into the temple or tabernacle and into the presence of God wrongly would lead to immediate death.

The holiness, righteousness, and Glory of God would be too much for sinful human.

Then in Ezekiel 10, the glorious presence of the Lord that once filled the temple departed from the temple.

Which is why it is significant that God now came in flesh not to live within the temple walls but to live with his people.

The Word who put on flesh is being shown to be a greater tabernacle.

The new tabernacle that brings the glory of God to all people.

The Glory of God was no longer sealed up in the temple inaccessible to people, rather he became like people to reach the people.

That’s why John can write, Jn 1:14 “We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

I’m not sure if you have ever thought about God’s Glory or even what that means.

Glory means “the manifestation of God’s presence and Power”

God’s power and presence was made even more real when John the author of the gospel and other Jesus followers witnessed Jesus’ words and works.

The glory of God not limited to a temple or tabernacle now walked on the face of the earth.

The Glory of God was seen in the miracles he produced.

Water to wine, healing of the blind man, the resurrection of Lazarus.

But the fullest display of Jesus’ glory was at his Resurrection.

Where what was once dead was now made alive.

Jesus the unique, amazing, awe inspiring, and glorious Son of God came not in wrath.

But full of Grace and truth.

He didn’t come to condemn the world, but to bring grace to the world.

He didn’t come in flesh to judge the world, but to save the world.

He provides salvation through his grace and truth.

This phrase in Jn 1:14, full of grace in truth points us back to Exodus again.

These words would remind readers of what God says in Ex 34:5-7 “5 The Lord came down in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed his name, “the Lord.” 6 The Lord passed in front of him and proclaimed: The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, 7 maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.”

That’s why we read this passage earlier.

Grace is closely related to the Hebrew word “hesed”

Which is God’s steadfast love.

His lovingkindness.

Truth is closely related to the Hebrew word “Emet” which is used in reference to God’s faithfulness.

God’s eternal truth.

God is trustworthy and completely reliable.

And Jesus came full of God’s steadfast love and complete reliability.

And when Jesus came he came to demonstrate that he is greater than everything that came before him.

Not just that he is greater, but that he is the fullness of all grace and truth that came from the father.

John 1:15–18 CSB

15 (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ ”) 16 Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, 17 for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.

Jesus is Better

The first thing that we read here is about John the Baptist once again.

We read that John is still testifying about Jesus.

But now he wants us to know that Jesus even though he came after John is greater than John because he existed before him.

In the ancient culture anything that was first had priority.

Was seen as superior.

And John was born some 6 months before Jesus.

Which in the human mind would mean that he was greater than Jesus.

But John wants us to know that Jesus is greater b/c he has always existed.

So even though he is younger he is greater.

So not only is Jesus greater than John because he existed before him, but the Gospel of John is arguing that Jesus is better than everyone and everything.

Greater than the temple/tabernacle.

Greater than Moses.

Greater than the law.

Greater than Abraham.

So how is Jesus greater?

He came in the fullness of grace and truth.

And as believers we all recieved grace upon grace.

That’s a curious phrase that could use some talking about.

What does grace upon grace mean?

One aspect is that it means that grace never stops.

There is so much grace in God that if you are his child you could never get to the end of it.

You could never out sin God’s grace.

There is more grace in Jesus than there is sin in you.

Does that mean that we should continue to live in sin?

Does that mean that we should have the heart and attitude that it’s okay that I sin b/c I know that God will forgive me.

I want to tell you that if that’s your heart.

That your desire is to sin and then simply as for forgiveness, then I don’t believe that you have ever experienced true grace.

I don’t think you have the heart of the savior.

I don’t think that you have actually been transformed by the Love, grace, and mercy of God.

If you have then you would want to avoid sin because it breaks the heart of God.

Jesus came to give you freedom from sin.

Thomas Watson: “Until sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet.”

One of the reasons that God gave the law to Moses was to show us just how holy he is and how sinful we are.

The Law condemns us.

The Law reveals to us our brokenness.

The Law shines a light on our hearts and proclaims our wickedness.

And there are many Christians out there that stand opposed to the law of God.

And they wrongly translate or teach Jn 1:17 “17 for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

They say, see the law is bad and grace is Good.

But God’s Law isn’t bad.

It isn’t wrong.

The Law came to Moses by God.

Meaning that the law is perfect, holy, just, righteous.

Let’s not demonize that Law of God.

Rather let’s see it for what it is.

It is a handbook on God’s holiness and our brokenness.

It reveals our need for salvation our need for rescue.

Jesus came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it on our behalf.

In fact, we need to recognize the Law for what it is it was a grace of God to reveal his law to his people.

He didn’t have to reveal anything about himself to any one.

Yet he chose out of grace compassion and love to give us his law.

So that the Israelites would be seen as worshipping a God unlike those that everyone else worshipped.

God’s people are supposed to stand distinctly different from everyone around them.

The law set them apart in the OT.

Our Love for Jesus and others should set us apart today.

And through Jesus we get to see the Father.

That’s what John means when he writes Jn 1:18 “18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.”

Think about it no one has ever seen God in the fullness of his Glory.

No one has seen the essential being of God.

Except for the Son.

But When we see the son.

When we behold Jesus.

When we love, worship, and adore Jesus we see the very face of God.

Like John is doing throughout this whole prologue he is pointing the readers back to the OT.

Moses when he was receiving the 10 Commandments and the rest of the law from God asked to see God’s face.

But To see God was to seek death.

If anyone in their sinful state were to see God they would surely die.

Let’s look at Exodus 33.

Exodus 33:18–23 CSB

18 Then Moses said, “Please, let me see your glory.” 19 He said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name ‘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.” 20 But he added, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live.” 21 The Lord said, “Here is a place near me. You are to stand on the rock, 22 and when my glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen.”

Moses Couldn’t see God’s face.

But he got a glimpse of God’s Glory.

So not even the great Moses saw God’s fullness.

Then in Isaiah, he has a vision of God in the temple.

and just upon seeing the hem of God’s robe Isaiah is overwhelmed by his sinfulness.

God is so glorious, magnificent, and holy that we can’t behold him in our current state.

But Jesus came to reveal to us the true glory of God.

The richness of his grace.

The fullness of his love.

The depth of his truth.

Jesus can do that b/c he has an unparalleled intimacy with God.

When John writes that Jesus is at the Father’s side, what he wants us to understand is the closeness between Jesus and the Father.

Intimacy.

Relationship.

“at the father’s side” can be better translated as

“in the bosom of the father”

Imagine a child curled up on the Lap of their mom or dad leaning hard against their chest.

Snuggled up close.

When Eden was a baby her favorite place to fall asleep was resting on my chest.

It was also my favorite place for her to fall asleep.

There was a bond, a closeness, and an intimacy shared there.

Unless you’re Santa you won’t let just anyone curl up on your lap.

That space is reserved for someone special.

For the ones you love and care for.

And Jesus with that level of intimacy with the Father reveals to us God himself.

He shows us God.

If we want to see God we look to Jesus.

If we want to know God we look to Jesus.

If we want to love God we love Jesus.

So what does this all mean?

What can we do with this information?

Now I am going to give you some application for all 18 verses.

First, we need to recognize that we need rescue.

We need salvation.

We live in the darkness and we need to be drawn to and love the light.

That light is Jesus.

And if we follow and love his light then we will have life.

Secondly, Remember and recognize that God identifies with us and sympathizes with us.

He experienced all that we have experienced.

Pain, heartache, loss.

Death, love, betrayal.

We don’t have a God that is far off.

He is close. He draws near to the broken hearted.

He draws close to those who hurt.

He brings rest to those who are weary.

So when life gets hard where do you turn?

Do you try to self medicated?

Through Alcohol, drugs, relationships, social media, mindless entertainment?

Do you just shut down and avoid issues at hand?

In stead of doing those things, why don’t you run to the only life giving source?

Why don’t you run to the one who can make you whole?

Satisfy your every need.

Thirdly, let’s be like Jesus.

Let’s live a life that emulates him.

We are God’s evangelistic strategy.

There are are many in this world and in our lives that Don’g know him.

Let's live like him and tell others about him.

Where are you with Jesus?

Do you love him?

Do you adore him?

Do you have a relationship with him?

If not, he is calling out to you?

He wants you to follow after him.

He wants you to give your life over to him.

He came, lived, suffered, and died so that you can be made whole.