The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt Among Us
Today is Christmas. I find myself pondering the significance of what Christmas represents. Today we celebrate Jesus.
What strikes me is that God entered into humanity as our savior because we needed Him. The Gospel of John resonates in my heart. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” ( John 1:14 ).
Jesus is called the Word of God ( Revelation 19:13 ). Not only is this His name and title but it is His function. The Word spoke the universe into existence ( Genesis 1, John 1:3 ). The Word holds the universe in place ( Hebrews 1:3 ). The Word was prophesied over 1,200 years before those prophecies took the form of a seed and the Word was God was born into the flesh dwelling among mankind ( John 1:14 ).
Mary received the Word and became pregnant without first knowing a man. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end” ( Luke 1:31-33 ). Mary asked questions and the angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” ( Luke 1:35 ). He reminded her that nothing is impossible with God and she replied, “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said” ( Luke 1:38 ).
At that moment, Mary submitted to God and received the Messiah in seed form. What was implanted in her womb was the Word of God. God took all of the prophetic writings about the Christ, everything the Law and Prophets said He would be and created life with it. Conception happened naturally, except the seed was not human, it was the Word.
The angel also prepared and confirmed to Joseph that what had been conceived was of God.
“This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us” ( Matthew 1:18-23 ).
This is why we celebrate Christmas. We are celebrating that fact that Jesus came to the world, fully God and fully man to redeem it ( John 1:14; Colossians 1:19-20,22; 2:9 ). God, who made the universe and everything in it, came to humanity to dwell with us. Until this time we were without God and without hope in this world ( Ephesians 2:11-13; Colossians 2:13-15 ). And God came to earth in bodily form with the glorious message of hope and salvation, fully revealing Himself to us in the process. John tells us, “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” ( John 1:16-18 ).
Like Mary, we must receive the Word and plant it into the womb of our heart because this is the beginning of a glorious adventure where God is willing to reveal Himself to us. The Word is Jesus and the Word is the gospel which is the power of God ( Romans 1:16 ). The Word came in the flesh to dwell with mankind ( John 1:14 ). This is why we celebrate today!
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” ( John 1:12-13 ). May God Bless you today as you celebrate the birth of His Son.
Merry CHRISTmas!
Juli Camarin & JCBlog.net