"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made 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 gospel of John was written as a record to prove that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. It confirms one of the most important doctrines in the Word of God, the Deity of Christ or that Jesus Christ is God. If Jesus was not the sinless Virgin born Son of God, than we do not have a Savior and our sins cannot be forgiven. John ends his gospel in John 20:30 & 31 saying,
"And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."
John 1:14 says,
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."
There is no doubt that when John says that "the Word was made flesh," that he is talking about Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus is the WORD!!! This is called the incarnation of God.
Another reference to Jesus being known as the Word in found in Revelation 19:11-13 when John says,
"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God."
Again John refers to Jesus as the Word in I John 5:7 when he writes,
"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."
We all know that the Bible is the written inspired infallible Word of God. Jesus is the incarnate living Word of God. John said, "And the Word was made flesh."
Proving that Jesus "the Word" is God, John wrote in verse one,
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Notice that John was very careful to say that Jesus was not only there in the beginning with God, but that He was very God of very God!!! "And the Word was God!!!!!"
Sorry Jehovah’s false witnesses, it doesn't say, "the Word was a god" and it doesn’t say, "the Word was as a God!!!!!!" And it never will!!!! Because Jesus is God. He didn’t begin at Bethlehem. He had no beginning and He has no ending. God’s Son became a man without ceasing to be God. Jesus Christ is co-equal, co-existent, and eternally existent with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit!!!! You say, "That’s hard to understand." It is, but that doesn’t make it untrue because we may not fully understand it.
Isaiah 55:8 & 9 says,
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."
Paul when writing to young Timothy in I Timothy 3:16 says the same thing as John,
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."
Paul says that God was manifest in the flesh or in other words God became flesh, and His name was Jesus, the God man.
The Mystery of Christ's Humanity
Martin Luther said, "The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that He sunk Himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding."
Tomorrow we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and although we think of a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and laying in a manger, we need to remember that the little baby Jesus is God incarnate, God robed in flesh, who will soon come to rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords!!!
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."
The deity of Christ is a doctrine of true Christianity that always has and always will be attacked by atheists, cults, liberals and moderates of our day.
Story:
Around the turn of the Century, Albert Schweitzer wrote "The Quest of the Historical Jesus." While challenging the conclusions of "19th Century liberalism" about the historicity of Jesus, he wrote the following: "The Jesus of Nazareth who came forward publicly as the Messiah, who preached the ethic of the Kingdom of God, who founded the Kingdom of Heaven upon earth, and died to give His work its final consecration, never had any existence. He is a figure designed by rationalism, endowed with life by liberalism, and clothed by modern theology in an historical garb." (Schweitzer, p. 398) In short, Schweitzer did not believe as Peter affirmed, that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God," rather he would simply say this Jesus was a good teacher, an ethical man, but that He was not fully God and fully man.
This is the thinking of many today when it comes to believing that Jesus is God in human form or God in flesh.
Look back to John 1:14 where John says, "And the Word was made flesh." In the original language "Word" is written "logos."
According to Aristotle the Greek philosopher, three things convinced men of the truth:
-the ethos (personal character of the speaker)
-the pathos (persuasion from within) and,
-the logos (the proof)
The logos, to the Greek mind, was the ultimate proof or the final word.
The Apostle John did not write, "in the beginning was the ethos," nor did he write "in the beginning was the pathos," rather, he said, "in the beginning was the Logos, the ultimate proof the final Word!" He didn’t say the ethos became flesh or that the pathos became flesh, instead he used the terminology that said Jesus, the "logos or the word or the final argument, the ultimate proof," became flesh.
The pre-existent Logos or Word, broke though eternity to become man to dwell among us. You know God appeared many times before Jesus' birth. Some men heard his voice. An arrogant King once saw his finger write on the wall. Moses heard him speak out of a bush that burned, but was not consumed. This time, God didn't briefly come on the scene and leave, He dwelt or "pitched His tent" (another translation of dwelt in vs. 14) among us.
John also claimed to see Him, hear Him, and even handle Him! He says in I John 1:1,
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word (the logos) of life."
The real meaning of Christmas is that God became a man so that man could be redeemed or reconciled to God. He went to the cross and paid our awful debt of sin, He died, was buried, and He rose from the dead and is alive forevermore!!!!
We see the real meaning of Christmas in the Christmas story as given by Matthew in Matthew 1:18-25,
"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS."
Verse 21 tells of the real meaning of Christmas, that Jesus was born to save his people from their sins. Have you ever trusted Him as your Savior? He died for you and for me.
The Apostle John had no problem believing that the historical Jesus he heard, saw and handled was the pre-existent Logos, the eternal God! But because he could not dissect Him, confine Him in his rationalistic test tube and prove his existence through the scientific method, Albert Schweitzer chose to declare that He never existed.
Quite frankly, a God that can be fully explained and understood is not one I'd choose to believe in. I'd rather just declare with the Apostle Paul, " And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh."
What about you today? Are you trusting Christ as your Savior to take you to heaven some day when you die? If not, than you are trusting in self or good works or something other than Christ. Jesus said in John 14:6,
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
The Bible says,
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Salvation is called a "gift" in the Bible that is for all who will put their faith and trust in Christ as their Savior. Come today and place your soul’s salvation in the hand of the One Who is God incarnate and Who has the power to forgive and cleanse your sin.