The Word Became Flesh
Unlike you and I, the disciples and apostles first met Jesus as a man. They were slowly convinced he was the Messiah and “Immanuel; which is, being interpreted, God with us” (Mt 1:23). What was not known until after the resurrection was that God had not acted alone in creation. “Let us make man in our image and after our likeness,” (Gen 1:26) was literal. The little baby, born in a manger in the town of Bethlehem, was the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Although this truth has generated many controversies, God wanted us to know and be amazed. This is the truth:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. . . 10. . . the world was made through Him . . .14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. . . (Jn 1:1-14)
The Spirit writing through John revealed these startling truths we dimly seek to comprehend with the phrase “God in three persons.” The Word “was with God and was God.” To clarify, Paul added “although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Phil 2:6). The Word was “with God,” “was God,” and was “equal with God.” Then, born of the seed of David, the Word “became flesh and dwelt among us.”
His work in creation is our means to measure His deity and His equality. In this way we begin to grasp “the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (Jn 17:5). What exactly did the Word do in the creation? Was it a minor role? Did He only do the easy parts? No! “All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being,” Hence, before becoming flesh, Jesus as the Word brought all things into being and nothing is excepted! It was “by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth” (Col 1:16), and it was the Word “through whom also he made the worlds” for “of the Son he says ... You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands” (Heb 1:8-10). These are things we accept as revealed, but can’t really understand or explain. Before He was man, He was the Word with God and was God. When He “emptied Himself”, He was “made in the likeness of men” and “found in appearance as a man” (Phil 2:7-8). No one can really explain exactly what this means. But one thing is clear: He who walked and talked with the apostles is He who created the heavens and the earth.
So a mental adjustment must be made. Now when we read “and God said” we know that they “came into being by Him” when He was the Word. It was Jesus as the Word using His own will and power to do exactly as God desired. When God said “let there be light...,” “make the dry land appear...,” “let the earth put forth grass, herbs” “and fruit-trees...,” “they came into being by him.” On each of the six days of creation, “Nothing came into being that has come into being.” DO WE SEE? Before Jesus became flesh and gently taught His disciples, He had created the sun, moon, and stars. Before being mocked by Jewish leaders He had created physics and chemistry, wind and waves, atoms and molecules. Now, “by faith” we accept it was Jesus as the Word who “framed” “the worlds” “out of things which” do not “appear” (Heb 11:3).
All gold, silver, diamonds, rubies and precious stones were designed by the Father and created by the Word. So also was the power of electricity, oil, and natural gas. The beauty of mountain and sea, grain, and sunset were all created by the master craftsman - the Word who became Jesus.
As each task was completed, “God saw that it was good” (Gen 1:4-31). The Word had taken God’s thoughts and flawlessly created exactly as God willed. After Adam damaged the Creation, God had already planned for the Word to enter His own creation to redeem and restore those chosen in him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4).
“When the fulness of the time came,” (Gal 4:4) the Word “came into the world.” As He entered “he said ... a body You have prepared for Me,” and “behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” Now “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb 10:5-10). The application! When we break bread during the Lord’s Supper and remember “this is my body which is given for you” (Lk 22:19), we should also remember it was the Word who was with God and was God and the creator of all things. The perfect Creator took a body to become a perfect redeemer. Truly, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev 22:13).
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. . . 10. . . the world was made through Him . . .14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. . . (Jn 1:1-14)
The Spirit writing through John revealed these startling truths we dimly seek to comprehend with the phrase “God in three persons.” The Word “was with God and was God.” To clarify, Paul added “although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Phil 2:6). The Word was “with God,” “was God,” and was “equal with God.” Then, born of the seed of David, the Word “became flesh and dwelt among us.”
His work in creation is our means to measure His deity and His equality. In this way we begin to grasp “the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (Jn 17:5). What exactly did the Word do in the creation? Was it a minor role? Did He only do the easy parts? No! “All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being,” Hence, before becoming flesh, Jesus as the Word brought all things into being and nothing is excepted! It was “by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth” (Col 1:16), and it was the Word “through whom also he made the worlds” for “of the Son he says ... You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands” (Heb 1:8-10). These are things we accept as revealed, but can’t really understand or explain. Before He was man, He was the Word with God and was God. When He “emptied Himself”, He was “made in the likeness of men” and “found in appearance as a man” (Phil 2:7-8). No one can really explain exactly what this means. But one thing is clear: He who walked and talked with the apostles is He who created the heavens and the earth.
So a mental adjustment must be made. Now when we read “and God said” we know that they “came into being by Him” when He was the Word. It was Jesus as the Word using His own will and power to do exactly as God desired. When God said “let there be light...,” “make the dry land appear...,” “let the earth put forth grass, herbs” “and fruit-trees...,” “they came into being by him.” On each of the six days of creation, “Nothing came into being that has come into being.” DO WE SEE? Before Jesus became flesh and gently taught His disciples, He had created the sun, moon, and stars. Before being mocked by Jewish leaders He had created physics and chemistry, wind and waves, atoms and molecules. Now, “by faith” we accept it was Jesus as the Word who “framed” “the worlds” “out of things which” do not “appear” (Heb 11:3).
All gold, silver, diamonds, rubies and precious stones were designed by the Father and created by the Word. So also was the power of electricity, oil, and natural gas. The beauty of mountain and sea, grain, and sunset were all created by the master craftsman - the Word who became Jesus.
As each task was completed, “God saw that it was good” (Gen 1:4-31). The Word had taken God’s thoughts and flawlessly created exactly as God willed. After Adam damaged the Creation, God had already planned for the Word to enter His own creation to redeem and restore those chosen in him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4).
“When the fulness of the time came,” (Gal 4:4) the Word “came into the world.” As He entered “he said ... a body You have prepared for Me,” and “behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” Now “we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb 10:5-10). The application! When we break bread during the Lord’s Supper and remember “this is my body which is given for you” (Lk 22:19), we should also remember it was the Word who was with God and was God and the creator of all things. The perfect Creator took a body to become a perfect redeemer. Truly, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev 22:13).