We saw last week how important it is that Jesus Christ is fully God. We saw that Jesus Christ IS the Word of God We saw that if Jesus Christ is NOT God, then you are not saved We learned about the doctrine of eternal generation: that the Father is always Father, and the Son is always Son. And we saw that because Jesus Christ is God, he is the Life and Light of the world.

In the beginning was the WORD--and the WORD was with God--and the WORD was God.

And yet, John tells us, the WORD became flesh!

Why did God become a man? Why did the Word become flesh?

1. Only the true Light could shine the darkness (6-9) Notice the contrast between John and Christ. John was sent to bear witness of the Light--but he himself was NOT that light Here you see the crucial distinction between the Word as Christ, and the Word as preached: John's word--John's preaching--was to call people to faith in Christ. But while John could point to the light, and while John's preaching could point to the light, he himself was not that Light. Jesus IS that Light. The Word HIMSELF is that Light. The eternal Son of God IS the light that gives light to every man.

What does that mean? What does it mean that the eternal Word gives light to every man? It means that NO ONE can see anything apart from Christ. It means that all truth can only be understood if GOD gives you light. The only reason that an unbeliever can understand that 2+2=4, is because Christ has shone a certain amount of light into their minds. (Rom. 1) He is LIGHT. Remember two weeks ago we saw that he is LIFE. And he is the one who GAVE life to all of creation. And just as he gave life to all of creation, so also he gives light. But especially, he shines the Light of salvation on his people. But how could the eternal Word shine the Light of salvation on his people? After all, he was in heaven, they were on earth... HOW would the light shine in darkness?

2. Only the Creator could make men children of God (10-13) The Eternal Word came to His Own! He came to His People--and yet they did not receive him. His whole ministry was a ministry of rejection: He had come to be their Messiah, yet they turned away in scorn. Amazing! The Creator was scorned by his creation! The Light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. But! To those who received Him--to them He gave the right to become children of God. Those who believed in His name, he adopted as children of God. What?!! Is this saying that it is up to Man whether he will be born again?!! Well, let's read the next verse: "who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" You do not become a child of God through your own effort, but through the will of God. Only the Creator could make men children of God!

But notice how it is put: "not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of men" What does "flesh" mean? "Flesh" is not inherently evil--rather it is inherently weak. Flesh is unable to give birth to the children of God. Flesh is what characterizes all of us who are sons of Adam: we are weak, powerless, and impotent. That is why ONLY God can give the RIGHT--the AUTHORITY-- to become children of God. As long as we rely upon the will of the flesh, --the will of our weak, impotent, humanity-- we will never become children of God.

Then what hope do we have? If the Eternal Word is Life, and Light and eternal Glory, and we are weak, and impotent and mortal flesh, then how can we ever become children of God?

Because...and this is the whole point of John's Gospel....the WORD has become FLESH The Word has become weak. The Word has become impotent. And yet, when John says, "the Word became flesh"--suddenly, something happens to flesh! Because John doesn't say, "the Word became flesh, and we saw his weakness and his impotence" NO!!!! "the Word became flesh...and we beheld his glory!

What has happened? How has flesh become glorious? How has weakness become strength?

Because it is the Eternal Word who has transformed this mortal flesh through his glory!

3. Only His Glory could exceed the glory of the Law (14-18) The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. This is the great principle of Emmanuel--God with us! Yet before we just skip past this, I'd like you to know what John is saying. Because he doesn't use the ordinary word for "dwell". Literally he says that the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. Just as God had dwelt among his people in the tabernacle, so now Christ has built HIS tabernacle among us. And just as the glory of God dwelt in the tabernacle in the OT, so now the glory of God dwelt in Jesus Christ. But this glory was FAR greater than the glory of the tabernacle! Because the glory of the Word-made-flesh did not merely dwell in stone and gold, but in humanity! This is the great mystery of Christ! That God himself should dwell--not in a temple made by human hands, but in a temple made by GOD'S hands!

You see, We were created in the image of God for THIS VERY PURPOSE: that God would have a temple to dwell in. God created us in his image so that we would be his dwelling place! Exodus 40:34-35

I Kings 8:1-11

Now, in Jesus Christ--the Word become flesh--we behold the glory of God, full of grace and truth.

But why did the Word become flesh? Was it simply to reveal his glory? No, beloved, The Word became flesh not merely to reveal his glory, but also to make YOU a partaker of his glory: v16 "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace" This is the amazing gift that we have been given! YOU have received the fullness of Christ. YOU have been given ALL that belongs to him!

Moses may have given the Law--Moses may have given the Tabernacle, In other words, Moses showed us the picture! but the reality of grace and truth come only through Jesus Christ. Only HE knows the Father fully. No one else has ever seen the Father! Only HE has declared the Father to us. He is the Word of the Father--and his Word is True.

Exodus 34--Moses sees God's back--and God proclaims (v5-7): and when Moses comes down from the mountain his face is shining with such brilliance that he must veil it so that the people can look at him. Yet John says that no one has seen God except the Son.

In other words, John is saying, Sure, some grace and truth was revealed to Moses, But the glory of God was VEILED, and even Moses could only see God's back. Moses received the proclamation of God's grace and truth in the Law, but Jesus Christ IS HIMSELF the revelation of God's grace and truth. This is why John calls him the WORD! Moses received God's Word in writing. Moses proclaimed God's Word in preaching. But Moses was NOT God's Word. Jesus Christ IS the Word of God. He IS the revelation of God's grace and truth. This is John says that we "have all received his fullness--and grace upon grace" Because no longer is God tabernacled in wood and stone, God has now tabernacled himself in humanity!

The Word has become flesh!

Brothers and sisters, does this amaze you? are you astounded by this? The Word became flesh! God has humbled himself, and yet man remains proud! Do you live your life in the presence of his glory? Is your heart enraptured by this Savior?

The great fifth century St. Augustine preached through the gospel of John to his congregation at Hippo in North Africa. And as Augustine preached, he called his attention to the new birth.

Why was the Word made flesh? Why was Jesus Christ born as a man?

"But that men might be born of God, God was first born of them. For Christ is God, and Christ was born of men. It was only a mother, indeed, that He sought upon earth; because He had already a Father in heaven: He by whom we were to be created was born of God, and He by whom we were to be re-created was born of a woman. Marvel not, then, O man, that you are made a son by grace, that you are born of God according to His Word. The Word Himself first chose to be born of man, that you might be born of God unto salvation, and say to yourself, Not without reason did God wish to be born of man, but because He counted me of some importance, that He might make me immortal, and for me be born as a mortal man. When, therefore, he had said, "born of God," lest we should, as it were, be filled with amazement and trembling at such grace, at grace so great as to exceed belief that men are born of God, as if assuring you, he says, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Why, then, do you marvel that men are born of God? Consider God Himself born of men: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Augustine hits it right on the head. The Word became all that we are by nature, so that we might become all that he is by grace!

Again I must call you to meditate upon your Savior. Again I must urge you to read through the Gospel of John. Take a couple hours, and just sit quietly and read it out loud to your family. Take the time to simply listen to the Word of God. And remember, The Word has been made flesh. The Word has dwelt among us The Word is Jesus Christ himself, and as you read your Bibles, you are hearing the Word proclaimed; and as you listen to my sermons, you are hearing that same Word proclaimed. That Word is living and active, and it will transform your life, it will change your heart. But only because the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And his glory has been revealed in his death and resurrection. And now that Word has joined YOU to himself, so that YOU have died with him and have been raised with him; and now YOU share his glory-- as John says, "And of his fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

Copyright © 2003 Peter J. Wallace