The Word became flesh

W. Aubrey Alsobrook

July 24, 2008 11:41 pm

— Chapter one of John's gospel gives us a true picture of Jesus. 'The Word (Greek ("logos") is God in action, creating, revealing, redeeming. Jesus is this Word." The Word describes the beginning of creation through him. "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1) There is the identification of the Word with God. The Word was the author of creation: "all things were made through him" (John 1:3).
He is the author of life: "in him was life" and "the life was the light of men." Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. This proclaims the victory of Christ, the Word. It is the basis of Christian optimism. No matter how deep the darkness the light of the Christ shines through.
"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John"; and John the Baptist said of Jesus, "He who comes after me ranks before me" (John 1:6,15). Jesus came after John the Baptist, but he ranks before him. He was in the beginning when creation was launched. There was a time when John the Baptist was not; he came into being, but there was no time when the Word (Christ) was not.
From the fullness of Christ we have received, "grace upon grace." As the prophet Jeremiah said, "his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning" (Lam.3:22). There is no situation that does not have grace in the midst of it. As we rise each morning there is God's grace that comes to go with us through the day.
"In one of William J. Lock's novels there is a picture of a woman who has any amount of money, and who has spent half a lifetime on a tour of the sights and picture galleries of the world.
She is weary and bored. Then she meets a Frenchman who has little of this world's goods, but who has a wide knowledge and a great love of beauty. He comes with her, and in his company things are completely different. "I never knew what things were like", she said to him, "until you taught me how to look at them."
Life is quite different when Jesus teaches us how to look at things. When Jesus comes into our hearts, he opens our eyes to see things truly" (Wm. Barclay).

Alsobrook is a retired United Methodist pastor living in Americus.