THE WORD BECAME FLESH
JOHN 1:1-14 12-24-88
IN THE BEGINNING, GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. THE
EARTH WAS WITHOUT FORM AND VOID, AND DARKNESS WAS ON THE FACE OF THE DEEP. AND
GOD SAID, "LET THERE BE... AND THERE WAS." IT HAPPENED!
WHEN THE LORD GOD SPOKE, THINGS HAPPENED.
BEFORE PEOPLE HAD THE WRITTEN PAGE, THE POWER OF THE SPOKEN
WORD WAS VERY WELL UNDERSTOOD. KINGS HAD THE POWER TO SPEAK AND IMMEDIATELY
THEIR COMMANDS WERE CARRIED OUT.
"THUS IT WAS SPOKEN, THUS IT WAS DONE."
THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL UNDERSTOOD THIS POWER. PHARAHOES IN EGYPT
HAD WEILDED THIS KIND OF POWER WHILE THEY WERE IN SLAVERY. IN THE DAYS OF AHAB
THE KING, HIS WIFE, JEZABEL, WAS ONE WHO ENCOURAGED HIM TO JUST
"TAKE" THE VINEYARD OF THEIR NEIGHBOR, NABOTH. THUS, IT WAS NOT AT
ALL UNUSUAL FOR A KING TO SPEAK AND WHATEVER HIS WILL, FOR GOOD OR FOR ILL, IT
WOULD BE DONE.
A MAN'S WORD WAS HIS BOND. IT WAS AN EXPRESSION OF HIS
CHARACTER. THERE WAS NOT ONLY POWER, THERE WAS ALSO INTEGRITY IN WHAT ONE SAID.
TO BACK OUT ON ONE'S WORD WAS UNTHNKABLE. THERE IS JUST TOO MUCH AT STAKE IN
THE WORDS OF ONETS MOUTH.
"LET THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH BE ACCEPTABLE IN THY SIGHT
. "EACH ONE SHALL BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR EVERY WORD
SPOKEN."
SO, WHEN THE LORD GOD SPOKE, WORLDS WERE CREATED, ALL THINGS
CAME INTO BEING, THE CREATION WAS ORDERED, AND THE VERY FABRIC OF SOCIETY WAS
ESTABLISHED.
AND THE LORD GOD MADE A COVENANT - A PROMISE TO ABRAHAM, TO
ISAACT TO JACOB, - TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL
ALL ON THE BASIS OF THE WORD OF THE LORD.
1. "AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US."
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT UNDERSTANDINGS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS THAT WHEN
JESUS WAS BORN, THAT BIRTH WAS AN EXPRESSION OF THE SAME GOD WHO HAD MADE ALL
THINGS IN THE BEGINNING. IT WAS ALSO AN AFFIRMATION THAT JESUS CHRIST WAS WITH
GOD IN THE CREATION AS WELL.
"ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM, AND WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT
ANYTHING MADE THAT WAS MADE"
EVEN TONIGHT AS WE TAKE HOLY COMMUNION, WE ARE REMINDED OF
THE UNDERSTANDING THAT "THERE WAS A CROSS ON THE HEART OF GOD BEFORE THERE
WAS EVER A CROSS ON CALVARY". IT IS BECAUSE OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST WE ARE
ABLE TONIGHT TO CELEBRATE HIS BIRTH AS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.
WE SPEAK OF INCARNATION, GOD COMING INTO THE WORLD AS ONE OF
US. BEYOND CREATION, BEYOND A SET OF COMMANDMENTS GIVEN TO HIS PEOPLE LONG AGO,
BEYOND A HOLY PRESENCE IN THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, GOD COMES TO HIS OWN IN THE
PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST.
"AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY, AS OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF
THE FATHER, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH."
IT WAS NOT ENOUGH THAT A CHILD BE BORN. IT WAS AND IS
IMPORTANT TO BE REMINDED THAT THAT CHILD BEARS, UNIQUELY THE VERY IMAGE OF GOD.
THERE ARE TWO GREAT "CYCLES" IN THE CHRISTIAN FAITH - THE CYCLE OF
INCARNATION WE CALL CHRISTMAS, AND THE CYCLE OF RESURRECTION, WE CALL EASTER.
THESE TOGETHER ARE THE WORD MADE FLESH AND DWELLING AMONG US. THEY ARE THE
FULLNESS OF GOD SPEAKING SALVATION TO THE WORLD.
2. AS THE WORD BECOMES FLESH AND DWELLS AMONG US, WE
UNDERSTAND IN A NEW AND IMPORTANT WAY THE KIND OF GOD WE WORSHIP. AS WE SEE
JESUS, WE ALSO SEE THE ONE WHO CREATED THIS WORLD. IN THE CHARACTER OF GOD WE
SEE THE CHARACTER OF GOD .
REMEMBER FOR JUST A MOMENT THIS ONE WHO WAS NOT ONLY BORN IN
A LOWLY STALL, BUT ALSO WAS THE ONE WHO TOOK SMALL CHILDREN ON HIS KNEE, AND
SAID, "OF SUCH AS THESE ARE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." AND, "LET
THE CHILDREN COME TO ME, AND DO NOT STAND IN THEIR WAY."
OR REMEMBER THIS ONE WHO WAS MOVED BY THE INFIRMITIES OF
PEOPLE. - THE MAN BORN BLIND, THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD, THE 10 LEPERS,
THE MAN LET DOWN IN A SHEET INTO HIS PRESENCE. OF HIM IT WAS SAID, "HE
WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD." NO PERSON IN NEED ESCAPED HIS CARE.
OR REMEMBER HOW HE TAUGHT - "AS ONE HAVING
AUTHORITY". THOSE WHO LISTENED TO HIM HEARD HIM GLADLY. THOSE WHO WERE HIS
CLOSEST COMPANIONS WERE KNOWN AS "DISCIPLES" - THOSE WHO LEARNED -
THEY WERE TAUGHT.
OR REMEMBER HOW HE SUFFERED - NOT JUST AS ONE WHO WAS
UNDERGOING PERSONAL PAIN - BUT AS ONE WHO LITERALLY GAVE HIS LIFE THAT OTHERS
MIGHT HAVE LIFE.
HERE IS ONE WHO IS THE WORD OF GOD SPOKEN IN LIVING FLESH!
3. WHAT IS THIS"WORD" THAT DWELLS AMONG US-?'
SOMETIMES WE CALL THE WORD "LOVE"; SOMETIMES "JUSTICE"
OFTEN WE SPEAK OF "CARING", OR "MERCY". WE CALL HIM
"MASTER", "LORD", "TEACHER"
BUT WHATEVER "WORD" WE USE, WE ARE SPEAKING OF THAT
WHICH IS LIVED OUT IN THE VERY PERSON HE IS.
HOW OFTEN I THINK OF WORDS BECOMING FLESH TODAY IN OUR MIDST.
WORDS LIKE "LOVE" AND "KINDNESS", "JUSTICE" AND
"MERCY". WORDS LIKE "ANGER" AND "HATE",
"SUSPICION" AND "GETTING EVEN" RECENTLY THERE WAS A STORY
IN THE PAPER OF A JUDGE IN DALLAS WHO WAS NOT GOING TO PROSECUTE A PERSON WHO
HAD KILLED A HOMOSEXUAL TO THE FULL EXTENT OF THE LAW. THE REASON? BECAUSE SUCH
PERSONS WERE SOMEHOW "NOT FULLY HUMAN, LIKE PROSTITUTES", AND THUS
LEINIENCY WAS IN ORDER FOR THE KILLER, ALMOST AS IF THAT ONE HAD DONE SOCIETY A
FAVOR FOR COMMITTING THE CRIME. IMAGINE THE KIND OF ANGER AND HATRED THAT IS
EXPRESSED IN SUCH A MINDSET -
THE WORD OF "BIGOTRY" BECOME FLESH IN THE JUDGE!
BY CONTRAST ANY TIME ONE REACHES OUT TO GIVE SUCCOR TO ANOTHER
NO MATTER HOW SIMPLE THE EXPRESSION OF KINDNESS, BY THAT VERY ACT
"LOVE" HAS BECOME FLESH IN OUR MIDST
WORDS SPOKEN TO CHILDREN BECOME WHO THEY ARE.
WHEN WE SAY, "I BELIEVE IN YOU", AND LIVE THAT OUT
BEFORE THE CHILD, THAT CHILD HAS ALL KINDS OF CONFIDENCE "BUILT INTO THEIR
FLESH". THEY ARE ABLE TO TACKLE ALMOST ANY SITUATION, AND CARRY IT OUT
WELL.
WHEN WE SAY, "YOU'LL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING",
THESE, TOO, BECOME FLESH IN THE CHILD, AND THAT CHILD IS INHIBITED IN ALL IT
ATTEMPTS TO DO THROUGHOUT ITS LIFE. EVEN WHEN THE PERSON GROWS OLDER, AND
UNDERSTANDS THE INAPPROPRIATENESS OF THE WORD THEY HAVE HEARD, STILL THEY WILL
HAVE TO "CRAWL OVER", SO TO SPEAK THOSE DAMAGING WORDS.
HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE WORDS WE HEAR AND THE WORDS WE SPEAK.
BUT HOW MUCH MORE IMPORTANT ARE THE WORDS WE EMBODY IN ALL THAT WE DO AND SAY -
THOSE WORDS THAT BECOME FLESH IN OUR OWN BEING.
4. SO GOD SPOKE. AND THE WORLD CAME INTO BEING. A WORLD OF
BEAUTY AND FILLED WITH ALL KINDS OF WONDER. A VERITABLE EXPRESSION OF THE
NATURE AND SPIRIT OF GOD.
SO GOD SPOKE. AND THE WORD SPOKEN BECAME FLESH AND DWELT
AMONG US. WE HAVE BEHELD HIS GLORY IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.
THE POWER OF THE WORD
IS GREAT. TODAY, LET US REJOICE IN THE WORD OF GOD AND LIVE WITH A SENSITIVE
SPIRIT TO THE POWER OF OUR OWN WORDS. -AMEN
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