The WORD Became Flesh

¹ 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 were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) ¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

John 1:1-18

Through John, God revealed that Jesus was God.  He in fact was the Word.  The very Word in which God commanded the entire world to exist.  The Word Himself was God.  As we know it today, the Word is the second person in the Godhead, who is God the Son.  And God the Son was willing to enter earth and took the form of a human, incarnated into the sinful world, became flesh.  As God the Son became flesh, He took up our infirmities and fragilities, while at the same time emptying Himself of His glory (Philippians 2:5-8).

This truth remains mindboggling even after we know His motif.  Our limited mind can’t really comprehend the reasoning why He would enter the world.  We can’t believe how someone would choose to leave the glory of heaven in order to purposefully and intentionally dwell among sinful people in the broken world.  How much more knowing that in this world He did not live as the wealthy, powerful, and privileged.  Instead, He suffered His entire lifetime on earth.  He was born in the most unlikely place, a barn, surrounded by animals, laid down on a manger.  If you have ever been in a barn, then you know how dirty it is and how the smell is unbearable.  Yet Jesus chose that place over the palace in Jerusalem.  Why?  Mary and Joseph were not successful people by any standard of the world.  They were not the poorest but they were poor.  Jesus could have chosen more successful people as His parents, but He didn’t.  Why?  He also chose to live a simple life.  Although He had the potential to becoming the greatest doctor, businessman, leader, even king.  Yet He abandoned all pursuit of worldly gain (cf. John 6:15).  Why?

He knew that He could escape the evil plot Judas and the religious leaders were devising, but He would not escape.  He knew exactly what Judas had in mind, did, and wished to do.  No worldly affairs were hidden from Him.  He could just then hide somewhere Judas wouldn’t be able to find.  But surprise!  Jesus went to the exact place where Judas made His best estimation to find Jesus.  Even then Jesus could have defended Himself because all the angels in heaven were ready to fight for their Lord.  Yet Jesus never once called them to come to defend Him.  Even the angels must have been scratching their heads in disbelief of what Jesus was doing.  So Jesus let Himself be captured by the sinners.  Why?

Jesus was then judged unjustly twice.  Firstly by the religious justice system and secondly by the political justice system.  Both systems expressed the grossest injustice.  An innocent man who did only good things all His life was brought to court, yet both systems punished Him with the worst kind of death sentence, the crucifixion.  Even then Jesus could have escaped.  He could just come down from the cross at the most critical condition and walk away.  But He didn’t.  Why?

So He died on that cross.  Being hanged between heaven and earth, as a criminal, and as a cursed man.  Yet He did it willingly.  He did it voluntarily.  This is where our mind finds it the most incomprehensible.  Jesus did not have to even come down to earth.  God could have just created a new world out of nothing, just like what He did before.  He could just wiped this broken world out and annihilated the entire human race and be done with all the mess once and for all.  He then could just start anew.  But why He chose to sacrifice Himself for our sake?  Why?

Isn’t that God’s greatest glory though?  That in His weakest state and in worst condition, He still lived with dignity, integrity, holiness, full of love & grace, kind & merciful, and in complete obedience to the Father.  That’s the most beautiful radiant glory the entire universe could have ever witnessed.  John witnessed it and stated:

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Marvelous, isn’t it?  And through His marvelously glorious sacrifice, we are saved from sin and eternal death.

            As Christians we have known this narrative.  Many pastors and preachers have spoken of this many times over.  Every year we hear the narrative being preached, at least during Christmas time.  From Sunday school to the adult worship service, all preach about this same message over and over.  Ever since we are a little kid until now an adult, we have heard this kind of message again and again.  So, often we then take this narrative for granted.  Funny, over time, we might not feel anything special about the coming of God into our world.  Christmas becomes monotonous.  We have a Christmas service, then we have a celebration together, we eat, drink, and be merry.  We gather as a family.  We give and receive presents, and be happy.  Every year we repeat the procession and maintain the tradition.  With each year passes, we become emptier.  Christmas does not feel the same anymore like it was when we celebrated it the first time.  The joy of the coming Immanuel has faded away with time.  We have celebrated Christmas too many times in the same way, so without realizing it we gradually lose its meaning.  The Word became flesh has become just a word without any power in our life.

            In the meantime the world also celebrates Christmas, but with a twist.  Instead of honoring Jesus, the world crowns Santa as the center of Christmas.  Santa and his presents become the iconic symbol of Christmas around the world.  The image of a fat man with white long beard, wearing red suit, riding his sleigh, being mounted on the reindeers, is what the world recognizes as Christmas now.  Christmas trees and snow also become the accessories and symbols of Christmas without Christ.  And now, when we go into any shopping malls during Christmas, we will be greeted with the symbols of Christmas without Christ.  The malls encourage us to buy presents for our loved ones, and thus suggesting the way to give meaning to the meaningless Christmas without Christ.  Some others offer holiday special for families, yet another way to give meaning to the already meaningless Christmas without Christ.  Stories and movies were invented in order to creatively infuse meaning to the dry Christmas.  And many Christians bought into the world’s Christmas ideas and meanings.  Thus forgetting the true meaning of Christmas, The Word became flesh.

            Brothers and sisters, I truly hope that that is not what you feel or think about Christmas.  Today I want to direct your attention back to the true meaning of Christmas.  In two days we will all celebrate Christmas.  Consider this sermon a preparation for our hearts to be ready for Christmas.  I want all of us to internalize Christ as the center of Christmas.  In the midst of the competing offers in the world, center your heart and mind to the Son of God.  John rightly started his gospel with the attention to Jesus Christ.  The incarnation of God the Son was extremely foundational for the gospel message.  The identity of the baby laid on a manger was not something the world could ignore.  He was the very Word that brought the world and us into existence.  Without Him nothing was made.  Without Him we wouldn’t exist.  What is more?  We were made in Him, who is the perfect image of God (cf. Colossians 1:15).  Now with the first Christmas in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, the Creator dwelt with His creation.  The Word literally became flesh.

            The Creator felt pain.  The Maker of heaven and earth felt hunger and thirst.  The Most powerful Being in the whole universe felt the heat of the sun, the cold of the night, the wet of the rain, and the dust of the earth.  God could bleed through His incarnation on Christmas.  Jesus Christ, the King of kings, could understand human struggle with temptations, with pain, with injustice, with betrayal, with all the problems of the broken world, and with the dread of death.  The Authoritative and Mighty Word that brought order in the entire world now walked the face of the earth.  He touched the very tree He created.  He felt the gushing of the wind that He made.  He experienced every single element of the world that His very Hands seamed together.  And He interacted with the creatures that were created after His pattern.  Words came out from humans, the only being under the sun that is capable of uttering meaningful words, and Jesus responded with His Eternal words.  The Almighty God volunteered to be vulnerable so that His creation could do Him harm, including humans – the crown of His creation.  Why would God do that?

            The “why” is given a comprehensive answer, simple yet the depth we cannot measure.  God wanted to be with His people.  He loves His people so much that He is willing to sacrifice Himself to take our place as the cursed one.  He volunteered to be rejected by the earth and by the heavens.  He put Himself forward as the one to endure God’s full wrath.  My most favorite imagination that struck me 20 years ago as I contemplated on His “Eli Eli Lama Sabakhtani?” was that He decided not to come down from that grotesque cross because He remembered my name.  I felt it at that time and even now, that on that wretched cross Jesus looked very intently and softly, full of love yet firm, at me saying: “I love you.”  That imagination is stuck with me forever.  I believe He also remembered each and every one of your name.  He looked at you intently and softly, full of love yet firm, saying: “I love you.”

            Brothers and sisters, Christmas is coming for us this year in two days.  The world has anticipated Christmas with all the joyful noise, profitable business, and holiday specials.  The world offers us a very different Christmas.  That is a Christmas without Christ.  But Jesus Christ Himself, who is at the very center of Christmas, offers you and me Christmas with Him who chose to be born in a smelly barn, and chose to live a life of suffering, and chose to die on the cross to save us from the eternal punishment in hell.  This is the true Christmas Jesus Christ, The Word became flesh, offers to us.  Will you prepare your entire being to anticipate the Christmas with Christ?