Divinity In Human Form

Divinity in Human Form

John 1:14

Introduction:

In this text we find the essential element of believing faith. Not how to believe. Nor, what we believe. But, in whom we believe. In 1 Corinthians chapter 15 Paul tells us just what the gospel is. He says in verse 3 “…Christ died for our sins.” Christ! Before we can even contemplate anything else he may say in this chapter regarding the gospel, we must understand who Christ is! Ah, now we’re getting somewhere. This identification of Christ is precisely what John is speaking of in this first chapter of his gospel. Let us look together at this wondrous verse. “And the Word became flesh…” The Word, the incarnate Word, the Word that was with God in the beginning, and was God, as it describes in verse one, has now become flesh.

We see then that…I. VERY GOD BECOMES VERY FLESH. Here’s where the world has trouble, for it doubts this foundational element of Christ’s nature. Christ is God! Jesus may have looked as human as anyone else in his day, but He sure acted differently. How many miracles did He perform? How many times did He prove His wisdom superior to everyone else’? Even after questioning Him, Pilot could find no fault in Him. And yet, even in the face of this overwhelming Biblical evidence, the world has decided it cannot believe it. After all, God becoming flesh? We also find that the disbelief is proportionate to the lack of faith in scriptural authority. It seems no one believes the Bible to be the very word of God. With the release of the Davinci code and the overall response at the box office by the general public, I’d say people are just looking for a reason to discredit the Bible. Most people I talk with think that it’s just a good book written by man. Also many tell me that it’s filled with contradictions, in spite of the fact that they can’t name one. So pervasive is this attack upon the credibility of the Bible that even Christians feel it necessary to organize societies for fear that man would do away with it altogether. Well, man has tried to stop it since the beginning, yet to no avail. You see, we don’t have to worry about the Bible, God is seeing to that. In first Peter chapter one verse twenty five, we read “But the word of the Lord endureth forever.” No plot of man or Satan can destroy it. Even in places such as Red China where it is illegal to have a Bible, thousands of copies are distributed every day. Copies exist on the web where Chinese Believers can access them through computers. Portions of the scriptures are memorized and written down by others. In short, man will never succeed in eradicating it. People may not believe it, movies and books may be produced to dispel it, but, God’s word claims it to be so; the Word became flesh! The foundation of the expiation of man’s sin by Christ lies on the fact that Jesus is God. Any other interpretation of the nature of Christ, cannot save.

The next thing we see in the text is II. GOD DWELLING WITH MAN. The Old Testament sites examples of God coming to earth and appearing in human form. Abraham is visited by the Angel of the LORD, who is called Jehovah in the text (See Genesis 19:24). Even Moses when he saw the LORD it was God appearing in Human form. Some see this to be the pre-incarnate Christ. But now the gospel record declares that God (Word) became flesh and dwelt among us. The Greek word translated in our text dwelt, properly means to tabernacle. Although God cannot be contained in one place, nor is He limited at any time in power or sovereignty, the Old Testament gives us an example of God dwelling with man when the Glory of God dwelt in the Temple. Now we see Jesus the Christ who is God, dwelling with man. And after the resurrection of Christ, God dwells in the believer, which is the true Temple of the living God. Yet, where we see Jesus living amongst man, we see the mercy of God and the compassion of God for His lost creation. Man also had the perfect opportunity to see an example of what the character of Adam would have looked like; i.e. man without sin as created by God and in His image. Is it not true that He that dwelt among us did so that He may dwell within us, and we in Him? This unique relationship began at the first advent of Christ. How much more we look forward unto the second advent of Christ, when we shall rule and reign with Him as He dwells among men once again on this earth; yet, as the sovereign, just, ruler.