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by Bernie Parsons
The Word Made Flesh
By Bernie Parsons
Presented before the Dan Ridge church of Christ September 2, 2005
John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God.
2: The same was in the beginning with God.
3: All things were made by 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: And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
Friends, brothers and sisters in Christ,
Tonight I declare unto you the light of the world, Jesus Christ. Jesus was
more than man born of woman, He is the Son of the true and living God. Jesus
is quite a unique entity. You see, He carried into this world the very word
of God, encapsulated within His flesh, and manifested in the life that He
lived.
John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld
his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace
and truth.
15: John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake,
He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16: And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus
Christ.
18: No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the
bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
What does it mean to say that the “Word was made flesh?” A closer
examination of the explanations of Jesus along this line, especially as set
forth in John’s account of the gospel, make apparent what this means. First,
let us begin with Jesus as a child.
Luke 2:40: “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with
wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
41: Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the
passover.
42: And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the
custom of the feast.
43: And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus
tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.
44: But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's
journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.
45: And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem,
seeking him.
46: And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple,
sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them
questions.
47: And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.
48: And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him,
Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought
thee sorrowing.
49: And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I
must be about my Father's business?”
How is it that a mere child of twelve was able to teach the doctors of the
Law of Moses? Those men were astonished at his level of understanding of the
scriptures. Even his parents were amazed, indicating that his depth of
understanding came not from them. No, Jesus told them that he must be about
His Father’s business. Since he was discussing scriptures, and not
carpentry, we know that He spoke of His heavenly Father.
1 John 1:1: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which
we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have
handled, of the Word of life;
2: (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and
shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was
manifested unto us;)
3: That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may
have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and
with his Son Jesus Christ.”
Jesus was in the beginning of our world, with God, His Father. The
scriptures are plain about this.
Ephesians 3:9: “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the
mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who
created all things by Jesus Christ:”
Colossians 1:12: “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to
be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
13: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us
into the kingdom of his dear Son:
14: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of
sins:
15: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
17: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
18: And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the
firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
19: For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
20: And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to
reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in
earth, or things in heaven.”
By the apostle Paul’s writing, we see that not only was Jesus in the
beginning with God, but through and by Him, God created things in heaven and
in the earth. Lest some might say that I misunderstand this passage, recall
this claim of Jesus.
John 8:51: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he
shall never see death.
52: Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham
is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he
shall never taste of death.
53: Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the
prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?
54: Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my
Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
55: Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know
him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his
saying.
56: Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
57: Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast
thou seen Abraham?
58: Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham
was, I am.
59: Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went
out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”
They wanted to kill Jesus because He identified Himself as I AM.
Exodus 3:13: “And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children
of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me
unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto
them?
14: And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou
say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
15: And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children
of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for
ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”
1 Corinthians 10:1: “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be
ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed
through the sea;
2: And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3: And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4: And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that
spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5: But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown
in the wilderness.
6: Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust
after evil things, as they also lusted.
7: Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The
people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
8: Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in
one day three and twenty thousand.
9: Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were
destroyed of serpents.”
John 12:44: “Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on
me, but on him that sent me.
45: And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
46: I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should
not abide in darkness.
47: And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I
came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
48: He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth
him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
49: For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave
me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
50: And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak
therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.”
You see, the thing that makes Jesus special is His intimate knowledge of the
will of God.
John 8:28: “Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of
man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but
as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
29: And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I
do always those things that please him.”
John 8:38: “I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that
which ye have seen with your father.”
John 10:24: “Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long
dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
25: Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I
do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
26: But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29: My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able
to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
30: I and my Father are one.
31: Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32: Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father;
for which of those works do ye stone me?
33: The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but
for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”
John 15:15: “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not
what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I
have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”
Jesus was not only with God in the beginning, and in the giving of the Law
of Moses, as we have seen, but now we see also that the words that He spoke
were the words heard of His father, and the works that He did were the works
seen of His father.
John 15:10: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as
I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.”
Jesus was an obedient Son. That was His greatest strength. Whatever God
asked Him to do, He did it. He did not rebel against God, nor did He argue
with Him. He obeyed Him.
Romans 5:17: “For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more
they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall
reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18: Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to
condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon
all men unto justification of life.
19: For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the
obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
Hebrews 5:5: “So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high
priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten
thee.
6: As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the
order of Melchisedec.
7: Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and
supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save
him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
8: Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he
suffered;
9: And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto
all them that obey him;”
Luke 22:41: “And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and
kneeled down, and prayed,
42: Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me:
nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”
The perfection of Jesus lay in the fact that He did whatever God wanted. God
has always rejected the rebellious of heart. He desires those of a broken
and contrite (crushed) spirit.
Psalms 34:18: “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and
saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
Isaiah 66:2: “For all those things hath mine hand made, and those things
have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is
poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”
Jesus is the word made flesh. We are to listen to, and obey, the word of God
Almighty.
Matthew 17:5: “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them:
and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
We must receive the words of Jesus, for they are the words of God. We must
walk in the footsteps of Jesus, for they walk as God directed.
Psalms 119:105: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
John 5:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and
believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come
into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
God has spoken to us by His Son, Jesus, Christ. We do well to listen to
Jesus, because He is the word of God made flesh. He lived the word. His
life—and death—preached obedience.
Matthew 11:27: “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man
knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save
the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
28: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest.
29: Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30: For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Jesus wants to share your burden. He wants to lighten your load. He wants to
take away your sins. Learn of Him—for, when you learn of Him, you learn of
God. He said:
Mark 16:16: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned.”
Why don’t you come, believing, and be baptized? Let God speak to you through
Christ. Obey the gospel of Jesus, Christ, as He obeyed His heavenly Father.
