When God Became Human

Nov 3

Nov 3 When God Became Human

Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash

Generally, we all tend to not believe in what we can't see. Of course, this carries over to believing in God and the miraculous. Many will say it's not logical or rational to do so. And yet, we believe many things exist that are invisible to the naked eye and miraculous in nature—thoughts, atoms, and even feelings of love.

The reason it's not logical to believe in God is that it doesn't fit what we know in the natural world. This is our human dilemma. God is supernatural—He's above and beyond the natural realm. He will never fit within our limited logic. God's existence exceeds our capacity to know Him in a purely natural way.

The first eighteen verses of the gospel of John are key to understanding the entire gospel. John 1:14-18 make it clear that Jesus of Nazareth was as human as we are, yet also God in nature. He was the unique and only true Son of God—having the very nature of His Father.

God—who is eternal and invisible—made Himself known. He revealed Himself to us in human form. God became just like us so we could see, hear, and touch Him (1 John 1:1-3). Jesus had a human body, soul, and will but was still divine in nature. Jesus is the very origin of life and He shared in the very creation He spoke into existence (Gen 1:3; John 1:1-3).

Scripture

The Word became human and lived among us. We saw his glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with his only Son, a glory full of kindness [grace] and truth.
(John declared the truth about him when he said loudly, “This is the person about whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me was before me because he existed before I did.’ ”) [vss 14-15]
Each of us has received one gift after another because of all that the Word is. Laws were given through Moses, but kindness [grace] and truth came into existence through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God. God’s only Son, the one who is closest to the Father’s heart, has made him known. [vss 16-18]

(John 1:14-18 GW) [Context– John 1]

Key phrase—

The Word became human and lived among us

Digging Deeper...

Review the Scriptures above as you answer the following questions

What primary and important truth is declared that is directly connected to earlier verses?
What is the "glory" that was revealed by Jesus? How is it described?
How does John the Baptizer's testimony reinforce what is said about Jesus as the Word?
How is what Jesus makes known different than what Moses brought and why would it need to be replaced?

Reflection...

Religion and philosophy often take what is spiritual and supernatural and make them abstract, theoretical, and difficult to understand. The apostle John wanted to do the opposite with his gospel. His language is simple and often visual.

When John speaks of the Lord's glory—the outward expression of God's inner nature—he spoke of it as grace and truth. He humanized God's nature for us. He wanted us to realize the fullness of God's revelation of Himself in human form as Jesus, the Son of God.

God became human and lived among people, how amazing is that! God broke into our human existence. But have we let Him enter and fill our everyday life?

A simple way to know if we've allowed the life God promises to dwell and shine through us is how we live and relate to others and the self-talk we hear in our head. Is it based on a set of moral and religious laws that require compliance? Or does God's kindness and truth set us free and shine through us?

Taking it to heart...

Read through the Scripture text again as you consider and answer these questions

Do you understand how "the Word" is a figurative title for Jesus, the Son of God?
How is God's only Son made known? What did both John the apostle and John the baptizer see?
How is the relationship between God the Father and God the Son important to the revelation of who God is?
Have you personally experienced God's grace and truth in your life? If so, in what way?

Personalize it...

Meditate On This— God revealed Himself to all humanity by becoming human like us, so we could be certain of His existence and love.

Prayer Focus— As you meditate on the truth above, ask God's help to fully receive and understand it and for God's grace and truth to shine through you to others.