2. God became a human being
– John 1:1-18
John met Jesus face to face. He knew him well and tells about personal encounters with Jesus. Think of John as a friend who is trying to teach you more about Jesus.
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
Hebrews 1:3 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
The “Word” refers to Jesus Christ. When God created the heavens and the earth, Jesus existed. He has always been and will always be for all eternity. Jesus Christ was with God in the beginning. He has always been God’s son. When he came to the Earth, he was fully human and fully God. Jesus is the “exact representation” of God. When Jesus came to the Earth he stayed true to the character of God that was displayed in the Old Testament long before he was physically born on the Earth. Jesus came from heaven to become flesh. It can be hard for our earthly minds to wrap around the truth that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one. Jesus Christ is the Creator of you and me. In Christ, God became flesh to live with us on Earth. Do not minimize Jesus’ humanity and do not minimize Jesus’ divinity. He had the same struggles you and I go through. He understands personally what you are going through and how hard it is. He is both God and human.
John 1:3 “Through him all things were made, without him nothing was made that has been made.”
Most of us think of God as the Creator of the heavens and the Earth. We believe that God formed us in the womb. But, John teaches us that none of it was possible without Jesus. Through Jesus all things have and will be made. Nothing can be created without him. From dust you were created and to dust you will return. It is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit that create anything. “With God you are something valuable and unique; apart from God you are nothing, and if you try to live without him, you will be abandoning the purpose for which you were made”.
John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
Jesus is the light. He brings clarity and hope to the world. He overcomes all things including darkness. The darkness can never overcome the light but the light will always overcome the darkness. What happens when you shine a light in a dark space? The light disregards the darkness and shines. The darkness has no effect on it. In the same way, the Devil has no effect on Jesus. Take heart in knowing that Jesus always overcomes. He will always bring light to your dark situations. The light also helps us discover that we are sinners in need of a Savior. The light also helps us understand how to avoid future sin. The light brings life and life abundantly. It leads to a hopeful future instead of destruction. The light provides us with guidance and direction. It helps us from walking blindly.
John 1:12 “Yet to all who receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…”
By believing in Jesus Christ and accepting his death on the cross as forgiveness for your sins, you are born again as a child of God. You are the son or daughter of the King of Kings. You inherit his kingdom in heaven. He makes a place for you to dwell with him for all eternity. You are no longer a slave to sin but in perfect union with God. You are now a new creation; someone not of this world but of heaven. Anyone is capable of becoming a son or daughter of God. But, you must believe and receive him.
