The Word Became Flesh – John 1:14-18
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)
“…so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)
THE WORD BECAME FLESH
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:3)
“…I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)
“…when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law”” (Galatians 4:4)
1. To show us…
“The only problem with the monument was that its pinnacled hero was so high that viewers below could not see what the honoured admiral looked like. So, Dr. McCullough explained…a six-foot replica of Lord Nelson atop the pinnacle was placed at eye level beneath the pinnacle in order to give sightseers the opportunity of seeing the exalted figure close up. This, the pastor concluded thoughtfully, is an illustration of what God did for the human race when he gave Jesus. The high, invisible God came down low, in the eye-level Jesus, his Son, so that we could see what God is like.” (Frederick Dale Bruner)
“God no one has seen ever only God the being in the bosom of the Father that one (he) explained.” (Novum Testamentum Graece — NA28)
“No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.” (John 1:18 CSB)
“Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he [the Lord] said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” (Exodus 3:18-23)
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. Form now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7)
“Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.” (John 14:8-11)
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:1-3a)
“The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Exodus 34:5-7a)
“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)
2. To give us…
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21)
“This spring is inexhaustible, it is full of grace and truth from God, it never loses anything, no matter how much we draw, but it remains an infringed fountain of all grace and truth; the more you draw from it, the more abundantly it gives of the water that springs into eternal life. Just as the sun is not darkened by the whole world enjoying its light, and could, indeed, light up ten worlds…so is Christ, our Lord, an infinite source of all grace, so that if the whole world would draw enough grace and truth from it to make the world all angels, yet it would not lose a drop; the fountain always runs over, full of grace.” (Martin Luther)
“Grace just keeps coming, but I doubt if any of us have as much grace as God intended.” (R. Kent Hughes)
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17)