The Word Living Among Us

The Greek logos means “word,” and the Apostle John is the only New Testament writer who uses it to describe Christ. It denotes a collection of words or ideas and can represent what we think and what we express. Logos has been used to express the law and wisdom of God found in the Old Testament.

If you go back and look at the first three words of John’s Gospel, you will see it mirrors the start of Genesis: “In the beginning…” The latter introduces the start of creation, and the former reaches back into eternity. This means the Word has preexisted even before the heavens and the earth were created. Understanding this brings greater importance to the Word living among us:

    “And the Word became 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.” (John 1:14)

Christ’s incarnation means that Jesus became the God-man foretold of in the Old Testament. The Word becoming flesh and living among us is the Christmas story in total. The Prophet Isaiah gave much attention to the coming Messiah. Isaiah told us Jesus would be a sign:

    “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

The greatest gift God has given man is not life or the earth in which we live; it is His Son Jesus Christ. Salvation was not the only blessing God had in mind by sending His only begotten Son. Jesus lived among us to show us how to live with each other. Again, the Prophet Isaiah explains:

    “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

(As a side note, please notice that Isaiah doesn’t describe Jesus as the Wonderful Counselor as so many do. Jesus is both wonderful and counselor.)

Jesus’ birth would also signify the return of the House of David. This was important because although God had promised David that his house would reign forever, at the time of Jesus’ birth it was almost nonexistent. However, the kingdom would not be an earthly one; it would be heavenly:

    “There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11:1-2)

It is important that we look upon the birth of Jesus in light of Old Testament Scripture because Jesus’ life fulfilled over 353 prophecies. This is a mathematical impossibility. In fact, Josh McDowell has calculated the odds of Jesus fulfilling just eight prophecies to be one out of ten to the 17th power. McDowell writes:

    “This is equivalent to covering the entire state of Texas with silver dollars two feet deep, marking one of them, mixing them all up and having a blind-folded person select the marked one at random the first time.”

The possibility of Jesus fulfilling even eight prophecies would not only seem a mathematical impossibility, but also His being born of a virgin would be and is a medical impossibility. That is why the angel Gabriel had to visit Mary:

    “Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.’” (Luke 1:30-31)

Finally, when Jesus was living among us, He explained His mission and used prophecy to emphasize it by reading out of Isaiah 61. When He finished, Luke writes that Jesus closed up the scroll “gave it back to the attendant and sat down.” He waited until everyone was watching Him and said:

    “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:21)

Imagine someone reading from the Old Testament and telling you that your hearing it has fulfilled a particular prophecy. That person would be considered a heretic or a lunatic. Some have done so and began cults this way.

However, Jesus was not a cult leader. He is the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He declares to be the only way to Heaven. He came in the flesh and dwelt among us.

He is the Word living among us.

Do you know Him?

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

If you’re receiving these devotionals for the first time and would like to receive them on a regular basis, please email me at jeffers221@bellsouth.net and use “Please add to Devotional List” as the subject. You can purchase Dave’s five devotional books by visiting his Amazon author page.

    Copyright © 2014 David Jeffers

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,