And The Word Became Flesh

 In the book of John, Jesus had told us before: “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father”.

Through this, Lord Jesus Christ had clearly and unequivocally explained to his disciples that in the past, he had been using figurative language telling them concerning the heavenly Father.

It is not a surprise to know that Jesus used figurative language! After all, both figurative statement and declarative statement are just part of our language expressions. For example, a similes expression “he was fierce as a lion” or a figurative expression “you see him you see a lion”, are not meant to tell us that the person is no more a human being and has become a real lion. Unfortunately, such figurative language has been neglected and possibly being used to fool the unsuspected Christians.

Let us examine how it has been utilized to twist the meaning of Bible words!

What is the Word means?

Logically, we need to know what the Word is before we can properly understand what Apostle John meant to tell us concerning the Word.

In fact, Lord Jesus Christ himself has told us where the Word came from and what effect it has! Please refer to the following records:

Jesus replied, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4). Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word he shall never taste death" (John 8:51). Jesus said, “My doctrine is not mine, but His who sent me” (John 7:16). “For I have given to them the words which you have given me; and they have received them" (John 17:8). "I have given them your word" (John 17:14). “Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). “And has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man” (John 5:27). “He who rejects me, and does not receive my words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).

(C) Apparently, the words which Jesus preached were the words given to him by the Father. The heavenly Father’s words are the truths. Those who kept the Truth would have life and should never taste death. Those who rejected God’s Word would be judged by the spoken words from Jesus in the last day. This understanding has become the third cornerstone of my biblical knowledge.

(D) Indeed, the Word specified by Apostle John meant to mean every spoken word of God and not God Himself. . This understanding has become the fourth cornerstone of my biblical knowledge.

With this solid understanding, it shall help us to correctly interpret the meaning of the scriptures!

How the Word became flesh?

To interpret solely base on a short and precise phrase “And the Word became flesh” is prone for error. As we may inadvertently interpret what we think what the words should mean rather than what the words mean to be.

Fortunately, to certain extent, the same similar event might have been recorded in parallel in other Gospels.

Coincidently, author Luke happened to give a more detailed description on how Mary gave birth to the Son of God. He wrote: Luke 1:35-37 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible."

God is spirit. So author Luke said that when God that is the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, at the same time the power of God overshadowed her. Through the manifestation of God’s power, this time it ended with Mary conceived without sleeping with a man and gave birth to a holy man, the Son of God. Since God's power could cause the barren Elizabeth to conceive and bear a son, it could also cause Mary to conceive and bear a child without sleeping with a man, because in God nothing is impossible!

This means that author Luke was trying to tell us that our Almighty God was not being born again to become a man, and Jesus was not God Himself.

Author Luke used the terms "Spirit" and "Most High" in his writing, but Apostle John used a different term "Word". If Luke's account is being rephrased with Apostle John’s term, the text will read as follows: "When the Spirit of truth came upon Mary, and the power of God’s Word overshadowed her, Mary conceived without having to sleep with a man and gave birth to a child”. In the eyes of Apostle John, this is the complete process of how the Word would become flesh.

I hope you can see that by interpreting the phrase “the Word became flesh” to mean that our Almighty God had entered Mary’s womb and was born as Jesus which implies that Jesus was God is wrong.

After understanding the meaning of the phrase "the Word became flesh", the meaning of other phrases in John 1:1 becomes clear.

The Word was God

Most Christians can perceive the following important underlying concept embedded in the Bible Book: "Every word of God possesses the same complete fullness of the divine nature of God, in Power and in Spirit"!

For example, when God said, "Let there be light," WALAH, the sun was created through the manifestation of the power of God's Word. As the Earth rotates, we experience the phenomena of day and night, light and darkness. Metaphorically speaking, of course, this is what Apostle John’s saying of "the Word was God" meant to mean.

Therefore, by interpreting the words spoken from God’s mouth as another individual image of God or God Himself, is simply nonsense.

In the beginning was Word but not in the beginning was Jesus

Likewise, the meaning of the phrase "In the beginning was the Word" becomes easy to understand. "In the beginning" is just a time attribute. Therefore, the phrase means to tell us that it was the word of God which existed in the beginning but not Jesus whom was only born by Mary through the manifestation of God’s Word just two thousand years ago.

The claim that Jesus existed in the very beginning is like forcefully stuff in Apostle John’s throat "the concept of reincarnation which is heavily promoted in other religions"!

The Word was with God

The phrase has also become simple and easy to understand. It means that the Word of God was together with God!

Therefore, to interpret this phrase as "God is with God Himself" has made the understanding sounds so absurd!

The Word and its spirit

It is undeniable that the words of God, like the words of human beings, contain a spirit – the activating and essential principle that can influence people.

As such, the first possible meaning of “the spirit of truth” means to tell us “it is the activating and essential principle of the truth”.

There is no doubt that man does not have the ability to do it. However, if God is willing, the omnipotent God can make every word that comes out of his mouth into a supernatural being at any time.

As such, the second possible meaning of “the spirit of truth” means to tell us “it is the supernatural being of the truth”. This might be what the spirit of truth meant to mean when mentioned by Lord Jesus Christ.

Taking a step back, by interpreting “the Word was with God” as "the Spirit of truth is with God" still makes more sense comparatively.

I have just showed you the possible meanings of what our language means to tell us within its legitimate boundary.

Nevertheless, to interpret that the words of God or the spirit of God’s words as God Himself is not only twisting the meaning of words, it is also a pure nonsense!

Let me apply this understanding to Lord Jesus Christ’s saying!

Irrespective whether Lord Jesus Christ was talking concerning the supernatural being of the truth or the essential principle of the truth, both had been made known to the disciples. Therefore it makes sense for Lord Jesus Christ to say to his disciples that " the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; but you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you”. Of course, like the world, the disciples also could not see the invisible supernatural being of the truth, but they did know the truth’s essential principle.

Then we should ask ourselves a critical question. Do we think by having the supernatural spirit of truth in us will automatically make us understand all the essential principles of the truths, while we do not need to put any effort studying them?

Sadly enough, this world is full of such marketing genius telling you just that: you do not need to study the essential principles of truths recorded in Bible book and you will be saved just by having the spirit of truth in you. Come and get it from me!

However, Lord Jesus Christ had told us otherwise. Only if we keep the truths, implying that if we have voluntarily being influenced and acted by the essential principles of truths, then we will be sanctified by the truth and have life. For the job of the spirit of truth is to guide us into all truth (John 16:13) implying that if we study the truths passed on by Christ, the spirit of truth will guide us to understand the true essential principles of the truths. It is to guide us to understand rather than to indoctrinate us with the essential principles of the truths!

Besides, Lord Jesus Christ had also disclosed what the spirit of truth would do. It turns out both Jesus and the spirit of truth were doing the same job as follows: “Jesus only speaks what the Father told him. Whereas, the spirit of truth only speaks whatever he hears from the Father”.

(E) Truly, by just accepting the name Jesus but not accepting the truths which Jesus spoke, will not save no one! This understanding has become the fifth cornerstone of my biblical knowledge.

The Gospel of John is a book telling the story of God’s Word

By studying the Gospel of John, I am able to see that this is a book which tells the story of God’s Word! It described in detail where the Word came from and what work it had accomplished.

Here you go:

In the beginning and before the world was, God had already sanctified the Word which God will use to save us, what a glorious thing it is (In the beginning was the Word).

It is also a glorious and honorable thing that God’s Word had been kept together with God (the Word was with God).

God’s Word which possesses the same complete fullness of the divine nature of God, in Power and in Spirit is even more glorious and honorable (the Word was God).

By love, God decided to send His Word into the world in two thousand years ago, and Jesus was born through the manifestation of the power of God's Word.

Then God chose Jesus, gave him the Word (Truth) and sent him to do what the words meant to do. If this is not glory and honor, what is?

To the satisfactory of God the Father, Lord Jesus Christ was able to declare that he had finished the work which God had given him to do, and had set up the way in which the world can be saved (John 17:4).

This is also the most beautiful ending of the "story of God's word" as recorded in the Gospel of John!

Next article will share with you how Jesus explained the meaning of “I and my Father are one”!