“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6).
In the beginning the Word of God was a spoken, oral word. As time went on, God spoke His Word giving it to Moses to write down so that we have the written Word. In the course of time, at just the right time, Jesus, the Word of prophecy that was spoken and written, became flesh and was born as a human being. Jesus is the Word made flesh. He had to be God in order to be perfect. He had to be human in order to shed His blood, trade His life for ours. The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament did not forgive sins since the price for sin was the blood of man. Jesus shed His blood for our forgiveness.
Jesus lived perfectly, obeyed all God’s laws and commands perfectly, fulfilled all God’s promises and prophecies perfectly then took our sins upon Himself, suffered and died to pay the price. Yet, death and the grave could not hold Him as He rose from the dead. He has ascended and has promised to return. Until He returns He gives us His Word in the tangible means of His Holy Supper wherein we taste Him as we eat His body and drink His blood so that He becomes a part of us.
Jesus is the Word which is truth and life and the only way to eternal life. Apart from Jesus, from the Word, which is the means the Lord uses to give us the gifts He has to give, there is no life. Thus, we understand the importance of the Word, of our being in the Word, reading the Word, studying the Word, hearing the Word preached and living according to the Word.
As we are in the Word, the Word is in us and gives us the gifts promised; forgiveness of sins, deliverance from death and the devil and eternal salvation. Thanks be to God for the Word.
23 of 52 © Rev. Dr. Ronald A. Bogs (2018)
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