“The Word Became Flesh” (5)

[John 1:1-4, 9-14]

Why did the Son of God, who is the “Word,” become “flesh” (a human)? What is the purpose? There are three purposes: (1) to dwell among us, (2) to be the mediator between God and us, and (3) to become the atoning sacrifice.

The first purpose for the Son of God, who is the “Word,” becoming “flesh” (a human) is to dwell among us.

John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us….” Here, the word ‘dwelt’ means ‘to pitch a tent’ or ‘to live in a tent.’ In the Old Testament, the first occurrence of the word “tent” is found in Genesis 4:20: “Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock.” The Bible records that Jabal lived in tents.

When the patriarch of faith, Abraham, was called by God (Genesis 12:1-3) and entered the land of Canaan, the land God showed him (at age 75), he did not build a permanent house like in his hometown but lived in tents. He lived in tents for about 100 years (since he died at age 175). The reason was that God gave the land of Canaan not to Abraham himself but to his descendants, so Abraham lived as a stranger in the land of Canaan, dwelling in tents for about 100 years until he died at 175 (Genesis 25:7).

During the Exodus, the Israelites also lived in tents in the wilderness. Exodus 25:8 and 26:1 say, “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them... Make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen, blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim worked into them by skilled hands.” God instructed Moses to have the Israelites build a sanctuary or tabernacle where God would dwell among them. This sanctuary or tabernacle had a veil whose purpose was to separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place (26:33). This was because God dwelt in the Most Holy Place. The Holy Place had seven lampstands that illuminated it day and night, but the Most Holy Place did not need lampstands because it was brightly illuminated by the presence of the Holy God.

King Solomon built the sanctuary over seven years, distinguishing the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.

In the New Testament, it says that the Word became flesh and did not dwell in the sanctuary/tabernacle/temple but dwelt among us (John 1:14). Matthew 27:51 says, “And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; the earth shook, and the rocks were split.” When the curtain in the sanctuary that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place was torn in two, people were able to enter the Most Holy Place, and God, who dwelled in the Most Holy Place, also dwelt in the Holy Place, thus dwelling with the people.

John 1:14 (first part) says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” Matthew 1:23 says, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). This statement was a prophecy made about 700 years before Jesus’ incarnation by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14), meaning “God is with us” (“Immanuel”). God became man and is with us.

Where is the temple in this present age? 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” The Bible says our bodies are the “temple of the Holy Spirit.” That is, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, and also the Son of God, the Word made flesh, dwells in us. Jesus said, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Why does the Son of God, who is the Word, dwell with us? What is the purpose? There are three reasons:

(1) To show us God.

Moses desired to see God and prayed to Him, “Show me Your glory.” This is found in Exodus 33:18: “Then Moses said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’” Just as a child eagerly longs to see the face of a parent, Moses, a child of God, earnestly wished to see God and prayed so. However, God's answer was, “You cannot see My face, for no one may see Me and live” (verse 20). Therefore, the Son of God, Jesus, became human to show us God and to be with us.

Philip also wanted to see God. Jesus said, “I am the way, 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; from now on you do know Him and have seen Him” (John 14:6-7). Nevertheless, Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us” (verse 8). Then Jesus said to Philip, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (verse 9). [Modern English Version: “Jesus said, ‘Philip, I have been with you so long, and you still don’t know Me? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father. Why do you ask Me to show you the Father?’”]

John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God; the only begotten God, who is in the Father’s bosom, has made Him known.” [Modern English Version: “No one has ever seen God, but the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.”] The only begotten God, Jesus Christ, who is in the bosom of God the Father, came to reveal God the Father. Here, “has made Him known” means clearly, thoroughly, and completely revealing what was hidden. The only begotten Son, Jesus, showed us God the Father. Therefore, the more we come to know Jesus, the more we come to know God the Father. To know Jesus is to know God the Father, but not to know Jesus is not to know God the Father.

John 8:19 says, “They asked Him, ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You neither know Me nor My Father. If you knew Me, you would know My Father also.’” Thus, the first purpose of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who is the Word, becoming flesh and dwelling among us, is to reveal and show us God the Father.

(2) To know us.

God, who created us, how could the all-knowing God not know us? He knows us perfectly. Yet the Son of God became man to know us. Here, “to know” means not just intellectual knowledge but experiential knowledge. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” Saying Jesus did not know sin means He did not know sin experientially. Jesus never sinned. Jesus is without sin. In short, Jesus is the righteous God. The purpose of God making Jesus Christ, who did not know sin, to be sin was to justify us.

Hebrews 2:9 says, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” Jesus, who is God, suffered death for us and truly tasted death on our behalf. The Bible teaches us not only to know this intellectually but also to taste and experience it.

Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” 1 Peter 2:3 says, “If you have tasted that the Lord is good…” We must taste the goodness of God and the kindness of the Lord. The more we taste it, the more we long for it.

When we believe the truth that the Son of God, the Word, became man to know us experientially, we must also come to know Jesus experientially. The second purpose of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, dwelling among us, is to know us.

(3) It is to help us.

The Son of God, who is the Word, became human and experientially knew even the suffering of death, so He can sympathize with us. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Also, Jesus is able to help us abundantly. Hebrews 2:18 says, “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” [Modern Translation: “The Lord himself was tempted and suffered, so he can help those who are tempted abundantly.”]

The first purpose of the Son of God, who is the Word, becoming “flesh” (human) is to dwell among us (John 1:14). The purposes of the Son of God dwelling among us are to show us God, to know us, and also to help us. It is my prayer that all of us come to know the Immanuel God, who is with us forever, not only in knowledge but also experientially, so that as we come to know God the Father more deeply, we also believe that the Son of God, who knows us best, sympathizes with our weaknesses and will surely help us. May we walk in faith with the Immanuel God and live tasting eternal life even here on earth.