The Word became flesh (4)
[John 1:1-4, 9-14]
This is John 1:14a – “And the Word became flesh, ….” I would like to receive the grace given by meditating on three things centered on this word:
First, what does “flesh” mean?
‘The Word’ is “God” (v. 1), and “the flesh” is man (human). Here, “the flesh” can be divided into two broad categories: (1) A person who is related to sin: a person who is guilty or a person who belongs to sin, (2) A person who has nothing to do with sin: a person without sin or a person who does not belong to sin. In the words “the Word became flesh,” the “flesh” refers to a person who has nothing to do with sin/a person without sin/Jesus Christ who does not belong to sin at all. There are several meanings of “the flesh,” but I want to think of only one. Look at 2 Corinthians 10:4 – “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” The word “our warfare” here means the good fight, that is, the spiritual fight (war). And “the weapons” are not of the flesh. That “weapon” is the power of God [“a mighty weapon against God” (Korean Modern Bible)]. Therefore, any stronghold can be demolished. The Bible says, ‘The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh,” and here “the flesh” refers to powerlessness (weakness).
God the Son, “the Word,” that is, Jesus Christ became flesh can be seen as a weak or weak person in a way. It means that Jesus was tired when he couldn't sleep, hungry when he couldn't eat, and thirsty when he couldn't drink. Look at Matthew 4:2 – “And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.” When Jesus was hungry like this, Satan tested Jesus three times, and the first temptation was, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread” (v. 3). At that time, Jesus overcame Satan's temptation by saying, "It is written, ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (v. 4; Deut. 8:3 quoted). Satan tempts us when we are weak and puts us to the test. Like Jesus, we must overcome with the word of God. Look at John 4:6 – “and Jacob's well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.” When Jesus left Judea and went to Galilee again (v. 3), He had to pass through Samaria on the way (v. 4). At that time, Jesus came to a village in Samaria called Sychar (v. 5) and, tired from the road, sat down by Jacob's well (v. 6). Jesus met a Samaritan woman at the well, talked to her, preached the gospel, and saved her. Like Jesus, we must meet people, talk, and preach the gospel. Look at John 19:28 – “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, ‘I am thirsty.’” Jesus was thirsty. However, Jesus did not fall into sin and commit sin because of that thirst.
This is Matthew 26:41 – “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples, put nine disciples at the entrance of the garden, took only three disciples, Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and went into the garden and prayed (vv. 36-37). Although Jesus said to the three disciples, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me” (v. 38), when He returned after praying, He found the three disciples asleep (vv. 39-40). At that time, Jesus told the three disciples, “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (v. 41). The three disciples had a desire in their hearts, but their bodies were weak, so they fell asleep without being able to stay awake and pray. After Jesus went out and prayed a second time, when He returned, the three disciples were very tired and were sleeping again (v. 43). As a result, Peter denied Jesus three times: (1) He denied Jesus in front of everyone (v. 70), (2) He swore and denied Jesus again (v. 72), (3) He cursed and swore to deny that he knew Jesus (v. 74). This is a sin. Peter sinned in his weakness. But Peter repented of his sin (v. 75). Weakness itself is not a sin, but Satan and his subordinates tempt us when we are weak and lead us to sin.
We have the word of God, God's mighty weapon in this spiritual battle. We must fight with His Word and win. Look at 1 John 2:13-14: “… I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one … I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” Therefore, like the Thessalonian church saints, when we hear the word of God through the servants of the Lord, we must be spiritually strong by receiving God’s word not as the word of man but as the word of God, so that the word works powerfully in us who believe (1 Thess. 2:13-14). This is the hymn “Let people all worship our God” verse 3 lyrics: “Let people all trust their whole life, Holy Spirit, Comforter: He teaches them the words of God and strengthens them to overcome sin. He teaches them the words of God and strengthens them to overcome sin.” Look at Hebrews 4:15 – “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus Christ was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Like Jesus, we must all win the spiritual battle. We all must seek God's power to overcome the spiritual battle. And we must fight and overcome the temptations of Satan and his subordinates with the powerful word of God.
Second, how did God, “the Word,” become “flesh” (man)?
Look at Philippians 2:6-8: “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Here, “He” refers to Jesus Christ, who is “the Word” and “God” (Jn. 1:1). Jesus Christ, being in the form of God and equal with God, did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but became like men (Phil. 2:6-7). Jesus Christ was a perfect man, so why did the Apostle Paul say that He became like men, not that He became a man? According to one theologian, the reason is that Jesus is not only man, but also God. In other words, Jesus is both the perfect God and the perfect man. That's why He said He became like man. Jesus Christ is saying that He appeared in human form (v. 8). Jesus was born (meaning: God came down). He came as His newborn baby (as a man). And because Jesus grew up and lived as a commoner, everyone thought of Him as a commoner. Jesus, who lived humbly like this, obeyed the will of Heavenly Father even to the point of death on the cross. Jesus came to this world through the body of a woman. Look at Matthew 1:18 – “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit.”
If we look at Genesis 3:15, the word of God's covenant, the Bible says, “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.” Here, ‘the seed of the woman’ refers to Jesus Christ, who was born of the virgin Mary (Mt. 1:18). How could an unmarried virgin Mary deliver Jesus Christ? It was possible because the Holy Spirit allowed her to conceive. Look at Matthew 1:18, 20: “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. … But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Look at Galatians 4:4-5: “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” The purpose of Heavenly Father begotten His Son, Jesus Christ, from a woman and be born under the law is to save those who are under the law and make us children of God (v. 5). Because we are now God's children, God sent us into our hearts, the Spirit of the Son, the Holy Spirit, and made us call God "Abba, Father" (v. 6). To save us, God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth and sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts so that we can call upon God and say, “Abba, Father.”
Third, what is the result of God, “the Word,” becoming “flesh” (man)?
The result is twofold: (1) Jesus became the perfect God and perfect man, and (2) Jesus became the eternal man. Jesus lived on this earth for 33 years, died on the cross, rose from the grave, then ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God's throne. Jesus will return in God's time. And Jesus lives forever. Look at Revelation 1:18 – “and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”
The word that “the Word became flesh” (Jn. 1:14) means that when this “Word” began, man (“flesh”) also began. Regarding the existence of “the Word” (“God”) (v. 1), there is no beginning and cannot have beginning. However, when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, “the Word” became “the flesh” (man), there was a beginning. Look at Luke 2:11 – “for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” We cannot know for sure the exact day Jesus was born, but the beginning of Jesus as a man is definitely there. Jesus, “the Word”, the perfect God without beginning, the perfect man, the eternal man, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and became “flesh” (man) through the Virgin Mary, the descendant of a woman. He had a beginning (birth) and an end (death). The purpose is to make us, who have a beginning and an end on this earth, who are spiritually dead and eternally dead, become eternal people who live forever in the eternal kingdom of heaven, where there is no beginning and no end. Therefore, we must have confidence that the Word became flesh. We must live a victorious life in which we fight and overcome spiritual warfare with God's power by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the perfect God, perfect man, and eternal man. We must awake and seek God's power from Father, must armed with God's powerful word, and resist the temptations of Satan and his subordinates with faith. Since Jesus Christ overcame Satan on the cross, I hope and pray that all of us will fight the battles against ourselves, the world, sin, and Satan in our life of faith with the assurance of victory.