04-06-08 Sermon Review

The Word Made Flesh

We come now to a text, in our exposition of John, that is so signifcant that it deserves a whole sermon by itself, and although it would be nice to continue through the exposition fairly quickly, I think it is to our great benefit to contemplate on these five paramount words that has shocked and puzzled and delighted Christians through the ages: "And the Word became flesh" (John 1:14). Jim Boice is quite insightful and observes that these five words have now become "commonplace" in today's Christianized culture, and therefore, I do, with great zeal, desire and hope to bring back the shock with which these five words ought to pierce our hearts and draw out our affections.

Now, it's not hard to exegete this text (that is, to draw the meaning out of the text), but to mine its depths is an infinite task. The implications that are in this text is highly relevant and significant to our daily Christian walk and will enlarge our understanding of the mercy and love of God as well as our delight and joy in the person of Jesus the Christ. For the purposes of meditating richly in these five words, I want to give to you five reasons why the Word became flesh to stimulate your worship before the Lord.

1. The Word became flesh to die for sin - Without a real human body that can die, there could be no atonement made for sin. It is clear in Scripture that without blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). Jesus had to have been made flesh if a perfect sacrifice for sin had to be made. If we could have been forgiven any other way, Christ would not have come in the flesh. The Scripture is also quite clear that Christ's blood spilled for our sin is the basis of our forgiveness (Hebrews 9:12-14; Ephesians 1:7). Therefore, Christ put on humanity to make atonement for sin.

2. The Word became flesh to give us life - Jesus states the purpose of his coming by saying, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). Not only did his work on the cross atone for sins, but it also generated life for dead sinners. Paul tells us that we were dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1), but with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, we now have a justification of life (Romans 5:18-21; 6:8-11). John elsewhere in His gospel penned the famous verse, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Therefore, Christ coming in the flesh and His bodily death on the cross not only signifies an atonement for sin but also a new life.

3. The Word became flesh to experience humanity - I was once shocked when the someone challenged me with the thought that God, though being omniscient in all things, cannot have experiential knowledge of being human until He becomes one. That is the definition of experiential knowledge. The author of Hebrews writes that the Eternal Word was made like humans "to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings" (Hebrews 2:10). He put on the flesh to gain experiential knowledge of suffering so that "He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest" (Hebrews 2:17). What blessing to know that "we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).

4. The Word became flesh to set an example - "To walk as Jesus walked" is the goal of the Christian. Peter reminds us that "Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow" (1 Peter 2:21). John exhorts us to walk "in the same manner as He walked" (1 John 2:6). What an amazing God we have, a God that does not simply teach us how to live, but shows us. My favorite verse of the bible is found in Romans, "But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Christ did not take on human flesh only to die for our sin, give us life, and experience humanity; He took on flesh to give us an example of what a truly righteous life looks like.

5. The Word became flesh to be forever glorified as God-Man - There is none so unique as Christ, none so glorious. My theme passage for 2008 is written by Paul: "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 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 Himselt by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:5-11). Christ put on the flesh, and now He's forever glorified as the Lamb that was slain (Revelations 5:6-14).

Now, I want us to think about these five reasons for a bit. Have you noticed that these five reasons were all, in some sense, for our need and not Christ's? Have you ever thought about the fact that Jesus never needed to put on humanity? He was infinitely perfect, infinitely good. The only reason why He should put on humanity was to redeem unworthy sinners like ourselves. He did it for us. So let's not make the incarnation of Jesus Christ simply a bible-story to justify Christmas celebrations; let's not make it merely a doctrine to determine orthodoxy, let's not leave it a mystery unfathomed, but let's make it a truth that refreshses the soul, a light that shines goodness upon a dark and gloomy world, a news that shouts forth the coming victory, a source of infinite joy that opens up channels for us to cherish and delight in our merciful and faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. It would do well for all of us, to meditate deeply and richly in this wonderful doctrine of Scripture, the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Stay strong and God bless!