1. He Came!John 1: 1-18

(p. 977)

What if God were one of us? Joan Osborne’s 1995 hit song – “One of us”

God was one of us !!! Our series:

How He lived ... How we should live

Incarnation – “becoming flesh”

Incarnational Living – Living as Jesus lived.

Julie Andrews (Sound of Music): Let’s start at the very beginning ...

1. The Mighty WORD of the Universe Word [Logos] = Jesus

John doesn’t say “Jesus”, he says “Logos” [Word]

What does he mean?

Greeks: A Loaded term – thought or reason, or expression of thought

(speech)

Philosophical term: the thought / reason / soul of the universe The life force of the cosmos, the rational principle by which everything

existed Stoics: Logos was like “the Force” in Star Wars.

1. The Mighty WORD of the Universe ...

Jews: “Word” and “wisdom” personified in the Old Testament.

God’s “word” is action, it makes things happen. Gen 1:3; Ps 33:6; Isa 55:11; Ps 29. It “came” to the prophets (Hos 1:1; Mic 1:1; Zech 7:8)

John: Takes this deeply meaningful word – and gives it a radically

new meaning

1. The Mighty WORD of the Universe ...

The truth about the “Logos” Logos – with God in the beginning (at the origin)

Logos – is God

Logos – created everything

Logos – light and life for all people

Logos - came into the world ! ? ! ? ! ??? !!

The world didn’t recognize him (in spite of a forerunner)

Those who did recognize & believe – became children of God.

2. The WORD became FLESH ! The Logos became Sarx !

He was born in a stable

He lived as a carpenter

He was a small town redneck

He had a “provincial” accent

He owned nothing

He had no pedigree or family connections.

The mighty Logos of the universe became SARX !!!

2. The WORD became FLESH !

And we saw his Glory.

His glory was his GOODNESS, not his appearance! He was very, very good – Full of Grace and Truth

Moses (Exodus 33 – 34) – God shows His Glory (Ex 33:18-19, 34:6)

“My GOODNESS” (33:19) ... “abounding in Love and Faithfulness” (34:6)

The Logos became Sarx ... ... we saw his goodness – His Grace & Truth

3. Becoming “Flesh”is NOT IS

Beautiful Despised (Isa 53:2,3) Self Indulgent A Servant (Mk 10:45) Comfortable A Shepherd (Jn 10:11) Safe Threatened (Jn 10:31) Luxurious No home (Mt 8:20) Entertaining Sacrificing (Phil 2:8) Convenient Available (Mt 9:36)

3. Becoming Flesh ...

Phil 2: 5-11 “he did not CLING to equality with God ... He gave up his divine

priviliges”

How do we become flesh? How are we Characterized?

Are we engaging with the struggles of our world ... Or is it just an adjunct?

The mighty Word Became Flesh! Obedient to death on a cross!

What about the Blessings of Knowing Christ?

Our spirituality ... Not like the hip stuff around us

Making us feel better about ourselves

Based on the word who became flesh Reaches deep into our souls – fixes what is broken. A spirituality of God’s presence with us.

The Word became flesh so that we could be made whole!

Now we live out that wholeness.