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God Becomes Flesh
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1
Logos Defined
Revelation 19:13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
It is what is spoken and it is the one that speaks it
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
John 14:24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
What is the difference between the Logos and what He spoke?
Word of God in the Old Testament
H1697 דָּבָר dâbâr daw-bawr’ word
Genesis 15:1 After these things the word [dabar] of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
Genesis 15:2 But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
Genesis 15:3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”
Genesis 15:4 And behold, the word [dabar] of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”
Genesis 15:5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
Genesis 15:7 Then He said to him, “I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.”
LITV capitalizes “Word”
Spokesman
John 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.”
John 8:27 They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.
John 8:28 Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
John 12:49 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.
John 12:50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”
In context, these words, logos and dabar, sometimes refer to what was said and others to Who said it.
The reality is that what He spoke reflected Him and Who He is and in that way they were indistinguishable.
Not only that but since it came from the Father we can see now why Jesus told Philip:
John 14:8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.”
John 14:9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.
John 14:11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
Logical
This is the word we get logical from
In defining logical, there is no good definition out there that everyone can agree on. Basically it is: a reasonable way to come to a conclusion or the truth.
I find this interesting since I believe in a reasonable, rational and logical God. He has given us a way of life that works — this is who He is.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
This is how He inspired the Bible to be written and what we use for our basis
John 10:35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),
Just because we do not understand it does not mean that it is not logical
Job Answers All Three
He still REALLY believes he has a case to be made.
Job 13:3 But I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God.
Job 13:18 See now, I have prepared my case, I know that I shall be vindicated.
Job 13:15 Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.
Job 13:16 He also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him.
You can go and see how God reasons with Job chs 38-41
Job 42:7 And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words [dabar] to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.
Man’s Ways
Man’s ways are not always logical because it is not based on God’s law
Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!
Isaiah 5:22 Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,
Isaiah 5:23 Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!
Isaiah 5:24 Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Mankind has for the most part rejected His words!
God reasons
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;
Isaiah 1:20 But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.
This is the way He will deal with us in the end as well and we will have to give an answer to Him.
Parable of Talents
Matthew 25:14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
Matthew 25:15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
Matthew 25:16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
Matthew 25:17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
Matthew 25:18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
Matthew 25:19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled [logos] accounts with them.
Matthew 25:20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying [lego; root of logos], ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’
Matthew 25:21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
Matthew 25:22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’
Matthew 25:23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
Matthew 25:24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
Matthew 25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
Matthew 25:26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
Matthew 25:27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
Matthew 25:28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
Matthew 25:29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
Matthew 25:30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.‘
1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
From Eternity was the Word
In the beginning was the Word…
Psalms 90:1 A Prayer Of Moses the Man of God. LORD, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Psalms 90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
Hebrews 7:3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
2 Timothy 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
John 1:2
John 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Word was With God
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
John 17:11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.
They were together as One – this is how He was with the Father
John 17:21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
John 17:22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
The Word was God
Does not need a lot more clarification
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
Philippians 2:6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
John 1:3
All Things Made Through the Logos
John 1:3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
Ephesians 3:9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
We see this concept in the Old Testament as well
Psalms 33:6 By the word [dabar] of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
Psalms 33:7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses.
Psalms 33:8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
Psalms 33:9 For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.
Hebrews; Isaiah, etc
No Trinity
John 1:4
Life in Him
John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, “THE FIRST MAN ADAM BECAME A LIVING BEING.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. [God is spirit]
John 5:21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.
John 5:22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son,
John 5:23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
John 5:24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word [logos; Christ is stating that what He says is logos; seemless between God, JC, words, law – extension of their character] and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
John 5:25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
John 5:26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
Life inherent; create life – not only physical, but spiritual, and in due time God-life!
The Life was the Light of Men
John 1:4 …. the life was the light of men.
Psalms 119:105 Your word [dabar] is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
John 1:5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John the Baptist was sent by God as a witness of the light, but he was not that Light (John 1:6-8)
John 1:9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
1 John 1:5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
Acts 26:23 that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 1:14
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Philippians 2:6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
Philippians 2:7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Philippians 2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
Philippians 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
Philippians 2:11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Conclusion
The Son is: the Word; Logos; Spokesman; He was in the beginning, eternally existing (even before time); with God for all of it; as God;
Through Him the Father made ALL things; the Logos had life and light inherent in Him; And then He divested Himself of all of this Power and became flesh and blood. Why did God become man – it so that man can become God.
The Father and the Son did all of this for you and that is what John so succinctly tells us in the opening of this gospel message!