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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
How can mortal man comment on such a lofty concept? What can be written that has not already been said in more eloquent or understandable terms? What possible light can a frail one such as I shed on such a gigantic source of illumination? Some passages only beg to be exposed to the heart and mind and let the power of God take it from there. Today’s focus text is one such verse; our efforts will be limited to merely opening the passage before your eyes and allowing God to speak to you through that process.
“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 1.14). It is obvious that whomever is referred to as the Word became something that He had not been before. Furthermore, the Word existed prior to the time it became flesh. The first verse of John gives insight into this mystery: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1.1). The Word was with God and the Word was God!
Further, the Word made flesh dwelt among us [John the apostle speaking]. Not only did the Word partake of the same nature as did John, He dwelt in the same circumstances as did John. He was not housed in a sterile mansion or compound so as to isolate Him from the common troubles and trials of other flesh; He was born into and lived among the ordinary population of humans. In and through this existence, man could know that the Word made flesh could understand the temptations to which we are subjected as well as the weaknesses that are common to all flesh.
Additionally, we beheld His glory. Never before the time being written about could such a statement be made! This is a watershed concept of the Gospel system; it is what differentiates it from all previous or future systems of religion. The Word did not just appear for a few brief moments to a few individuals (as perhaps might have been said for Moses and His closest associates)! John said, “We beheld His glory!” The word beheld is a prolonged form of the word which means to gaze intently and extensively at. This view of the Word was a prolonged visual, audible, tactile, taste, and olfactory experience. They experienced Jesus with every sensory receptor that the Creator placed within the creature. There was literally no part of humanity that was not impacted by the fact that the Word became flesh and that He allowed humanity to behold His glory!
His glory – now that is another thing altogether! Many people had witnessed miracles of one sort or another. The Israelites saw scores of miracles as they left Egypt. There were even daily miracles that fed and clothed them. As time progressed, prophets such as Elijah, Elisha, and others of similar office worked miracles to confirm that their messages were from God. But, their glory did not compare to the glory of the Word made flesh! In fact, when Moses and Elijah appeared side by side with the transfigured Christ, God’s own voice differentiated between their glories by saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Luke 9.35). In so speaking, Heaven rejected Pater’s desire to build three tabernacles and placed a Divine impetus on the Christ alone. Couple this experience with hundreds upon hundreds of public miracles, and no further proof was necessary. The early disciples beheld His glory and were so satisfied that it was real that each of them, to a man, was willing to die for His cause!
Why is His glory so excellent? Because He is the Word made flesh, and because He is the One and only begotten Son of God! “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 1.14).
Questions:
1. Who and what was the Word?
2. What is implied by the fact that John said that they beheld His glory?
3. How did the glory of Jesus compare with that of Moses and Elijah? Who showed that the Son was to be heard over the prophets of the Old Testament?
4. How confident were the early Christains that they had truly seen the glory of God in Jesus Christ? How was that confidence tested and proven?
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