Hunkered Down Devotion

John 1:14 (Message)
14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.  
We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
 
John is unique among the gospels for many reasons, and those differences begin right at the start of chapter one.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke begin with Jesus birth and/or genealogy, John begins all the way back at the literal beginning.

John uses the Greek word, logos, usually translated as ‘the Word’ to describe Jesus.  John chooses this word, in part, because it is a word that carries special meaning for both the Greeks (or in biblical terminology, Gentiles) and for John’s Jewish audience.

For Greeks it carried both the meaning of a spoken word, but also the part that is unspoken or internal – the reason behind the words we speak.  When it was applied in cosmic terms, it was used to describe the rational principle that governs everything.

For the Jews, it was a term used for God to communicate God’s personal, active involvement in our world and our affairs.  So to use the word, ‘Word’ to describe Jesus was one imbued with deep meaning.

John, in the first few verses of chapter one makes it clear that Jesus, the Word, has been a part of God’s work and creative process from the very beginning and it was in and through Jesus that the world and all of us came to be.

When we get to verse fourteen, we come to the profound truth about our God that that marks our faith as unique among all of the world’s religions.  ‘The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.’   The Word of God, the Word that spoke into being all of us and the entirety of creation, became human and traversed the distance that separates us and reconciles us to God.

I love that so much, the idea that God moves into our neighborhood.  This is a truth we must never forget: God’s love for us is so deep, so strong, so enduring that rather than sitting aloof in heaven waiting for us – God choose to come to us.

Sharing God’s Love,
Chip

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for moving into our neighborhood and choosing to be in relationship with us.  Help us share that good news with others.  Amen.