One of my favorite passages of Scripture is John 1:1-18. I love John’s introduction and how he introduces us to the Logos of God. Particularly descriptive is John 1:14 where John tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
I love Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase out of the Message Bible. He writes that the Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood. That’s a great way to say it. Jesus moves right into the neighborhood to be with us, as us.
Did God really take upon himself the limitations of being a human?
Did the infinite really take on a finite existence?
Did the Immortal One really become mortal?
Did Life itself actually become vulnerable to death?
Did the all-powerful one become limited in his power?
Did the all-knowing one really have to learn?
Did the all-present one become limited to the confines of time and space?
Did the one that never sleeps or slumbers actually now need rest and sleep?
Did the Creator actually become one of the created?
Did God actually become subject to his creation?
What am I to make of this God that becomes human? Many cultures and mythologies have deities that can take on human form, but did they also take on human limitations?
Jesus was fully God, yet he laid aside his abilities as God to be totally human. Jesus experienced the full brunt of what it means to be human. Without experiencing our limitations, he wouldn’t fully understand what it means to be human.
Being human can be a tricky thing most days—suffering, betrayal, tragedies, traumas, injuries, poverty, sickness, and disease. Jesus has seen it all and he experienced it all. He was moved with compassion as he witnessed the suffering of man.
He was angered at the injustice that men inflicted upon each other. He fought against the walls we erect to divide ourselves into “us vs. them.” He elevated the status of women and second-class citizens.
He leveled the playing field for all of us. He moved into the neighborhood and made the neighborhood better for everyone.
Let’s follow his example by realizing that being a human being is tough. Give each other a break. Be kind and considerate. Realize that we all are facing something. If Jesus could make it as a human being, let’s follow his example and treat each other with decency and kindness. Let’s make the world a better place by following the example of Jesus.
Click here to watch a video teaching on The Word Becomes Flesh as part of The Humanity of Jesus series.
