The Word Became Something

 

The Word Became Something

In the beginning was the Word. This Word was with God, and this Word was God. Through Him, everything was made. Yet, in an act of unimaginable love and humility, the Word became something—He became flesh. He chose to lower Himself, stepping down from His divine glory to walk among us, to live as one of us, and to bring us back into the family of God.

In John 1:14, we read, “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Here, "the Word" (Logos) refers to Jesus Christ. In John’s Gospel, Logos isn’t just a spoken word; it refers to the eternal expression of God Himself. Just as words are derived from the mind to express thoughts and intentions, Jesus is the true Logos—the ultimate expression of God's mind, heart, and purpose—walking on the earth.

John reveals that the Word, who existed from the beginning, was not only with God but was God. This profound connection means that when Jesus came to earth, He was the visible, tangible Word of God, showing us the Father in human form. In John 1:18, it says, “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known.”

Jesus, the Logos, is the living message of God. He is the wisdom, the mind, and the very essence of God in bodily form. Through Him, we see who God truly is—full of grace and truth. Jesus didn’t just speak words of life; He is the Word of Life itself.

This understanding emphasizes that the only way to truly see God and know His heart is through His Son, Jesus Christ. As John 14:6 says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus is the Logos—the way we understand and experience God, and the only path to eternal life with the Father.

But how does this relate to our journey with Christ? The same humility that brought Jesus down from heaven is the path we must take to become the sons and daughters He calls us to be.

Jesus' journey of lowering Himself shows us that the way to God isn’t through pride, self-exaltation, or striving for status. Instead, it’s through humility and surrender. Philippians 2:6-8 reminds us that, although Jesus was in the very nature of God, He “made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant... He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”

Jesus lowered Himself so that He could lift us up into the family of God. He calls us to follow Him, not by trying to elevate ourselves, but by surrendering our lives and embracing humility. Just as the Word became flesh, we too must become something different—we must humble ourselves to become who God calls us to be.

As the Word became something, so too will we become the Imago Dei—the image of God. When we humble ourselves and follow Christ, we are transformed to reflect His likeness. We were created in God’s image, but through the humility and surrender of Christ, that image is restored and renewed in us. Romans 8:29 tells us that we are predestined "to be conformed to the image of His Son," meaning that as we lower ourselves, God shapes us into the perfect reflection of Christ.

The Bible says in James 4:10, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” This is the heart of the gospel: when we lower ourselves in humility, God raises us up as His sons and daughters. To be a follower of Christ is to take up our cross daily, to deny ourselves, and to follow His example of servanthood and sacrifice.

Jesus' life was one of servanthood, and so is ours. When we humble ourselves, God works through us in ways we could never imagine. It’s in lowering ourselves that we make room for God’s grace to fill us, transform us, and elevate us into the sons and daughters of the Most High.

Today, let us be encouraged to reflect on how Jesus, the Word, became something for us. He became flesh, lived among us, and tabernacled in our midst so that we could rise in Him. The only way we can truly see the Lord is through His Son, Jesus, the true Logos of God. He is the way, the truth, and the life. We are invited to humble ourselves, to follow His example, and to allow God to lift us up into His family.

As we lower ourselves, we become the Imago Dei—restored in His image, sons and daughters reflecting the beauty and love of our Lord.

Let’s embrace humility, follow Christ’s example, and walk confidently in the truth that we are God’s children—called, loved, and lifted by His grace.

JK. Woodall, Ph.D.