The Word became flesh

The Word became flesh.

This is the introduction of Jesus in the gospel of John. And that is the apt description of the greatest event this world has ever seen. As the gospel says, this Word is the one who was God who in the beginning created everything which had a beginning. At the perfect timing of God, the Word was born into this world in human flesh. The world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ as Christmas.

The eternal God born into this world is not a fable or myth. His birth was according to the foretold prophecies revealed by Him through the Scriptures. Myths often develop once something happens and the story is told and expanded through centuries in exaggerated forms. But the story of Christmas is foretold in the Scriptures before it even occurred and that is worthy of the attention of any human being. Because this is the God “make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” (Isaiah 46:10)

God became flesh to know the limitations and weaknesses of living as a human. Jesus, as the name means, was born to save us from our sins. If He wanted, he could have manifested as a full-grown adult and immediately could have completed his mission by dying. In fact, we see several manifestations of Jesus in the Old Testament. It was not by any means impossible for Him to avoid the many sufferings, humiliations and temptations He went through if desired.  But rather as the angel says to Mary “this Jesus will be called Immanuel meaning God with us”. Jesus lived with us and learned first-hand what it means to live as a human being. That shows how much thought and care was put into this. The psalmist sums all of it beautifully as:

“Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which you have done, And Your thoughts toward us.” (Psalm 40: 5)

Happy Christmas!