And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.
What does it mean that the Word became flesh? What is the truth that underlies this great feast of Christmas that we celebrate today?
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
The Word existed before all things. He was uncreated. He was truly God, and yet somehow also with God as part of the Trinity. Only through him was the all that we now experience, the entire universe, including ourselves, created. Though he was utterly transcendent of creation he took on flesh and made his dwelling among us. His heavenly origins proved that Jesus was not merely a good teacher among good teachers. He was not simply a creature like us but more elevated or powerful as Arius once tried to insist. He was true God.
John testified to him and cried out, saying,
“This was he of whom I said,
‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me
because he existed before me.’”
Though the Word was true God from before all creation he become true man in the fullness of time. He was not like pagan Gods who were said to sometimes visit humans disguised as humans themselves. This, in any case, was less of a stretch for them, who were not particularly transcendent of the created world. They were more like greater creations than God in the sense that Israel understood. The Word was beyond time, beyond images, beyond imagining. Yet the way he took humanity to himself was greater and more real than a simple disguise or appearance, as the Docetists argued. After all, he did not simply appear on earth with a puff of smoke as a fully grown adult. Rather, he was born of a virgin. He did this because he wanted to be Emmanuel, God with us.
“What He was, He remained, and what He was not, He assumed.”- Leo the Great
The Word became flesh because he was the true light, and desired that his light would enlighten us all. He came so that, by this light, we could choose to accept him or to reject him. By accepting him we could enter into his own relationship with the Father. It was by the incarnation that human nature was given the capacity to share in this relationship.
But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God
The Word became flesh to show forth the glory of the Father, and to make him known. A profound hint was found in the fact that he was called the Word. He was the Word from all eternity. But in the incarnation he addressed himself specifically to us, as one of our own, to speak to us, and to reveal the Father's heart to us. He stooped down to speak our language, to make himself understandable, and thereby reveal himself, his Father, and his Spirit, to us.
In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways
to our ancestors through the prophets;
in these last days, he has spoken to us through the Son
Because the Son was the Word he was the culmination and climax of revelation. Having finally spoken his Word, God left nothing unsaid, and so we await no further revelation.
"Therefore if someone were now to ask questions of God or seek any vision or revelation, he would not only be acting foolishly but would be committing an offense against God – for he should set his eyes altogether upon Christ and seek nothing beyond Christ."- Saint John of the Cross
This doesn't mean that there aren't private revelations such as Marian apparitions. But such revelations only point back to and help us to understand the one Word spoken in Christ. They do not bring us any new theological content. Even those approved apparitions such as Fatima and Lourdes could nevertheless not be binding on the conscience of believers because the Word was already fully spoken.
who is the refulgence of his glory,
the very imprint of his being,
and who sustains all things by his mighty word.
The Word that sustains all things desires to make himself known to us. And who are we that this should be so? How marvelous! How fearful! On this Christmas day let us strive to give him attention that is undivided, even if we can only do so briefly.
See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven (see Hebrews 12:25).
Hopefully as we come to a greater understand of who the Word is and what was his purpose in coming to us we are moved to wonder that we ourselves are called to share him with others. May we ourselves be moved to speak of "the saving power of God" (as the psalmist wrote prophetically, since the name Jesus means "God saves") whom we ourselves have come to know.
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”
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