"The Word became flesh." In this expression, the word "Word" means Jesus Christ, the Second Member of the Holy Trinity. When the Second Person of eternal God took on human flesh and was born on this earth, then from that point on he could be named "Jesus," then from that time on he took on the work to be our Savior, the "Christ." In the Gospel of John, before Jesus was born, the pre-existent Christ is called "The Word." And in Jesus Christ, the glory of the Son of God was seen, full of grace and truth.

Often times in the Bible, the word "word" means "promise." We use it that way in English in the expression "to give ones word" which means to make a promise. This too would be a good, second way to understand the expression: "The Word became flesh." God had made the promise in the Old Testament to send the Messiah Savior who would rescue his people. In Jesus Christ, that promise was kept. The word of promise was made concrete, made real, took on flesh, became alive, and so was fulfilled.

Words are powerful, even human words can create. For example, I can talk and you can create images in your mind. Think of a Christmas when you were younger. Do you remember a certain present you received? Do you remember some Christmas decorations or a tree or your family? In your mind, do you see snow or Santa Claus? Do you remember going to church at Christmas and singing the carols that proclaim the birth of Christ? Words can create imagination. Words can also create feelings. They can cause fear when spoken in an emergency! "Look out!" "Fire!" "Spider!" Words can also calm fear. "Don�ft worry, I am with you now." "I love you." "Everything is going to be okay." "The problem is fixed." "I smashed the spider." "The war is over."

Words are powerful, but human words cannot create concrete things like flesh and blood and food and stone. I cannot create something to eat by just saying "Let there be pizza." "Let there be presents under the tree." But God can do that. His word said, "Let there be light" and there was light. "Let there be life" and there was life. John 1:3 says of Christ the Word, "3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind."

"The Word became flesh." This is the action of God when Christ came into the world that he made. The Almighty Creator became a creature. The word of promise took on flesh, it became fulfilled. In Genesis Chapter One, the Creator said "Let there be light," and there was light. Now in Jesus Christ we have a new creation. It too starts with light, the light of the Gospel proclamation. John Chapter One says, "5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." And yet, there was the darkness of sin. Christ came to forgive that sin. But still sin tries to shut out the light of the Gospel, but the truth and grace of the Gospel is stronger than sin and the devil. "9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God? 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband�fs will, but born of God."

"The Word became flesh." This is the all-powerful Creator Word of God. This is Jesus who preached the Gospel, who in the flesh touched people and healed them and raise the dead. This is the Jesus who took upon his body the hungering in the wilderness for forty days, the agony of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane when he sweated blood, the suffering of the whipping, the pain of the crucifixion, and who, in his flesh, took upon his holy body the sin of the world and died. Then on the third day, in that same flesh arose from the grave, pure and holy. Christ became flesh in order to forgive and save you and me and all people who are flesh and blood. This is why Jesus cares about both our soul and our body. He knows our weaknesses and still loves us. That is why we are bold to pray to him for everything we need in this body and life.

"The Word became flesh." But as a little child, he could not yet say a single word. So the Gospel had to be proclaimed by the angels, and the shepherds, and even by a star. And now Christ has ascended into heaven, so we must proclaim the gospel in his place. Christmas is an excellent time to do that. When we tell the Christmas story, it is easy to create the image of what happened 2000 years ago. People can easily understand the depth of the love of God who stoops down into our human world, into our human society, into our human lives, into our human hearts and souls. Then it is the Holy Spirit who creates faith so people can accept and believe the Gospel of salvation.

"The Word became flesh." "14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling 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."

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church

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