Why Jesus Came
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
“In the beginning…” Do these words sound at all familiar? It may be because they are also the first three words of the Bible in Genesis, which says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Jesus’ best friend, John, carefully and intentionally chose these three words to start his Gospel story of Jesus’ life. They are a direct reference to Genesis 1:1. John wants us to understand that the same Jesus who was his friend and teacher is the Creator and giver of life at the very beginning. He is letting us know that the beginning of the Bible is the beginning of the story of our Savior. And that our savior Jesus Christ is, in fact, God.
In this opening verse John gives us a foundation for the truth that he will tell us throughout his Gospel. Before we hear about what Jesus did, we need to know who Jesus is.
Who is Jesus? John calls Jesus “the Word” through whom God spoke to us (also see Hebrews 1:1-2). In verse 14, John uses a powerful image regarding Jesus as “the Word” to tell us more about who He is and what He did for us.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14).
“The Word became flesh;” God became a man to show amazing grace to us. Jesus did not come into existence nor was He created when He was born in Bethlehem; remember, He was in the beginning with God. Yet, He chose to humble himself and come to earth as a man to save us from our sin (Philippians 2).
Let the truth that “The Word became flesh” resonate inside you today. If you ever question your worth, remember that “The Word became flesh” to die for you. If you ever question God’s acceptance or love for you, remember “The Word became flesh” to save you from your sin. If you ever wonder if God cares about what is weighing you down, remember “The Word became flesh” to give you eternal, abundant life today.