“The Word Incarnate”

by The Rev. William G. Lamont, Pastor

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.  John 1: 1,14

We live in an age where words have been devalued.  “Talk is cheap,” they say.  “A picture is worth a thousand words,” they say.  “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” they say.  All expressions that point to the diminished value of words.  If words were a commodity on the Dow/Jones, they’d be penny stock.  It’s a visual era now.  “Hey, have you read the book?  Uh, no, but I saw the movie!”  “It’s not what a man says but what he does that really counts.”  “Seeing is believing.”   Words are out, pictures are in.

And that’s bad news to one who deals in words, like myself.  We preachers are heavily invested in the spoken word.  Not only do we communicate in words, but we point people to “The Word”… to God’s Word in the Bible.  It is a word above all words…the source of truth and life, but it has lost value in this day and age.  The Bible is seen by many as just another book among books…nothing special.  So even the Word of God has been diminished. 

And that does not bode well for the opening passage of John’s gospel where Jesus is referred to as “The Word.”  “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  John has the book of Genesis in mind as he writes his opening words – which also start off with those same words:  “In the beginning.”  In Genesis, chapter 1, God’s speaking is what brings creation into existence:  God says: “let there be light, let there be dry land, let there be birds and animals of every kind, let us make humankind in our image…and it came to be.  Genesis reminds us that the most powerful thing about God is his Word.  When God speaks, things happen!  God’s Word is a powerful creative force in the world.   Isaiah 55 puts it this way:  “My Word shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”  God’s Word is the ultimate power!

If we look around we can see just how powerful God’s Word is - everyone and everything on this earth is a result of God’s spoken word.  God commanded it and it came into being.  Everyone and everything, that is, except Jesus!  John says that Jesus is different from the rest of us because he’s not the product of God’s Word.  God did not speak to make Jesus come into being.  John claims that Jesus was not created at all; that he existed from the very beginning!  How is it possible?  John says it’s because Jesus is the Word of God himself.  “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”  It’s a very lofty claim to make, and John knows it, which is why he takes the next 21 chapters of his gospel to substantiate it. 

But this is where John begins and it is where we are called to begin as we enter the New Year together.  Jesus Christ is the Word.  The Greek word here is “Logos,” commonly used in John’s day to refer to the impersonal force or principle that gave order and meaning to the universe.  Logos is kind of like “Mother Nature” – not really linked to anyone in particular, it’s just a way of describing the creative force at work in the world.  But John uses the word Logos for his own purposes here.  First he gives the word identity - linking it with the person of Jesus Christ.  Second, he describes it not as an impersonal, distant force but an intimate personal relationship.  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” 

To the Greeks this statement would have been most shocking indeed. The Word became flesh!  Flesh, to the Greeks was temporal, impure and base.  They separated body and soul because they believed only the soul could be everlasting.  The body was just a temporal casing for the soul.  And yet, here was John claiming that God took on flesh!  It would have been a real stumbling block to the Greeks – but this is the good news of the gospel.  This is what makes the New Testament new!  God is doing something completely new in Jesus Christ – God is talking on flesh.  He’s coming to earth in human form. 

Charles Wesley says it best in his Christmas carol:
“Christ by highest heaven adored, Christ the everlasting Lord.
Late in time, behold him come, offspring of the virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity.
Pleased in flesh with us to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King!”

The Incarnate Word …the Word made flesh, is the good news because it is God’s new missionary strategy.  God’s isn’t just speaking words from a distance, God is showing up!  And in a visual era, where words don’t count for much, this is good news indeed!  We have a Savior who does more than talk about love, he comes to love us.  We have a Savior who does more than speak of mercy; he comes to grant mercy to us.  We have a Savior who does more than preach peace and justice, he comes to usher in peace and establish justice.  An incarnate God isn’t about talk but about action. He embodies all that God speaks about and stands for.

God’s new mission strategy is the incarnation…the Word become flesh.  And that is relevant to us today because it is the model for mission for the church as well.  At the end of John’s gospel, Jesus says to his disciples, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” (John 20:21)  As God sent Jesus in the flesh to proclaim the gospel, so Jesus sends the church in the flesh to proclaim it.  We are the hands and feet of Jesus today – God’s people are to take the gospel into the world and live it out there.  I’m not just talking about being nice to the people at work.  I’m not just talking about smiling and waving to your neighbor as you head off in the morning.  I’m talking about establishing new missions endeavors in the name of Jesus Christ.  If we are serious about the gospel and about following Jesus, we can expect to be taken into new and exciting mission fields in his name.  Jesus will lead his church into new fields of mission.  This church may be called to take on a greater role in helping the poor and the homeless of our city.  This church may be called to establishing stronger connections with Hidenwood Elementary School.  We may find ourselves doing more with Congo missions, Habitat for Humanity, or with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.  Whatever it is, it will be more than words we’ll be required to offer…because the Word became Flesh.  The glory of God comes in the flesh and it is in the flesh that God is still glorified today.

Charles Schulz wrote the comic strip Peanuts for many years.  Schulz was a Christian who preached the gospel in subtle ways in Peanuts.  One of the comics shows Linus and Charlie Brown all bundled up in their winter coats and hats on a cold, snowy, winter’s day. They spot Snoopy shivering in the cold.  To comfort him, they walk over to him. Linus speaks first and says: "Be of good cheer, Snoopy." Charlie Brown adds, "Yes, be of good cheer."  They turn and walk away leaving Snoopy still shivering.  A big question mark appears over the dog’s puzzled expression, as he watches Linus and Charlie Brown walk away. Christian love must carry us beyond words. In fact, if all you have is words, you don’t have much!  The gospel of Jesus Christ is an incarnate Word – we must take the gospel into the world in deeds and in acts of love…because that is what Christ did.  And God blesses the church with the gifts and people resources to do the work we are called to do.  Christian love then is discerning our mission and living it out faithfully.

In the past few years Hidenwood’s Session has worked to articulate its mission and vision.  Our mission, our reason for being is:  “To grow in faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, open our arms and shine God’s light into the world.”  Our vision is what we want to become in the next five years.  We’ve stated that we want to be become “a growing, giving community of faith, active in ministry and mission.”  

We’ve even stated four objectives to that end:
1.  Increasing the active participation of our membership;
2.  Attracting and welcoming new members into our congregation;
3.  Increasing support and involvement in mission;
4.  Commiting ourselves to grow in our knowledge and trust in our true God

The October officer’s retreat focused on the mission and vision of Hidenwood and out of that came the Top 10 list of things that we’ve included in your bulletin today. We are asking you to check several of the things on this list if you are interested in participating in such a ministry or offering leadership to it.  The future of these ministries will depend on your interest and input, so please respond.  All of them are very much “hands on” ministries.

Words don’t mean much to people today.  There’s even a mistrust of words… “Don’t take his word for it, get it in writing,” they say. “Don’t preach me a sermon, show me a sermon,” they say.  The best way to preach the gospel today is with actions.  The incarnate word – it’s the secret to sharing the gospel today.  The churches that are willing to take the gospel into the world in flesh and blood, they are the ones that will grow in this new millennium.  St. Francis said it best: “Preach the gospel – use words if necessary.” 

So what about us?  Are we willing to embody the gospel?  Will we let the Word of God be born in us today?  Maybe it can be our new year’s resolution.  So be it.  Amen.