GETTING THE WORD OUT — PART 1
From the beginning, Artios Ministries has been committed to “getting the Word out”. Having spoken in the past through the prophets at many times and in various ways, in these last days, Hebrews tells us, God has spoken to us by His Son (see Hebrews 1:1,2). In other words, God spoke Jesus—He “got the Word out”.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. … 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. Jn 1:1-4, 14 NIV
“The Word became flesh” — essentially, Christmas, the message of the Incarnation, is about “getting the Word out”!
In John 1:18 we read, “No-one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.” He has made Him known in three ways:
As He got the word out, God’s presence is made known
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.
The Word was pre-existent. He was with God, in the beginning; and He was God. The Word became flesh. First He was not, and then He was. He made His dwelling among us. The word literally says He tabernacled among us — pitched His tent among us. This is a strong picture of the Tent of Meeting in the time of Moses, where God’s presence would be manifest amongst His people.
He was fully man. He did not simply seem to be human, but He actually was human. And He was fully God. He did not in becoming human cease to be divine. Yes, He chose to minister as an anointed man so that He could be a model for us to follow. But He still had all His divine attributes. What He laid aside was the independent exercise of His divine attributes, and did only what He saw the Father doing (see Jn 5:19).
Jesus was fully man and fully God. It’s a mystery! Our minds can’t get hold of that or put it together. Poetically, many have tried. Charles Wesley wrote: “Our God contracted to a span, incomprehensibly made man”; and again “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity”.
Jesus referred to His body as a living temple filled with the presence of God. God didn’t say, “Come into the temple where you will find My Presence”, but rather He said, “The temple filled with My Presence will come into your midst.” That’s the Incarnation! And according to Corinthians, we’re temples too — our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.
Christmas time in reality is celebrated once a year. When you are a child, it may seem less frequent. When you are over forty, Christmas comes every two months! Or so it seems. It's never very long until Christmas, and then a week later the New Year prompts us to reflect and take stock of our lives. This Christmas, and this year as the New Year breaks upon us, as we get the Word out, let us each operate as a temple of the Holy Spirit. As we allow God in us to come through, as individuals and as a corporate Church, we still make His Presence known. And who knows but that your example may be the only “Jesus” someone sees.
We'll continue this in Part 2.
George Alexander
December 2003
Copyright © 2003, 2023 by George Alexander. All rights reserved.
George Alexander, 23/10/2023