February 3

The Word was made flesh. - John 1:14.

NO one for a moment can doubt that this refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Observe two things. First, His peculiar denomination, “The Word.” John is the only one of the sacred writers who speaks of him under this name; but this does not render it less worthy of regard, for “he wrote as he was moved by the Holy Ghost.” Three things appear to be derived from John’s use of the title, “The Word.”

First, That it is intended to mark a person. Nothing can be more false or forced than the meaning given by the Socinians, that it here means the wisdom of God. How could the wisdom of God be made flesh, and dwell among us? And how could we behold this as the only begotten of the Father?

Secondly, The term indicates previous existence. When it is said the Word was made flesh, it conveys the idea that he was something else before.

Thirdly, It is designed to mark a Divine person. The name given to God is expressly given to him. Creation is ascribed to him. All this could not have been affirmed of him, as a mere creature, or a super-angelic being. John here declares that he was Gob; and that he was the source of all life and existence.

Observe, His incarnation, “The Word was made flesh,” which is saying that he became man. But he did not cease to be God in order to become man. Union is not transmission. As he was God before, so he could not cease to be God after, he took upon him our nature; “for he took not on him the nature of angels, but the seed of Abraham.” Hence the Scriptures ascribe many things to him which will not apply to his Divine nature, or agree with his human nature separately. “Unto us a child is given.” This does not refer to him as God. “And his name shall be called Wonderful.” This does not refer to him as man. It is not the humanity of Christ that was from everlasting; and it is not the divinity of Christ that hung and suffered on the tree. So that there is neither contradiction nor impossibility in the incarnation of the Son of God; but it is a mystery, and will perhaps ever remain so. And what is not a mystery? There is a mystery in the wind. Every blade of grass, and every part of matter is a mystery. And “great is the mystery of godliness: God manifest in the flesh.” And the Apostle makes it to be of so much importance, as to be the medium of our salvation.

It is thus the Deity is brought down to our apprehension and to our reach. Thus he becomes what he could not else have been-our example. Thus he is able to sympathize with us in our distresses. Thus he would suffer, bleed, and die, and put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.