“The Word Became Flesh” Adult Sunday School Lesson

International Sunday School Lesson

For Sunday  March 11, 2012

Purpose: To explore the importance of the Word made flesh for our lives

Scripture Text: John 1:1-14

John 1:1-14 (NRSV)
(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being (4) in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. (5) The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. (6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (7) He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. (8) He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. (9)The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. (10) He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. (11) He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. (12) But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, (13) who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. (14) 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.

My Thoughts by Burgess Walter

Last week we talked about “Wisdom” being created at the earliest moments of creation as told by Solomon in Proverbs 8:22-35. We also mentioned that in the doctrine of the trinity formed in 325A.D. it was determined that God could best be described as three entities, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In this week's lesson and text, the Son is referred to as “The Word.”

To understand John's reference to the “Word” we must first go to the original Greek word for “Word.” “Logos” is the Greek word John uses in his writing, which we translate as “Word.” Logos to the Greek mind was a concept, which represented the best development of the Greek mind. The term he used represents an attempt on the part of Greek thinkers to find an answer to the mind's quest for knowledge of the origin of things and for an understanding of the true nature of reality. This concept is John's way of introducing Jesus Christ the Son of God into a world largely ignorant of the Old Testament Scriptures and ignorant of the life and ministry of Jesus the Messiah.

John states his main purpose for writing this book later in chapter 20 verse 31: "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

John, unlike the other writers of the Gospels, is writing about his own witness that reveals his first hand account of some of the miracles, and sayings of Jesus while here on earth.

At the time of creation this concept already existed as God. Another way we could think of this, is using the word “thought” instead of “word.” God created everything by “thought.”

John also refers to Jesus as “light,” and “life.” Jesus came to earth to reveal God to His creation. With Jesus we get a sense of the heart of God, the way Jesus lived and the things he taught help us to have a better relationship and understanding of God. To all that accept Jesus as both God and Son of God, he offers both life and light.

John also brings the testimony of John the Baptist, as evidence that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God who was also God. The true light that is offered to all those who believe in him. There is always going to be the battle between light and darkness, those of us that believe and those that choose not to believe will always be in conflict.

John has witnessed God's glory, through witnessing His son Jesus' glory, and he has also witnessed the Grace and Truth of God by having seen Jesus perform miracles and healing. John wants us to know Jesus as he did, and our calling is to reveal to others the Jesus we know, from the life and light we have received. Jesus is the world’s best and only hope for redemption; we've a story to tell and light to share.