The Word becomes flesh.

 

God the writer, made Himself known through His creation. Psalm 19:1. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. However, whilst they reveal His presence and power we do not meet Him or know what He is like. Our Lord God of Glory had to distance Himself from the descendants of Adam and Eve because Sin came between them. Still our Creator set out to make Himself known and to overturn the barrier. The Scriptures are the record of how He went about doing it.

More than that however, within the pages of our Bibles are ‘word paintings’ and historical encounters which introduce us to the unseen God. Jesus in John 5:39 summed it up so well, “you search the scriptures … and they testify of me.” As our Lord said to Philip “He who has seen me has seen the Father” John 14:9. Most of the New Testament letters give us more and clearer pictures of the unseen God because of the miracle at Bethlehem. The gospel of John puts the Christmas event in most forthright and dramatic manner. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’ The Creator was to become the Redeemer. The writer of the plan of salvation was putting flesh upon His words. This was foretold in the psalms and claimed by the writer to the Hebrews to be Jesus. ‘Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: “… a body you have prepared for me.”’ (Hebrews 10:5 and Psalm 40:6-8).

 The Gospels are the account of the one we believe is Emmanuel – God with us.  He became flesh so as to be our Redeemer after being tested in the flesh as we are. The cross was the final act by which the truth of His person would be revealed. Would His righteousness stand the ultimate test? Is Jesus capable of being our sin-bearer and barrier breaker? The empty tomb is His answer. The words “He is risen” are our reply.

However, the Lord has given His followers a mandate. We have to bear testimony to Him and what He has done. There are any number of ways to do this, but as writers we have a great tradition preceding us in bearing testimony to Jesus. John sets the scene for us as he closes his gospel account. ‘These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.’ (20:31)

As writers, in whatever genre you choose, we have the privilege of mysteriously, subtly, overtly, humorously, in rhyme or parable Etc. presenting Him before the reader. (Think of C.S. Lewis, Tolkien) We are to be similar to the woman in John 4. She was a Samaritan and met Jesus at the village well. It changed her life. In a flurry of excitement see raced back into the village and told the men. Her testimony aroused their interest. They came to check out this wandering Nazarene. After two days on investigation they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the World.” (John 4:42)

We have a wonderful privilege to be creators of words on which people can ‘tread’ to meet the Master. What results from their encounter is not in your power to predict. However, as your readers has been reading the way your characters are portrayed there is an identification taking place. Their circumstances, their conflicts of fear, doubt, unbelief and faith with falls and failures perseverance and hope link the readers to the grace of Christ Jesus. It may take more than the two days the men of Samaria needed but when your readers encounter Jesus He has great delight in making Himself known.

Those who put their trust in Jesus will not have many ready answers. However, the words of another man in John 9 is all that is needed, “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” In a sense, as writers we can be the Lord’s ‘clay’ He puts on the eyes, mind and heart of a person prior to washing away their blindness.