Jesus, The Word

(I wrote this lesson for a ladies class I am teaching this week.)

Jesus, the Word

Jeremiah 9:20

Now , you women, hear the word of the Lord;

open your ears to the words of his mouth.

Word, Said, Say, Tell, Told, Speak, Spoke, Truth, Testify, Testimony, Witness, Command, Hear, Language, Cried, Written, Answered, Prayed, Taught, Listened

As I was reading through parts of John studying for this lesson on Jesus as the Word, so many words popped out at me. Any word that had to do with speaking and language really came to my attention. It made me realize that Jesus as the Word is a much larger concept than I had first realized.

We usually think of the Word as the Bible, but the Word can also be thought of as the voice of God.

1. The Word as the Voice of God

In my simplified human terms, I like to think of the Trinity as a person. God is the mind, Christ is the body and the Spirit is the the soul. We think of a person as one who has all three, yet they can function somewhat independently. If the body is the physical manifestation of a human, then language is a part of that physical manifestation. Christ is God's physical manifestation. Therefore, the Word or voice of God is part of that manifestation.

According to John 1:1-4

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life,and that life was the light of all mankind.

So, this physical manifestation of God we call Christ was with God in the beginning of the world. Genesis 1:2 says “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” So, there He is as evidenced by God's voice. His voice, which is Christ, spoke the world into existence.

The voice of God, which we can call Christ, is heard through out the old testament. God spoke to Adam and Eve in the garden. God told Noah to build the ark. He spoke to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To Moses, Aaron, and Joshua. He spoke to various judges, kings, and prophets of Israel. Many of these are prefaced with “God said” or “the Lord said”, but sometimes, especially to the prophets the phrase used is “the word of the Lord.”

In the gospels, we have the Word, or the voice of the Lord spoken through the physical being of Christ Jesus. I love a red letter edition Bible which highlights the actual words of Jesus. Beyond this there are a few visions including Peter's vision, Saul on the road to Damascus and the Revelation revealed to John. But the Word is continually spread and active.

1 Thessalonians 2:13

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

During this time and today, I believe we can still hear God through the Spirit. We also hear his physical voice through the Church which is the Christians who are now the body of Christ in this world and through the written word, the Bible.

2. The Word as the Bible

Exodus 34:27 reads,

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.

Joshua 24: 25-26 reads,

25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he reaffirmed for them decrees and laws. 26 And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the Lord.

God made it clear he wanted the words he spoke recorded along with the stories and linage of his people.

This quote from an article called How We Got the Bible from the Focus on the Family website does a great job of summing up how the Bible was written.

...human writers were inspired by God and moved by the Holy Spirit to record accurately what God wanted them to preserve. It does not mean God took control of people in the sense of some occult practices known as automatic writing, where the writer is in a trance-like state. It also doesn't mean the writers of the Bible were simply taking dictation. But it does mean that their words were divinely inspired and recorded. The Bible was written by real people, living in real places, recording real historical events, and also communicating God's real truths.

The Bible is a living, breathing document. It is the Voice of God, a part of the body or physical manifestation of God. It is Jesus.

Last Sunday a friend from college visited. It was such a great visit and connected perfectly to this lesson. Sharon is part of a Wycliffe Bible translation team in Senegal, the most west country on the continent of Africa. She told us all the steps involved in translating a passage of scripture. It is so detailed and laborious, it reminded me of the scribes, sitting and copying the Bible by hand. Accompanied by copious amounts of prayer, it is translated back and forth into multiple languages and read by many people to make sure the original meaning is imparted. We wondered, wouldn't it just be easier to teach them English? She said “Everyone deserves to hear the Bible in a Language they can clearly understand.” Since Jesus spoke in Aramaic and the New Testament was written in Greek, translation was part of the original writing of the scriptures. Although it is labor intensive, the Word of God is alive enough to be translated into any language (and culture) and retain it's original message.

So, what is the purpose of the word? Why does God need to speak to his creation?

God speaks to us to show us his love, to guide us and to instruct us.

3. The Word as our Teacher

Without the Word of God, we would be lost. We would simply exist without purpose, filling our lives with whatever we think makes us happy. We do have the Word, but so many people don't accept it and live this way.

In John 17:6-8, Jesus is praying for his disciples.

6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 reads:

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 4:2

2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

James 1:21-22

21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Psalm 119 is incredibly long; 176 verses, but I challenge you to read it. David loves the Word. He delights in it. Here are a few passages.

9 How can a young person stay on the path of purity?
    By living according to your word.11 I have hidden your word in my heart
    that I might not sin against you.16 I delight in your decrees;
    I will not neglect your word.

43 Never take your word of truth from my mouth,
    for I have put my hope in your laws.74 May those who fear you rejoice when they see me,
    for I have put my hope in your word.101 I have kept my feet from every evil path
    so that I might obey your word.103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
    sweeter than honey to my mouth!105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.114 You are my refuge and my shield;
    I have put my hope in your word.133 Direct my footsteps according to your word;
    let no sin rule over me.147 I rise before dawn and cry for help;
    I have put my hope in your word.172 May my tongue sing of your word,
    for all your commands are righteous.

Our instruction and teaching from the New Testament is a little different from the Laws of the Israelites, but the purpose is the same. Our goal is to live with God and bring glory to his name.

John 1:14 states:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

There are many facets of the concept of Jesus as the Word. Three of these are The Word as the Voice of God, the Bible, and our Teacher. What are some other ideas relating to Jesus as The Word?

Ultimately, all of this helps us to understand why words and language are so important to us. Words are so powerful. I am reminded of the song “Words” by Hawk Nelson. I would like to share the lyrics wth you.

They've made me feel like a prisoner
They've made me feel set free
They've made me feel like a criminal
Made me feel like a king

They've lifted my heart
To places I'd never been
And they've dragged me down
Back to where I began

Words can build you up
Words can break you down
Start a fire in your heart or
Put it out

Let my words be life
Let my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

You can heal the heartache
Speak over the fear
God, Your voice is the only thing
We need to hear

Words can build us up
Words can break us down
Start a fire in our hearts or
Put it out

Let my words be life
Let my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

Let the words I say
Be the sound of Your grace
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

I wanna speak Your love
Not just another noise
Oh, I wanna be Your light
I wanna be Your voice

Let my words be life
Let my words be truth
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

Let the words I say
Be the sound of Your grace
I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You

Words can build us up
Words can break us down
Start a fire in our hearts
Or put it out

I don't wanna say a word
Unless it points the world back to You