“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”John 1:14 (KJV)
Before Bethlehem
Jesus' story doesn't begin in a manger. John's Gospel opens: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… All things were made by him” (John 1:1, 3). The prophet Micah foretold that the ruler born in Bethlehem would be one “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2).
The Bible teaches that Jesus is the divine Son of God, who existed before His earthly life and through whom the world was created (Colossians 1:16).
God with us
Then the Word “was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Born of the virgin Mary, Jesus grew up in a working family, knew hunger and tiredness, and “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). He didn't come to visit humanity from a distance; He became one of us.
His life showed what God is like: healing the sick, lifting up the outcast, and speaking truth with both courage and gentleness.
The only Saviour
Jesus came for a reason: “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). On the cross He took the penalty of our sin, and on the third day He rose again. Peter declared, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
He is also our example. Peter wrote that Christ left us “an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).
What Jesus is doing now
Jesus didn't stop working when He returned to heaven. The book of Hebrews describes Him as our High Priest who “ever liveth to make intercession” for us (Hebrews 7:25). He is the “one mediator between God and men” (1 Timothy 2:5). Right now He is pleading your case, and He has promised to come again. We explore this further in our study on Bible prophecy and the sanctuary.
Questions for reflection
- What do John 1:1–3 and Colossians 1:15–17 tell us about who Jesus is?
- Why does it matter that Jesus was tempted “in all points” like us?
- Which story from Jesus' life best shows you what God is like?
- What does it mean to you that Jesus is interceding for you today?