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The Living Word

The BOOK lay on the table, closed. It had been closed too long. Curiously, I walked over and stood looking down at it.

     I picked it up. Idly, I began to leaf through its pages. Suddenly some words came leaping at me. Interested now, I sat down and began to read: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." [1]

    What on earth was it talking about? How could a word be God? Frowning, I thought about that. "What do I know about God?" I asked myself. I read it again, — "In the beginning"… What beginning? God had no beginning. He always was. But wait! "In the beginning WAS THE WORD."

    Think back, to Salvation's History — its beginning, a voice calling "Abraham!" That's a word, isn't it; spoken by God; calling down from Heaven. "Here I am, Lord," Abraham promptly replied. Then theLord said, “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.”[2]

    Ah! Now the word of God was communicating with man, guiding man to salvation. In the beginning of man's salvation, then, was the word, and the word was with God — from God and was God. He was speaking to Abraham; to Isaac; Jacob; Moses; David; Isaiah; and Jeremiah — men — many men — the word of God communicating to ALL those chosen men. God's words were directing these stumbling men and they received the word from Heaven, until ... "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."[3]

    Now, there is a vast difference. There is Jesus — God's word in human form — God's word spoken through human lips; no longer a voice from heaven. Now a voice on earth, the voice of the Son of God and the Son of Man — the WORD MADE FLESH, who dwelt among us. And, in time, the word was written down for us — in the BOOK.

    I closed the BOOK, smiling now. No longer did I wonder, "How can a word be God?" The Word took flesh; was born in Bethlehem and lived and died on the Cross; in glory, for all time. It was in the BOOK.

    I realized this because when I opened the BOOK the words in this book became flesh; it took on human form, and the human form came alive. The WORD stepped out of the ages of the BOOK and awed and thrilled, I FOUND MYSELF LOOKING STRAIGHT INTO THE EYES OF JESUS CHRIST.