The Word made flesh

The book “Songs of the Deliverer” tells the story of Christ re-cast in modern day. The book is a work of fiction but the stories and characters are based on the Gospels of the New Testament. These Reflections are written to highlight the Biblical pericopes.

Referenced in: Chapter One

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

 Is there a more sublime sentence ever written than the opening line of the Gospel of John?

John’s Gospel is different from the Gospels of Luke, Matthew, and Mark in several ways. Among these differences is that John had the closest relationship to Jesus of the four Gospel writers. At the outset of Luke’s book, it is made clear the Luke was neither a witness to, nor an apostle of, Jesus. Matthew was an apostle but only is highlighted in the Gospels in one scene: when Jesus said “follow me” while Matthew was on duty as a tax collector. Jesus then joins Matthew for dinner and is challenged by the Pharisees who ask him, “why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answers, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

There is no personal relationship described between Mark and Jesus. His book is thought to be the transcribing of speeches given by Peter. Certainly Peter was close to Jesus, perhaps the closest of all the apostles, but Peter did not author the Gospel.

John was both close to Jesus—he was referred to as “the beloved disciple”—and an author. John serves the unique historical role of witnessing and then writing about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

God created Jesus to shine His light upon the world and to make His voice heard to the people. John wrote about that with these words (John 1:14):

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

 And John was a witness.

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