Born of a Woman

KEY VERSE: “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us … full of grace and truth.” —John 1:14

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:6,7; John 1:14-18; Galatians 4:4-7; Hebrews 2:14-18

THE Scriptures make it plain that Jesus has been actively associated with the Father since the earliest dawn of creation. They tell us that he was the “beginning of the creation of God” (Rev. 3:14), and also, “the firstborn of every creature.”—Col. 1:15

These passages indicate that Jesus was the direct creation of the Father, and therefore properly spoken of as his “only begotten Son.” The Apostle Paul also tells us that Jesus was the active agent of Jehovah in all the creative work. He says: “By him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him.”—Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2; John 1:3; Eph. 3:9

In our text, Jesus in his prehuman existence, is referred to as the Word of God. Verse fourteen says that the “Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” The term ‘Word’ is a translation of the Greek word Logos. Ancient kings, when addressing their people, customarily sat behind a lattice in front of which stood a representative who proclaimed the king’s message to the people. The representative was styled the Logos—the king’s word, or mouthpiece.

With this illustration in mind, the title Logos, when applied to God’s only begotten Son, is seen to be peculiarly fitting. God’s Son, as the Logos, has always been the active agent of Jehovah, and the Bible assures us that he always will be. Not only in the work of creation, but in the call and preparation of the church in this age, and also in the gigantic task of restitution scheduled for the Millennial Age, this beloved Son of God acts for the Father, expressing his will, and doing his work.

On one occasion Jesus declared to his disciples, “I and my Father are one.” (John 10:30) This obviously is a oneness of will and purpose. During his ministry our Lord emphasized over and over that he came not to do his own will, but the will of the Heavenly Father who sent him. When Jesus was facing mockery and ignominy, he asked the Father to let this cup pass from him if it were possible. “Nevertheless,” he said, “not my will, but thine, be done.” (Matt. 26:39) The Heavenly Father’s will was ever paramount in the Master’s life, hence he could truly say, “I and my Father are one. “This is the reason Jesus could say, “He who hath seen me hath seen the Father.”—John 14:9

Jesus, like Adam before the fall, was in the image of God—a perfect, sinless human being. He came to earth as a representative of the Heavenly Father, and everything he did and said was just what the Father would have done and said had he personally visited the earth. Thus it was true that, in a very wonderful way, those who saw him saw the Father. It was the only way that a fallen human being could see God and live.

It is important to note that Jehovah himself, as well as Jesus, possesses the quality of love. The Bible says that God is love. In God’s own declaration of himself, as recorded in Exodus, he states that he is “gracious,” and “abundant in goodness and truth.” (Exod. 34:6) Jesus, as God’s representative while on earth, was a tangible reflection of these qualities, and so it is said of him that he was “full of grace and truth.”

And even as our savior, Jesus acts as a representative of God. In Titus 3:4, God is spoken of as our Savior, and is there said to be kind and loving. This scriptural view of Jehovah reveals him as being the Author of the plan of salvation, and Jesus as heartily cooperating. “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”—John 3:16; I John 4:9,10; Heb. 10:5-7

This understanding of the identity of Jesus as the beloved and only begotten of the Father, should greatly enhance our appreciation of him, and give him the place in our hearts he merits and deserves—second only to Jehovah himself. We should honor the Son even as we honor the Father. (John 5:23) God so highly regarded and honored the Son that he even commanded the angels to worship him. (Heb. 1:6,7) Surely, with all that is within us, we too should worship him!

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