Week 17—Wednesday Ephesians 4:4-6
Ephesians 4:4-6
“THROUGH THE AGES ONE WORD”
We have been studying how the main facts of the Christian faith—the Incarnation, the creation of the world through Christ, the preparita evangelica in the body, the redemption through the cross, and the resurrection of Jesus—all are founded in and illustrated as the Word became flesh. We must now turn to see if the New Testament Scriptures in general support this thesis. Are these outstanding facts standing above, unsupported by the rest of the New Testament? Or is the whole of the New Testament a whole? And is there one message running through the whole—the message of the Word became flesh? One modern commentator says, “After the one statement in John about the Word becoming flesh, the rest of the New Testament dismisses it, so we can dismiss it.” Can we? If you dismiss it, do you dismiss the very genius of the Christian faith and turn that faith into a philosophy or moralism—people’s search for God—instead of a redemptive invasion of us—God’s search for us? If so, then the Christian faith takes its place as one of the religions of the world—a philosophy of good views, but with no Good News.
I was in China on the twenty-fifth anniversary of my landing in India as a missionary. The Chinese cook brought in a cake with a quotation written on it from the Chinese classics, which applied to a local situation: “Through the ages one word.” Meaning that through the years I had had one Word—the Word made flesh—Jesus Christ is my theme. Does the New Testament through the whole have one Word—the Word made flesh? Or does it begin with the Word became flesh and end with the Word become word—a degeneration? I am persuaded that the Christian faith is one word—the Word became flesh, and that it runs consistently through the whole.
O Jesus, my Lord, you did not begin with the Word became flesh and peter out into the Word become word, though very often your disciples have crucified you on the cross of the Word become idealism. Save us from this. And confront us anew with your redemptive Realism. In your name. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Let me not start with the Word became flesh and taper off into idealism—the Word become word.