The Word Became Flesh

Scripture: Hebrews 5.5-10; John 12.20-33


My son told me he had a stomach ache the other morning. It was right before he was supposed get on the bus for school. I suggested he should have told me this before he ate that Krispy Kreme donut. I told him that I was sorry he felt badly but he was going to school and that was that. He protested, “But I’m not faking!” And I said okay.

Really though, I thought he was faking. I thought the stomach ache was all in his head. I wouldn’t put it past him though, to really will himself to have a stomach ache because his mind so desperately wanted it to be so, to skip school.

This is an example of the classic mind-body, psychosomatic relationship. After all, what is the mind but a part of the body. What is the body but a servant of the mind? This is an important truth in our spiritual growth and service as children of God.

The writer of Hebrews gives insight into the person of Jesus, and particularly, into the humanity of Jesus.

“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death. . .Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. . .” Hebrews 5.7-8

As we mentioned in our discussion last month of the Trinity, the doctrine of the humanity of Jesus as well as his divinity, is crucial to our understanding of God and ourselves. In other words, this isn’t just a matter of theological nicety, but has major implications for us in our living.

There was theologian named Marcion who lived in the second century who said that the body was totally evil and corrupt. That in fact, Jesus never really had a body, that was only an illusion and the crucifixion and resurrection were illusions too. Now why would Marcion say such a thing? Because like many, he could not conceive of a God who would choose to limit himself so radically by actually coming in the form of a human being - a human body. Marcion wanted a more spiritual view of Jesus and God.

We have Marcions today. We have people who want to be more spiritual than God. Here is a key point. Scripture, and especially the New Testament often refers to “the flesh” as something synonymous with “sinful”. In St. Paul’s writings to the churches, the flesh is in opposition to the Spirit and never the twain shall meet (see Galatians 5). But why is this so? Because human nature has been corrupted in both spirit and flesh by sin through Adam and Eve’s disobedience. But it was not always so. And it will not always be so.

What we now see as almost the dichotomy of spirit and flesh will one day be realized as a harmony. Jesus is the best example of that harmony, the Son of Man and the firstborn of all Creation. Jesus, as the Second Adam, shows us that the body, the flesh, can be good, in fact, was intended to be for all the sons of Adam.

The Jesuit Hasidic tradition teaches that everyone should have two pockets in their coats with two slips of paper. One slip says: “I am only dust and ashes.” The other “For me the whole universe was created.”

Jesus came in the flesh to serve as both Sacrifice and High Priest of the Sacrifice. He was the Lamb to be slaughtered and he was the High Priest who officiated. What does a Priest do?

“Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf. . .” Priests care for the things of God for us humans. But note there is a second part – He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness and because of this he must offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those of the people.

I am a priest to you in this sense as well. People come to me from time to time and say, “Oh, you’re a preacher but you’re such a regular guy!”

Ah shucks, I’m just humble ole me. I’m not sure what else I could be but a regular guy. A young couple in my first parish once told me that they really enjoyed my preaching because it wasn’t over their heads, it was presented in a way they could understand. It wasn’t too deep. I assured them that was the only way I knew how to preach. There wasn’t any depth I was hiding from them.

Kidding aside, Jesus shows us that it is okay to be tempted, to cry, to suffer. All these things are human. Jesus shows us that it is spiritual to be human. We don’t have to leave our bodies to be spiritual and please God.

I don’t just have a body, I am a body!

One of the times that I am reminded of the spiritual nature and mystery of the body is at funeral services. I look at the body, sometimes, the body of a person that I have loved dearly, and I continue to be humbled and awed by the mystery of this. Can anyone really believe that these bodies are accidents produced by random and mindless process to no point and no future? And if anyone believes this, how can they not be terrified and go whimper in a dark corner?

I am reminded of the spirituality of my body in marriage. I am reminded how I have been physically and spiritually connected to my wife. What I do with my body has spiritual consequences, blessing or curse.

That is why pornography is a sin. It is a corruption of the body. It is the false severing of body and spirit to satisfy a physical lust. Paul asks the question, “How can you go sleep with a prostitute and not think that won’t effect your spirit?” He also says, “Don’t you know you’re taking Jesus with you to that hooker’s bed?”

I am reminded that my body is connected spiritually to like-minded bodies of believers through the Church, In fact our name is “the Body of Christ.” We are the physical presence of the Spirit of Christ in the world today. We speak the Word of God to each other. You help me preach. You help me by the physical and verbal affirmations you give.

Sometimes you smile when I say something remotely funny. Sometimes you nod your head in agreement, or even say “Amen.” That’s pretty lively for us here. I preached in an African-American church one time and they did a great job of letting me know they were with me in the preaching moment. When I was doing well I would hear, “Well . . .preach it. . .come on!” And when it wasn’t going so well I heard some woman say, “Help him Jesus!”

In Romans 12, Paul says to the church,

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Our bodies are the sacrifice that we bring to the house of God. This is what it means to spiritually worship. It’s not to leave our bodies in some mystical reverie, it’s to be fully present, mind and body, and give ourselves freely and passionately to God.

Rick Warren as a great caution for us though:

“The problem with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the altar, so you may have to resurrender your life fifty times a day. You must make it a daily habit.”

We call this growth. Theologians call this process of surrendering to God’s work in you sanctification. Be assured if you will allow him, God will continue to shake you up, lead you forward, challenge you, frustrate you and stretch you. He will love you to your becoming fully human.


When the going got really hard for Jesus, the scripture says his soul was troubled, Jesus said “what now, should I say, Father exempt me from this body so I don’t have to feel this pain, excuse me from this trial? No, it is for this reason I have come to this hour.” (John 12.27)

Jesus shows us that to be human is to suffer, and be tempted, and yet to ultimately conquer sin and death, the Enemy’s weapons against humanity. Jesus shows us that eternal life begins and lives in the body.