The Word Became Flesh
Month 5: Jesus — God With Us · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 1:1–5, 14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. … 14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Memory Verse
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”— John 1:14 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 1 Chronicles 13–16
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 121 of 365 — David brings the ark home with joyful worship.)The Heart of It
John doesn't start his Gospel in a stable. He starts before the world began. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (). The "Word" is Jesus. And John is telling us something staggering. Jesus was not created on Christmas. He has always existed. He has always been equal with the Father. Through Him "all things were made" (). The same Jesus who lay in a manger is the One who flung the stars into place. Light came into the darkness, "and the darkness did not comprehend it."
Then comes the verse we'll carry all week. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (). The God who made everything chose to wrap Himself in skin and bone. He chose to grow hungry and tired. He learned to walk and talk like every other child. He didn't send a message. He came in Person. That word "dwelt" gives us a picture. It shows God pitching His tent right in our camp. He moved into the neighborhood. We "beheld His glory," John says, glory "full of grace and truth." This is the heart of Christmas. It is the heart of the whole Bible. God did not stay far away. He came close.
Around the Table
Jesus was always God. And He came to live with us. He became a real baby! God came close.
Let's do it: Stretch your arms wide for "always," then hug yourself tight for "Jesus came close to us."
Jesus made the whole world. Then He stepped into it as a baby. That shows us how much He loves us.
Let's talk: Why would the God who made everything choose to become small and weak like a baby?
"The Word" means Jesus is fully God. He didn't begin at Bethlehem. He took on flesh there. This is called the incarnation.
Let's go deeper: If Jesus is both fully God and fully man, why does that matter for whether He can save us?
💬 Conversation Starter
Has anyone ever come a long way just to be with you? Maybe a grandparent, a friend, or a parent after a trip. How did it feel when they came?— Jesus came the longest way of all. He came from heaven to us.
🛡️ Defending the Faith
How do we know Jesus is really God and not just a great teacher? Because the people who knew Him best said so. John leaned on Jesus' chest at supper, and he wrote "the Word was God" (). Eyewitnesses staked their lives on it. And we can give a reason for that hope ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
The incarnation is the hinge of our faith, and it's worth slowing down on. The eternal Son did not stop being God when He became man. He added a true human nature to His divine Person without losing either. As Tony Evans often notes, Jesus is the only Person who ever chose to be born, and He chose it for you. Let that re-center your leading this week. The God your children need is not distant or theoretical. He came near. He understands weakness. He still draws near to ordinary families at ordinary tables. You don't climb up to God. In Christ, God came down to you.
Draws on: Tony Evans, Theology You Can Count On.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that Jesus made everything. Then He came to live with us. Thank You for coming so close. Help our family see how wonderful He is. Help us love Him with all our hearts. In Jesus' name, amen."
God did not stay far away. The Word became flesh and came close to us.