The Word Became Flesh
Month 4: Is Jesus Really God? · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: John 1:1-14
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. 6 There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe. 8 He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. 9 The true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God. 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
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”— John 1:1 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Genesis 36-38
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 91 of 365 — the family of Esau and the early days of Joseph.)The Heart of It
When Matthew, Mark, and Luke begin their books, they start with Jesus being born in Bethlehem. But when John picks up his pen, he goes back much, much further. He goes all the way to "the beginning." He calls Jesus "the Word." And he tells us three astonishing things in one sentence. The Word was in the beginning, so Jesus has always existed. The Word was with God, so Jesus is His own Person. And the Word was God, so Jesus is fully divine. This is not a teacher's guess or a church's later idea. It is the very first thing John wants us to know about Jesus. He is not a created thing. He is the Creator, and "all things were made through Him" ().
Then comes the verse that makes the whole universe lean in close. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (). The eternal God who made galaxies wrapped Himself in skin and bone. He learned to walk. He got tired. He grew hungry. He did not stop being God. He added being human. That is the wonder of Christmas, and the heart of Christianity. God did not stay far away and shout instructions from heaven. He came near enough to be held by His mother. He came near enough to weep with His friends. He came near enough to die for us. The One who spoke light into being chose to be born in the dark of a stable. That is the kind of God we have.
Around the Table
Jesus didn't begin as a baby — He has always been God! Then He became a real person we could see and touch, because He loves us.
Let's do it: Stretch your arms as wide as you can and say, "Jesus is THIS big — and He still came to be near me!"
John calls Jesus "the Word" who was with God and was God before anything was made. Jesus is not a created thing — He is the Creator.
Let's talk: If Jesus made everything, what does that tell you about how powerful He is — and how much He loved us to come down?
says "the Word was God" and also "the Word became flesh." So Jesus is one Person, fully God and fully man.
Let's go deeper: Some people say Jesus was "just a good teacher." Read verses 1 and 14 again — does John leave that option open? Why not?
💬 Conversation Starter
If you could shrink down small enough to fit inside an ant farm to help the ants, would you do it? That's a tiny picture of how far God came down to reach us!
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Sometimes someone says Jesus never claimed to be God. You can gently point to . The eternal "Word" who was God "became flesh" as Jesus. Remember . Give the reason "with gentleness and respect." Share the wonder. Don't try to win a fight.
For Dad · Go Deeper
John's prologue is one of the most carefully built paragraphs in all of Scripture. It was written so that ordinary people would believe (). Notice the structure of verse 1. The Word existed eternally. The Word was a distinct Person alongside the Father. And the Word shared the very nature of God. The Watchtower translation, used by Jehovah's Witnesses, tries to weaken this to "a god." But the grammar and the surrounding context make Jesus' full deity unavoidable. Creation came through Him. Life is in Him. Glory belongs to Him. As a father, let this anchor you tonight. The God you are introducing to your children is not distant. He "dwelt among us." Literally, He "pitched His tent" with us. Lead from the security of a God who came close, not one you have to climb up to reach.
Draws on: Sean McDowell & Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that Jesus has always been God. Thank You that He came near and became one of us to save us. Help our family treasure how great and how close You are. In Jesus' name, amen."
Jesus is the eternal God who came close. He made the stars, and He came for me.