Thank you for the question on the Word of God, “What does the word of God really mean?”
Scripture describes God as a spirit who expresses himself in anthropomorphic terms so that his creature beings can relate to him. God is transcendent and yet imminent to his created creatures. In order for his created creatures on earth be able to perceive and interact with God, he has elected to manifest his own self-existence as Elohim/God being plural in being and majestic in nature.
Scripture declares that no human being has ever seen God, not even the angels can “see” God for his majestic holiness and beauty is such so that no one can see the Godhead true essence. Since humans and angels can’t see the true essence of God, God has elected to manifest himself in a way that the created being can perceive the Godhead. In the Old Testament, the Godhead has revealed himself through the person of YHWH/I AM WHO I AM. In the New Testament, the Godhead has revealed himself through the incarnated Word of God in the person of Jesus being the Son of the Living God (Matthew 3:27).
The Apostle John reveals and explains that the eternal Godhead became flesh on earth (John 1). In John 1, he says this, “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; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 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, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages). Bible citations are from the New International Version.
As one reads the Gospel of John, the Apostle John records the words of Jesus about his relationship with God. Jesus declares that the works and words are not of his own, but of God. He even declared that that if by looking at him, then they have seen or known what God is like in his essence.
I cite two examples for one’s consideration. John 5 the statement is startling and striking to the listener and to us. The text says this, “36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41 “I do not accept glory from human beings, 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? 45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?” (NIV).
The other citation is John 14. Jesus said this in Philip’s request to show to them the Father, “Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (NIV).
Thus to answer the question is that Word is the expression of the Godhead to humans. As the Apostles and the Jews interacted with Jesus, being the Word, they were able to see the holiness and compassion of God. As the Tabernacle represented the Presence of God in the Old Testament, so now the incarnate Word as the Son of God represents the Presence and Nature of God. The Apostle Paul declared to the Philippian believers in Philippians 2, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (NIV).
The challenge for readers is to read the Gospel of John and ask oneself, “Does Jesus reflect the character and works of God?” I encourage the reader to let the text speak for itself as to who is the Word of God. It will be a journey worth taking for it may well change one’s perception of Jesus or affirm one’s belief in Jesus as being the Word of God.
SUMMARY: The Word of God became a physical representation of the Godhead so that humans can see the nature as well as the works and words of God to the Jewish people and ultimately to the whole world.
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