Christology Through Imagery
By Jerry Batson, Th.D.
Special to The Alabama Baptist
For a number of weeks Theology 101 will be looking at Christology or the Doctrine of Christ by considering some of the common images that are associated with Him, some of which He claimed for Himself and some that others used for Him. We are thinking of this as Christology through imagery.
Upon reading the first few verses of the Gospel of John, we encounter this image: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (1:1). So as not to leave us to ponder the point of reference, the later explanation is, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (1:14). Only Christ fits this description.
Christ as the Word
It has been common practice to suggest that new believers do well to begin their reading of the Bible with the Gospel of John. This suggestion is based on the observation that in many ways it has the simplest expression of the gospel message and has a common touch in presenting the message and mission of Christ. Paradoxically, however, scholars recognize there also is a depth to the fourth Gospel that continues to challenge the understanding of those who think deeply about the Christian faith.
A longstanding truism is that John is the Gospel in which a child may wade and an elephant may swim. This truth attaches especially to thinking about Christ as the Word. This week Theology 101 seeks to lay aside the exploration into how ancient philosophers used the idea of Word (or Logos) because that’s not how the ordinary people of Christ’s day would have understood or profited from the term. Instead we seek to ponder Christ as the Word in the more obvious or common meaning of the term.
Words are the common possession of all people, whether spoken, heard or read. The most basic intent of words is communication. We convey thoughts by verbalizing them. God had a message to convey, so He communicated that message through One whom we might think of as the Word.
Several truths about Christ are immediately introduced. First is His eternality, expressed by the Gospel’s opening phrase, “In the beginning was the Word” (1:1). Like God, He has always been. He is eternal, being without beginning of days or ending of life. Jesus spoke in prayer about the glory He had with the Father “before the world was” (John 17:5).
Then follows the emphasis on Christ’s divinity: “The Word was God.” Jesus said, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30).
Even so, along with His eternity and divinity there is His distinctiveness as one member of the Trinity. Thus it is twice emphasized that He was “with God” (1:1–2). In order to have been with God, He had to have had His own distinctive personhood, helping make possible God as three persons in One.
As the Word, Christ became the incarnate One: “The Word was made flesh (1:14). Thus, the Word that “was” also is the Word that “became.” He is also the Word that “will be.” This thought takes us to Revelation 19 where the Incarnate Word will be the Triumphant Word whose name is called “The Word of God” (v. 13) and who has written on His person and His robe, “King of kings and Lord of lords” (v. 16).
This week, ponder Christ as the Word of God — eternal, divine, incarnate and triumphant.
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