I give you my word

Spring. 1958. It was a bit cool, and a misty fog had settled over the driveway when my Pop hurriedly hitched the trailer pulling his 16 foot Aluminum boat to his 57 Chevy. We were rushing a bit because it was later than we would normally leave on a Saturday morning to go fishing on Old Hickory Lake. We reached the turnoff to Cedar Creak Boat Ramp and stopped at the filling station / bait shop on the corner.  Pop instructed the attendant to fill the large red gas tank that fed his 35 horse Johnson motor which would take us to his special spot to fish for bream and crappie. We went inside, gathered a box of worms, and dropped a scoop of minnows into our bucket. When Pop reached the checkout register, he realized that, in our hurry, he had left his money at home. The shop owner behind the register asked if Pop would come back later and pay. Pop responded: “I give you my word.”

I walked out amazed. This eight-year-old boy did not understand why the shop owner would allow us to take all that stuff without paying. Pop explained it…as best I remember…like this: “ I gave him my word. My word means everything. My character, my reputation, my whole self is wrapped up in my word. When we get home, I will get the money and drive back out here and pay for everything. You see, my word is who I am. If I give you my word, you can count on it.” And he did it…Pop drove all the way back to Cedar Creek that evening.

I later learned that from ancient times…although not so much today…most business was done based on a handshake and a person’s word. Deals were done, loans were made, and even businesses were sold based on the promises of a person’s word.

So, it was helpful when my former pastor and current teacher, Gary Henecke, explained the richness of the original language that the Apostle John used when he recorded my now favorite Christmas verse, John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth…”  RSV 

Although it was a title bestowed on Jesus, “the Word” in the original language carries deep meaning. It contains the idea of breath…of life that comes out of a person speaking words… breath that contains the speaker’s essence. And so, John is telling us that God’s being, God’s character, what God is, God’s essence, came to earth in human flesh…the Word. Everything we need to see and know about God came in Jesus, the Word.

This truth is echoed in Colossians 1: 15,19,  where Paul confirms this about Jesus: “He is the image of the invisible God…For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell…” RSV.  And again, when Jesus spoke to the disciples, and Phillip specifically, as recorded in John 14: 7, 9: “If you had known me, you would have known my Father…He who has seen me has seen the Father.” RSV

So…it’s Christmas again! The beautiful accounts in Matthew and Luke give us the important details of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus…how it happened . But in preparation for this Christmas season, I have been greatly impacted by focusing on “what really happened “ as explained in John 1. 

Merry Christmas 2025!

Celebrate Emanuel…God, in his plan for humanity, revealed to us his total essence… when, in Jesus, His Word became flesh, and dwells among us…and in us.

I often wondered why John 1:14 didn’t just say: “And Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us.”

Maybe God wanted to assure us: “I give you my Word.”

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