"Touch the Word Made Flesh” Devotion by Madison Pinto, ASU Campus Ministry

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…

Before He ever set foot on earth, Jesus was the Word. He is not like it but is it. He is the very embodiment of truth. A living, breathing testimony of God established before the foundation of the world.

The Word came to earth. He lived and walked among the masses. He approached the outcasts. He started dialogue with sinners. He asked the Pharisees questions. He loved people. The Word did not just preach from afar, but He came into close quarters with those He came to save.

It is not a coincidence that Jesus is the Word, and we also have the sixty-six books of the Bible neatly bound and distributed throughout the world. The Bible is evidence that the Word still wants to speak, to ask questions, to interact, and to love sinners. Jesus still wants to do all of these things today. The Bible is, therefore, more than a textbook. It is the voice of Jesus asking you questions, inviting Himself into your home, and telling you who you really are.

If Jesus is the Word, then it has huge implications for those of us who are called to be teachers of Him. The goal of teaching – preaching, small group Bible study, or otherwise – becomes less about facts and more about helping people start a conversation. It is to allow Christ to speak through you to initiate a relationship, not just give information to crowd busy minds.

Interacting with the Word has to be more than watching and listening. Zacchaeus did this, and Jesus called him down from the tree and told him he was coming over. As teachers, we must strive to bring Jesus into people’s homes, to make Him personal. We must show Him to be relevant to the real needs of real people in the real world.

Questions, stories, examples, metaphors, dialogue… these are all tools that open the door to invite Jesus in for dinner – to touch the Word made flesh. Just as Jesus came near to people two thousand years ago, good teaching allows Him to do so even today.

In His service,
Madison Pinto

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