The Media of Flesh

What is the connection between revelation & communication theory? Marshall McLuhan said that the medium is the message. In fact, he wrote a book about it. It wasn't fascinating, but the title makes you think. For instance, are you more likely to believe something on the evening news or on Youtube? Something published in the New York Times or on good ol' Blogger? Clearly, there is at least a little evidence that ol' Herbert was onto something, but if there's even a nugget of truth in it, what does John 1 mean to communications theory? Specifically, how exactly are we to understand the medium of incarnation. John 1:14 tells us that the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. How are we supposed to handle that?

Say it's your birthday, and someone sends you a card.
That means something. It's nice, to be remembered. Someone else calls. That's a little nicer, they took time out of their day to say hello and chat. But somebody else calls you up, treats you to dinner, and spends the evening with you, you know that they really care.

God could have revealed Himself in a book, maybe floating down from heaven to Moses, or dropped off at Paul’s door. That would be nice, we would have known that it was inspired, and every word was exactly what God wanted to say, for all people, for all time. No arguments, the book descended from heaven, it was delivered by an archangel in a flaming chariot, who’s going to argue?

God could have spoken to us verbally. Announced the gospel one day from the sky, so that everyone on earth could hear it, and said what needed to be said. Everybody would have noticed, heard, and would have had to admit that there was SOMETHING out there talking.

Hebrews 1:1-3 (NIV)
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

But God actually came to earth, to live life the way He wanted us to live. He didn't come with fanfare, or conquer the world, he devoted himself to people, to telling them the truth about the Kingdom of God. He spent time with us, got to know us, lived with us as the living, breathing Word of God. He was God, living as a man to communicate what man needed to know.

I know you're thinking "But Nate, all we have is the Bible." And that’s true, sort of. Christ called his disciples to live like him. As Christians, we are the extension of Christ on the earth. We have the Holy Spirit living inside of us, and we have other believers modeling Christ. It is not without cause that Christ refers to the church as his body. We are the physical presence of him on the earth until his return. How good of a job are we doing?