The Word - The Person of Christ

One of my favorite verses is Hebrews 4:12:

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

I particularly love the Amplified translation:.

For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

But what exactly does this mean? Why should we care so much that the Word of God is alive and powerful--and able to cut to the core of us and sift through our thoughts and intents?

Put simply, the Word is Jesus - not just what He says, but WHO He is. The Word of God and the person of Jesus are one.

The text translated "word" in this verse is logos. This is the same word used in John 1:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

In other words, when we read in Genesis 1:1 that God spoke the earth into existence, His spoken Word was the second member of the Trinity: Jesus Christ.

This is the Word that became flesh.

This is the Word that is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

The Word cannot be separated from Christ.

...more to come.