How does Ezekiel 2:8 connect with Jesus as the Word in John 1:14? The Setting: Ezekiel’s Prophetic Moment • Ezekiel 2:8: “But you, son of man, listen to what I tell you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.” • Ezekiel is among exiles in Babylon, called to carry God’s authoritative message to a stubborn people. • God commands him to take the divine word into his very being by literally “eating” the scroll (2:9–3:3). The Command to Internalize God’s Word • Eating the scroll pictures full acceptance, digestion, and embodiment of God’s revelation. • Similar imagery: – Jeremiah 15:16—“Your words were found and I ate them…” – Revelation 10:8-10—John eats the little scroll, sweet then bitter. – Deuteronomy 8:3—man lives “on every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.” • The prophet must become inseparable from the message; the word moves from page to person. The Word Made Flesh • John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us…” • Jesus does not merely convey God’s message; He is the message embodied—God’s self-expression in human form (Hebrews 1:1-2). • Whereas Ezekiel ingests a scroll, Jesus is the scroll incarnate—the living, breathing Torah walking among people (Matthew 5:17). Key Connections Between Ezekiel 2:8 and John 1:14 • Physical Reception of the Word – Ezekiel: scroll enters the prophet’s body. – Jesus: eternal Word enters human flesh. • Identification With a Rebellious People – Ezekiel sent to “a rebellious house” (2:3, 8). – Jesus “came to His own, but His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). • Purpose: Speak and Reveal God Perfectly – Ezekiel must proclaim exactly what he has eaten (3:4). – Jesus speaks only what He hears from the Father (John 12:49-50). • Transformation From Inside Out – Scroll changes Ezekiel, enabling faithful proclamation. – Incarnation brings grace and truth (John 1:14), offering new hearts (Ezekiel 36:26; John 3:3). • Fulfillment Trajectory – Ezekiel foreshadows a deeper communion with the Word. – Jesus fulfills the symbol; the Word is no longer on parchment but “with us” (Emmanuel, Matthew 1:23). Implications for Believers Today • Receive the Word Deeply – Let Scripture move from head to heart (Colossians 3:16). • Reflect Christ Publicly – As Ezekiel spoke what he ate, we testify to the Word who indwells us (2 Corinthians 4:6-7). • Resist Rebellion – God still calls for obedient hearts, not hardened ones (Hebrews 3:15). • Feed Continually on Christ – Jesus is the “bread of life” (John 6:35); daily intake of His Word sustains and transforms. |
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