What is the meaning of John 1:14? The Word became flesh John 1:14 opens with a breathtaking declaration: “The Word became flesh.” The eternal “Word” introduced in John 1:1–2 steps into time and space, taking on real humanity. • John 1:1 reminds us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” That same divine Person now shares our skin. • Philippians 2:6–7 says Jesus “emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness,” underscoring His voluntary humility. • Hebrews 2:14 affirms, “Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity,” so He could defeat death on our behalf. • Galatians 4:4 celebrates that “when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman,” fulfilling prophecy and proving God’s promises reliable. In plain terms: the eternal Son did not merely seem human; He actually became human while never ceasing to be God. and made His dwelling among us The phrase continues, “and made His dwelling among us.” John deliberately echoes the tabernacle of the Old Testament. • Exodus 25:8 records God’s desire: “Have them make a sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell among them.” In Jesus, that longing finds its fullest expression. • Leviticus 26:11–12 speaks of God walking among His people; in Christ He literally does. • Matthew 1:23 cites Isaiah, “They will call Him Immanuel (which means, ‘God with us’).” Jesus is the greater Immanuel. • Revelation 21:3 looks ahead to the day when “the dwelling place of God is with man.” Jesus’ first coming foreshadows that eternal reality. He pitched His tent in our neighborhood, sharing daily life, laughter, tears, and trials—proving that God is not distant but profoundly present. We have seen His glory John next says, “We have seen His glory.” This is eyewitness testimony. • John 2:11 notes Jesus “revealed His glory” at Cana when water became wine. • Luke 9:28–35 recounts the Transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John beheld His radiant splendor. • 1 John 1:1–2 stresses, “what we have seen with our eyes… concerning the Word of life.” • 2 Peter 1:16 insists, “we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” Jesus’ glory was not a distant rumor; it was a visible, experiential reality confirming His divine identity. the glory of the one and only Son from the Father John clarifies whose glory he saw: “the glory of the one and only Son from the Father.” • John 3:16 proclaims He is the Father’s “one and only Son,” uniquely eternal and beloved. • Hebrews 1:3 says the Son is “the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature.” • Colossians 1:15 declares He is “the image of the invisible God.” • In John 17:5 Jesus prays, “Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed,” revealing a pre-existent shared glory. No angel, prophet, or teacher fits that description; only Jesus shares in the very glory of the Father. full of grace and truth Finally, John describes the Son as “full of grace and truth.” Grace: • John 1:16–17 testifies, “From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace… grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” • Romans 3:24 says believers are “justified freely by His grace.” • Ephesians 2:8–9 reminds us salvation is “by grace… not by works.” Truth: • John 14:6 records Jesus declaring, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” • Every word He spoke and every act He performed revealed what is ultimately real and reliable. In Jesus, grace reaches out to save, and truth stands firm to guide—never diluted, never in conflict. summary John 1:14 proclaims the miracle at the heart of our faith: the eternal Word became truly human, pitched His tent among us, displayed divine glory that eyewitnesses could verify, revealed Himself as the Father’s unique, glorified Son, and overflowed with grace and truth. Because He really entered history, we can really know God, receive unearned favor, and stand on unshakable truth today and forever. |
    |