The Word Became Flesh

Read

John 1:14–18 (ESV)

14 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. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

OpeningPrayer

And the Word

the Word that was in the beginning

the Word that was with God

the Word that was in the beginning with God

the Word that all created things owe their existence to

the Word that within Him was life

the Word that was the light of mankind

the Word that was the true light

the Word that was coming into the world

the Word that is God

Does something extraordinary here...

Something that blows the mind of humanity.

Mankind can imagine and expect that if something like this were to take place...

That it would be in the form of some fascinating, shining, mysterious, hero-like figure...

Mystical and majestic in form.

Appear momentarily in the form of or an apparition of a human, maybe.

But not to literally be made flesh.

The incarnation is not the wisdom of the world.

It’s foolishness to the world.

And, the Apostle Paul states...

Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?!

Because here we are told that the Word became flesh...

And, John is proclaiming this amazing truth here...

All the characteristics that we have been told of the Word so far in John’s prologue...

Are now being attributed to the incarnate Word.

John 1:4 (ESV)

4 In him [the Word] was life, and the life was the light of men.

John 1:9 (ESV)

9 The true light [the Word], which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

John 1:14 (ESV)

14 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.

Where was the Word before He became flesh?

In the throne room of heaven.

On the throne as God the Son.

But now, John says...

The powerful Word of God has been born into frail humanity.

What’s John Pointing Us To So Far?

the Word is God.

All of creation owes its existence to the Word.

The world is fallen and sinful, even God’s chosen people are so fallen they didn’t even recognize God in their midst.

The world is in need of rebirth.

Mankind is in need of rebirth.

And, the very need that mankind has is only met and available through the preexistent, enfleshed Word.

He, the preexistent Word, has the power to make one a child of God.

Do you trust that He can recreate the world?

Do you believe that He can make a new heavens and a new earth?

Do you believe that He can make you a new creature?

To cause you to be born again?

Do you see your need to be born again?

John says, “if you do believe, the Word enfleshed will give you eternal life.”

Something greater than the original creation is upon us...

John 1:14 (ESV)

14 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.

Let’s look a little deeper at how John describes the incarnation.

Became Flesh

John didn’t use anthropos man like he did with John the Baptist in v.6.

He didn’t use soma which means body.

John uses the most raw word he can use, sarx flesh.

It’s not just the material side of human existence.

The OT sense of the word means...

“All of the human person in creaturely existence as distinct from God, apart from sin.”

And the Word became flesh...

The word became is normal, but misleading.

It does not mean “changed into” in the sense that the Word by becoming flesh ceased to be God.

Neither does it mean the Word appeared human like some sort of optical illusion.

—Which was a heresy the church dealt with in the past—

The Chalcedonian Creed, from the Council of Chalcedon of 451 AD, which met in response to heretical views that were arising regarding the two natures of Christ.

They responded and recorded the best statement on the two natures of Christ...

We, then, following the holy Fathers, all with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood … to be acknowledged in two natures inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; as the prophets from the beginning have declared concerning him, and the Lord Jesus Christ himself has taught us, and the Creed of the holy fathers has handed down to us.

John 1:14 (ESV)

14 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.

John literally says that the Word...

Pitched A Tent/Tabernacled Among Us

This, to those familiar with the OT, would immediately call to mind the Tent of Meeting.

Exodus 33:7–11 (ESV)

7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.

Now, infinitely better than a tent of meeting...

God has chosen to dwell among His people in an even more personal way.

A second way in which this phrase dwelling among us would recall to the mind familiar with the OT is...

The Tabernacle, then Temple in which God in which God dwelt and made His glory known...

Those ways much dimmer, transitory, temporal, and incomplete...

Now God’s glory perfectly revealed & dwelling among us in the Word made flesh.

Which is what John goes on to say...

John 1:14 (ESV)

14 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.

Maybe your translation says…beheld.

What is being said is...

The Glory of God Seen With the Bodily Eye

The glory of God shown in miracles.

The glory of God shown in creation obeying His commands.

The glory of God shown in His perfect righteousness.

The glory of God shown in His sacrificial & atoning death.

The glory of God shown in His conquering death.

The glory of God shown in His ascension.

Not a glory that is new to the Word.

But a glory that has always existed...

And, has been revealed perfectly to mankind’s eye.

To see and behold the glory of God.

The glory of the ever-existing Word.

the Word becoming flesh is not what causes unbelief...

As if it is a concealer of the glory of God.

The opposite is said here.

The Word becoming flesh makes the glory of God visible to all people in the most splendid way ever.

Through the incarnation God has visibly appeared among mankind.

And, John’s gospel is repeated proof of the abundant glory of God made known before the very eyes of mankind.

The apostle Paul states it like this...

2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV)

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

A glory that is...

Full of Grace and Truth

This phrase full of grace and truth.

It describes the glory of the only Son from the Father.

It informs us about the glory of the Word.

It tells us that the glory of God is abounding in grace...

And founded upon truth & righteousness.

Listen to...

Exodus 33:18–19 (ESV)

18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

The glory of God is filled with:

His goodness.

His truth.

His graciousness shown in His love.

Exodus 34:6–8 (ESV)

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” 8 And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

This glory that was veiled in it’s revealing to Moses...

Is fully disclosed and dispersed in the person of Jesus Christ.

This glory of the Lord that is full of grace...

And, laid hold of by God’s truth…the gospel.

You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free.

The truth of God is revealed perfectly in the Word made flesh.

Take Away

Whether one beholds the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, personally & personally...

As those who lived when Christ walked the earth did.

Or one beholds the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ through the preaching of the gospel...

Or through the reading of God’s Word.

In any fashion, we are confronted with the glory of God.

The perfect righteousness of God.

The sacrificial love of God.

The humility of His condescension.

The graciousness of God displayed in His atoning death.

The power of God in His resurrection & ascension.

And the question is...

What will you do with what you see and hear about this Jesus?

He is the Christ, the only begotten Son of God.

He is the Savior of the World.

Will you reject Him?

Reject salvation in Him?

—OR—

Will you run to Him for refuge and rescue?

The truth is…He is our only hope.

Closing Prayer