The Word Became Flesh

 

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out saying, “This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.” For of His fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him [made Him known].” John 1:14 – 18.

 

We have seen the Word in the Beginning; now we see the Word in time and space. We have seen the Word invisible, now we see the Word visible. In verses 10 – 13 we see the Incarnation and the ministry of the Word, now in verses 14 – 18 we see the Incarnation and ministry of the Word expressed once again.

 

Verse 10, “He was in the world…” Verse 14, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us…”

 

In verses 10 and 11 we see that the Word was not received; in verses 12, 13, 14, and 16 we see that the Word was perceived and received.

 

The Church Fathers saw the “eternal generation of the Son” in Proverbs 8:24 and John 1:14 and 18. That is, the Son is the Only Begotten of God, but this begottenness is eternal in its Divine Nature and it is beyond our understanding. Note that in John 1:18 the Word is styled “the Only Begotten God.” While some ancient manuscripts have “the Only Begotten Son,” the better reading is likely “the Only Begotten God.” In any case, both renderings are faithful to the Word and the Biblical message.

 

In verse 12 we see people “receiving” the Word. In verse 14 we see people “seeing” His glory, a glory “full of grace and truth.” In verse 16 we see people “receiving” His fulness and “grace upon grace.” Then in verse 17 there is a contrast between the Law given through Moses and the grace and truth that were communicated to us through Jesus Christ.

 

May we ask ourselves whether we are “seeing His glory”? Throughout the Gospel of John the glory of the Word, Jesus Christ, is revealed again and again in various forms and settings. His glory is revealed in Cana, it is revealed with the woman at the well, it is revealed in the loaves and fishes, it is revealed in the raising of Lazarus, it is revealed in the Upper Room, it is revealed on Calvary, and it is revealed in the Resurrection. His glory is revealed in His teachings about worship in Spirit and in Truth, it is revealed when He speaks of Himself as the Bread of Life, the Water of Life, the Light of Life, and the Way, the Truth and the Life.  May I ask, “Are we seeing His glory”?

 

In John 17 Jesus Christ will say that He has given us His glory. If we are not seeing His glory how will we know what it is that He is giving us? Consider that in 2 Corinthians 3:17 – 18 we are taught that our transformation comes about as were are “beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord” and are “being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”

 

(Note the juxtaposition of Jesus Christ and Moses in both John 1:17 and in 2 Corinthians Chapter 3).

 

Are we beholding the glory of the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, in our daily lives? Is His glory transforming us into His image?