The Word became flesh

 

The Word became flesh    1v14-18

14  In verses 1-2 “He was…He was…He was…now in verse 14 The Word became flesh…He dwelt among us, we beheld Him.  The order in the Greek is that “the Word flesh became”.  The word for “was made” is ginomai which indicates a permanent change, never to be altered.  The Word who existed in spirit form in eternity became flesh in time, a real human being; He is flesh now, and He will be flesh for ever, His change of form is permanent.  He was God, and became man without ceasing to be God.

He dwelt among us(tabernacled-pitched His tent among us).  This is reminiscent of the tabernacle which was associated with the glory, the shekinah glory of God(Exodus 40).  This glory was not the physical glory of His presence, it was a moral glory that was outstanding from anything else they had witnessed.  The tabernacle symbolism pervades this gospel, as John continues the theme all the way through:

Chapter 1 the Ark, the shekinah glory/Chapter 6 the Table of shewbread, the bread of God/Chapter 8 the Lampstand, light of the world/Chapter 10 the Entrance door, one way to God/Chapter 12 the Altar of burnt offering/Chapter 13 the Laver/Chapter 17 the Golden Altar.

“We beheld His glory(the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth”  In short there was something uniquely different about Him.  He was a real man but more than that.  In theological terms He was the God-Man.  In taking on humanity He did not divest Himself of Deity.  He was perfect man, yet wholly God, in manhood possessing all the attributes of Deity.  This is illustrated in the tabernacle; the construction was of “…shittim wood… overlaid with pure gold”-Exodus 25v10-11; 37v1-2.  The shittim wood(Acacia thorn tree) was the only tree to grow in desert conditions, representing perfect Humanity; the pure gold represents absolute Deity.  That which prefigures Christ presents Him as God and Man at all times.  It was on that Ark the glory of God rested during the wilderness journeyings of Israel.  We saw His glory, says John, as we contemplated Him in His life on earth.  This was characterised by “grace and truth” in perfect harmony God the Father wherever He went-He was the fulness of grace, and the fulness of truth.  He had a moral and spiritual aura about Him they had never seen before. 

To be full of grace(divine favour) only, would be overmuch human sweetness; to be full of truth only, would be too much legality and confrontation.  He was gracious manward and loyal Godward in perfect balance.  Never did He shew grace at the expense of truth, nor did He dispense truth without grace.  He displayed on earth, in unique blend, the fulness of grace and truth.  The truth of God cannot be compromised, and sinful man requires Divine favour.  In Christ both were in evidence in abundance.

15 John, the forerunner, saw it and declared “This is He of whom I spake, “He that cometh after me is preferred before me.”  Preferred means He pre-existed John in terms of calling, He is senior to John in prophetic terms.  Long before John was called to be a Prophet of God, Christ was established as the One who would reveal God.  John’s role, though important, is secondary to Christ. 

16 “Of His fulness have all we received and grace for grace”.  He is the fulness of the grace of God and we receive our portion.  This suggests the supply of grace to meet every situation.  Not overwhelming grace, for we could not contain it, but grace enough, sufficient for every need.  We come to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need-Hebrews 4v16.  The Newberry margin suggests “seasonable grace”.  Christ is the fulness of grace, the fountainhead of the Divine supply, and He gives, just as we need it.  

17  He now comes to the change in dispensation(the change in God’s dealings with the world) at the coming of Jesus.  “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”   Firstly we note that Moses was the agent of law, he simply passed it down; Christ, however was the embodiment of grace and truth, He did not just transmit it, He was the living example of it.  Secondly Moses handed down the Law, which could only condemn people; Christ brought grace and truth, which can save people whilst not compromising Divine standards.  In Jesus Christ, the law is satisfied, and the recipients are freed from its penalty.  Moses was the propagator of law, Christ is the personification of grace.  His coming compromised nothing of truth, but adorned truth with the grace of God. 

18 Christ is in fact the sole revealer of God.  Without Him, God remains unknown.  “No one has seen God at any time…”; not angels-Isaiah 6, in the blaze of His presence they cover their faces; not Moses, he only saw the back parts as the glory of God moved by-Exodus 34; not Ezekiel, he only saw “the likeness” and from a distance-Ezekiel 1.  God remains unknown without Jesus Christ; in Him God is fully known-refer Matthew 11v27; 2^nd Corinthians 4v6; Colossians 2v2-3; 1^st Timothy 6v15-16.  “The only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”  Declared is exegomai which is expounded, unfolded, revealed, told out.  He is the true light of God to the world, He is the revealer of the infinite, He is God with us, the invisible God in flesh.  He revealed God in deed, in word, in attitude, in demeanour, and this is the message of this book.  As always the hymnwriters express the thoughts:

Christ, the everlasting lord; Late in time behold Him come; Off-spring of a Virgin’s womb; Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; Hail, the incarnate deity;; Pleased as Man with men to dwell; Jesus, our Emmanuel!

So he sets the tone for the rest of the book.  

The Gospel of John was the last written document of Holy Scripture around 100 A.D. and presents the highest view of Christ.  It is the most noble of all the gospel writings.  We could say last, but not least.  John views everything as having been done for the glory of God.  Those who refuse its message face dire consequences.  Essentially this is God’s word to mankind.  The closing words of Psalm 2 seem relevant “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way when His wrath is kindled but a little.  Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.”

John closes the Prologue by referring to the astonishing life of Christ on earth, and the effect it should have on us; “…the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.”   Mark, carefully what is said here!  He lived on earth, yet He lived in heaven!  In all His sojourn in this evil world, He dwelt at all times in the bosom of the Father.  In a tarnished world He maintained that close loving relationship with His Father.  In John 3v13, speaking in the context of His superior ability to explain heavenly things, by virtue of the fact He has lived there, and has come to earth from there, He said that even on earth He was living in heaven,”…even the Son of man which is in heaven.”  Using the present continuous tense, He indicates His constant communion with heaven.  As such, He has the ability and the authority to declare God, to expound Him, to make Him known.  Mankind has had the witness of Creation declaring His power; also the witness of the Commandments declaring His holiness; now the infallible witness of Christ, declaring His grace on the basis of righteousness.  What a summing up of the revelation of God and the responsibility of men to respond.  No wonder in the course of the book, John repeats “… believe…”-no less than 40 times is the call to believe and incidents of actual belief, the witness is true, and reception of Him is eternal life.  He also warns of the consequences of unbelief for we should not ignore such revelation from God.  He is the Word, the Revealer of God; when He speaks, God is speaking; when He performs miracles, it is by God’s power; when He moves God is moving; He is God in flesh, in every aspect of life, combining Deity with Humanity, bringing to us an infallible testimony than none should refuse.  Nothing else on earth comes close to this!