I’ve always loved John’s Gospel.

The first chapter, in particular, is so rich in deep theological truths, so powerful and profound in its bold declaration of who Jesus is and what this means for us as Christians that it blows my mind every single time I read it.

In the verses leading up to verse 14, Jesus is identified as “the Word” of God, who has co-existed with God and as God since the beginning of time. The Word is the source of creation itself; the light shines through our darkness and brings life to humanity. The apostle John establishes Jesus’ divinity, His pre-existence, and His creative power. 

In verse 14, our verse for today, John takes a step further and affirms that Jesus is not only fully God but fully human. This verse is about what we call incarnation, the Word of God taking human form and actually becoming flesh the way we are flesh.

This really is mind-blowing:
Jesus did not simply appear in human form, but He took on our nature while remaining fully divine.

The Word (“Logos” in Greek, the language the New Testament was written in) can be seen as an expression of reason, order, and divine wisdom, in addition to being the primary agent of creation.

Now that Word chooses to enter His creation to bridge the gap between the divine and the human, He does it simply out of love for us. He does it to redeem us, to save us from ourselves, and to give us the gift of eternal life despite us being weak, sinful, fallen creatures.

What an example of humility!

The creator of the entire world chooses to dwell among us, to be born the way we are born, and to live among poor people for 30 long years before revealing Himself to mankind.

And even then, the treatment He received was certainly not what we would expect the Creator of the Universe to get. Despite all that, He still loved us and desired a relationship with His creatures so much that He came anyway. He chose to go into this messy, fallen world among fallen people, many of whom didn’t welcome Him, understand Him, or love Him. This phrase, “became flesh,” does not mean that Jesus “appeared” in human form, but that He became fully human while remaining fully divine.  

The phrase “dwelt among us” is also incredibly meaningful.

It could also be translated as “pitched His tent” or “tabernacled” among us, reminding us of the Tabernacle from the Old Testament, where God dwelt among His people as they traveled across the wilderness.

When saying that Jesus, or the Word, “dwelt among us,” John indicates that God’s presence is no longer confined to a specific location but has chosen to come near us in a very personal, accessible way.

It has always been so incredibly mind-blowing to me that God had such a deep love for us that He wanted to be close to us in a very intimate way, walking the streets of the world, feeling what we feel, working, praying, serving, resting, making friends and enjoying time with them just like we do. Seeing Jesus and how He lived His life on Earth makes it much easier for me to understand God’s character and feel closer to Him because Jesus is the ultimate meeting place between us and the Father.

He is the perfect embodiment of God’s character (John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.”).  

This idea is further explored in the following words, where John talks about Jesus’ “glory as of the only Son from the Father.” This sentence highlights Jesus’ unique relationship with God the Father. In the Old Testament, God’s glory was often manifested concretely through visible signs like the burning bush (Exodus 3) or the cloud over the Tabernacle. Jesus does not just “display” God’s glory, he fully embodies it, He is the perfect embodiment of God’s divine presence. He’s not just a messenger but the very presence of God on earth.  

John then indicates the two essential qualities that characterize Jesus’ ministry and how He reveals God to mankind: grace and truth. “Grace” refers to God’s unmerited favor, the undeserved kindness towards humanity, while “truth” conveys an idea of reliability and faithfulness. God, as well as every single one of His attributes, is unchanging: His covenant love, His perfect righteousness, His longsuffering, His mercy, His justice, every word He says, every promise He makes, none of it ever changes, and we can fully trust Him in everything and surrender everything to Him. 

I am so thankful to the Father for sending His Son into this world because Jesus is our Saviour, our direct connection to God. He helps us know and understand God more intimately. He makes us acquainted with God’s character and with His will. Jesus’ coming gives me the certainty that God only wants good things for us, that He doesn’t want to judge and condemn us but to redeem and save every single person, every one of His children.