John: God…Two Doors Down

John 1:14-18 

The Christmas story is relayed in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Luke offers more information from interviews with numerous eyewitnesses. Based on his research, he wrote an “orderly account” for a man named Theophilus. 

We can assume that one of those interviewed by Luke was Mary, who recounted the angel’s startling announcement that she would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit. Luke’s account also includes Mary’s visit with Elizabeth, who was pregnant at the time with John the Baptist, which led to Mary’s proclamation, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47). Luke explains why Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem, details of Jesus’ humble birth, and describes the visit from the shepherds. His gospel provides firsthand testimony about the incarnation. 

When John wrote his gospel (AD 85-90), about thirty years after Matthew and Luke, he saw no need to repeat information already familiar to the churches. Instead, he focused directly on theology. 

John’s first words, “in the beginning,” establish that Jesus (the Word) is fully God and is the Creator of all things. He wrote, “All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). In today’s passage, John explains that the One who is fully God became fully man. 

John 1:14
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. 

The word “became” (egeneto) means “arrived on the scene as.” The Word, who is fully God, arrived on the scene in the flesh. He did not simply appear as a man; he became a man (Phil. 2:5-9). In the Weekend Recharge, I will discuss an early church heresy called Docetism, which claimed that Jesus only appeared to be human. However, Jesus did not merely appear to be human; he became flesh and blood! Humanity was added to his deity. Here, flesh means human nature, but not its weaknesses or sinfulness.  

The Greek phrase “dwelt among us” is used to remind the Jewish reader of the time when God dwelt with Israel during their desert wanderings. The Greek word for “dwelt” is eskenosen, derived from the word scene, which means “tabernacle.” Just as God’s presence was in the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34), so too, in Jesus, the presence of God exists in human form, living among humanity on earth. 

As proof that the Word was God and dwelt on earth, John says, “We have seen his glory.” Here, he is referring to himself and others who were eyewitnesses to Jesus’ miracles, death, and glorious resurrection. 

The Word was “the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John uses the word monogenous to emphasize that Jesus was not a created being but of the same essence as God the Father. In the Weekend Recharge, I will introduce you to another early church heresy called Arianism, which claimed that Jesus was the first and greatest of God’s creation, but not of God’s essence. 

John also recounts John the Baptist’s explanation, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after [in birth order] me ranks before me, because he was before me’” (John 1:15). 

John says that from this fullness of Jesus being fully God and fully man, we have received and continue to receive “grace upon grace,” that is, continuous blessing from God, blessing after blessing through Jesus. 

John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 

The law of God, given through Moses, was a gracious gift. It explained how to know and love God, as well as how to love and serve others. No other nation received such a gift. Israel was privileged to be given this law. 

Unfortunately, the religious leaders took God’s law and added their laws to it. By the time they finished, there were 613 laws to follow. I spoke with a man recently who described himself as a progressive Jew. He said he didn’t believe in the 613 laws and only followed the important ones. We had a great conversation, and during our visits, he heard a lot about Jesus, who John explains, fulfilled the law with grace and truth.  

The law was meant to be our teacher and guide (Gal. 3:24). Ultimately, the law reminds us that we can never perfectly follow it. We all fall short. But in Jesus, we see all of God's truth filled with grace. Jesus completely fulfilled the law, then graciously died for our sins on the cross—and rose again from the dead. 

The God who revealed himself throughout the law is now revealed in Jesus the Son.

John 1:18
No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. 

Let me remind you what Isaiah declared after seeing a vision of God: “My eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty” (Isa. 6:5 NIV). Isaiah saw a vision of God but not his essence (1 Tim. 1:17). God is the only God, unique in all his ways. But now Jesus, the one “who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.” 

Through Jesus, we see God’s essence. In Jesus, we come to know the eternal God. 

Our passage today highlights one of the two cornerstones of our faith—the incarnation. Because we, in our sinfulness, couldn't reach God, the eternal God, the Creator of everything, came to us. He took on flesh and moved into our neighborhood. 

One more thing. We can become so enamored with ourselves that we overlook God's grace and humility in becoming a man. C. S. Lewis compared God becoming human to a man turning into a dog to communicate with other dogs and save the species. Think about it—the eternal Creator humbled himself to become one of us so we can know him. 

Let’s remind ourselves of that often in our study. Through the book of John, we are following God in the flesh! What a profound truth! What an amazing God who humbled himself for you and me. 

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD 
Time in the Word: Read and reflect on John’s powerful introduction: John 1:14-18.

Talking to God:  Thank God for making himself known through Jesus.   

Isaiah Zoom Call
We’ve spent many weeks in Isaiah together—thank you for walking through these daily devotions! We’re excited to invite you to a special Zoom call where we’ll talk about what God taught us through the study. Monday, July 7 at 7:00 pm. Zoom call details will be at the bottom of July 7 Daily Devotion.

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Know Jesus more intimately.
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