John 1:14 meaning

There is no apparent parallel gospel account of John 1:14.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (v 14).

The first half of this commentary will focus on the initial phrase of John 1:14, where John makes the incredible claim that the creator of all things became a part of His own creation—And the Word became flesh.

John’s statement in verse 14 is the pinnacle of the Gospel’s prologue. The preceding verses (John 1:1-13) build up to the climax of this astonishing claim. The remaining verses of the prologue (John 1:15-18) unpack its fuller meaning.

The Word’s becoming flesh is the catalytic event of the Gospel. God’s becoming human initiated the fulfillment of God’s promises through the Law and the Prophets to redeem Israel and bring salvation to the ends of the earth for God to dwell with His people.

The subject of John’s Gospel narrates and provides insight into the Word’s life as a human as He makes the reality of redemption and eternal life possible for all who believe in His name.

AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH…

The first word of John 1:14 is the conjunction: And. And conjoins all that has been said thus far in John’s prologue to John’s claim that the Word became flesh.

Some of the key assertions thus far in John’s prologue include:

• The Word was in the beginning.
  (John 1:1a)

• The Word was with God.
  (John 1:1b)

• The Word was God.
  (John 1:1c)

• The Word created all things.
  (John 1:3)

• The Word was the source of Life.
  (John 1:4a)

• The Word was the Light of men (the Messiah).
  (John 1:4b)

• The Word victoriously shines in the darkness. The darkness has failed to stop Him.
  (John 1:5)

• John the Baptist came from God to testify about the Word/the Light’s coming into the world.
  (John 1:6)

• Neither the world nor His own people (Israel) recognized or received the Word when He came.
  (John 1:10-11)

• As many people who do receive the Word by believing in His identity as God and Messiah (personal Savior) receive the right to become children of God.
  (John 1:12)

The conjunction—And—connects all of these truths to the amazing event: the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, etc.

The Greek term translated: Word is “λόγος” (G3056—pronounced: “lo—gos”). Logos is the same term used in John 1:1. It is often translated in Greek literature as “speech” or “reason.”

The Greek term translated became is a form of γίνομαι (G1096—pronounced: “ghin'—omh—ai”). It describes the fundamental change from not existing to existing. It describes a coming into being or existence. The form of “ginomai” in verse 14 translated as became is the exact form of the same Greek word used earlier in John’s prologue when he described the creation of the world, how “all things came into being” through the Word (John 1:3) and how “a man came [into being]” who was sent from God (John 1:6).

The Greek term translated flesh is σὰρξ (G4561—pronounced: “sarx”). Flesh in this context refers to a human body which is composed of organic matter. Specifically, flesh in this context means a living human.

As discussed in The Bible Says commentary for John 1:1, Logos is a richly loaded term that would have resonated with both the Jewish and the Greek readers of John’s Gospel.

The Jews would have immediately recognized the Logos as God’s Word which called forth creation and through which the Law was written down and communicated. Additionally, John’s Jewish readers would have likely been familiar with the idea that the Logos was intimately connected with God or even synonymous with Him because their Aramaic translations of the Hebrew scripture (called “Targums”) regularly assigned agency and personality to the “Memra” or “Word of the Lord”).

“Memra” means Word/Logos.

The Memra of the Lord was seen as the tangible expression of God on earth.

The Targums said that the Memra of the Lord was the cloud and the pillar of fire that guided Israel through the wilderness:

“The Memra of the Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.
(Targum Neofiti. Exodus 13:21)

The Targums also say that Moses personally met with the Memra of the Lord:

“The Memra of the Lord spoke with Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.”
(Targum Neofiti. Exodus 33:11)

To learn more about the Memra and how it corresponded to the Word of the Lord, see The Bible Says article—“How Do Ancient Jewish Teachings and Greek Philosophy Converge in John’s Gospel?”

But though the Targums appear to personify and give divine agency to the Memra of the Lord, and even claim that there were some special manifestations of the Memra throughout the Old Testament, they do not say that the Memra of the Lord became fully human. The Targums may foreshadow the incarnation of the Word in the above and similar passages, but the Targums do not reveal that the Memra became flesh.

John’s statement appears rooted in the Targums’ Memra—tradition, but his statement And the Logos became flesh would have gone further than the Targums projected.

John’s statement also appears to be phrased in a manner such that it spoke directly to those with a worldview steeped in the Greek philosophic tradition.

From their philosophic and scientific traditions reaching back to Heraclitus of Ephesus (535 B.C.—475 B.C.), the Greeks would have immediately recognized the Logos as the eternal Order or Mind which established the Cosmos. John, the author of this gospel, may have become familiar with Heraclitus, Greek philosophy, and their Logos—tradition while he lived in and served the church in the Greek city of Ephesus (~70 A.D.—~98 A.D.).

There will be more analysis of John’s statement and its relationship with Greek philosophy further down in this commentary. This analysis can be found under the heading: The Word become Flesh from a 1^st Century Greek and Roman Perspective.

There would have been little controversy and much agreement (from Jews and Gentiles alike) with John’s statements, such as:

• “the Word was God”
  (John 1:1c)

• “All things came into being through Him [the Logos]”
  (John 1:3a)

• In Him (the Logos) was life and the life was the Light of men”
  (John 1:4)

But such tacit consent would have been unlikely from either Jews or Gentiles with the core claim of John 1:14: And the Word (Logos) became flesh.

This provocative and profound statement simply means: “God became human.” If John’s statement seems less provocative or startling today, it is a testimony of either the remarkable spread and general acceptance of or apathy to the gospel message that God became human in the person of Jesus of Nazareth to save the world. But millennia of time and billions of converts do not diminish the immense profundity of John’s claim.

That the Word became flesh is just as profound today as it was when it was written two thousand years ago. It will be no less profound in eternity, perhaps more than many other events recorded in the annals of heaven, including the creation of the world, the fall of Lucifer, the judgment of the world, and the establishment of the new heavens and the new earth. To understand John’s statement is to be in awe.

Logos refers to God—who is Spirit (John 4:24a). The nature of the immaterial Logos incomparably contrasts the material nature of flesh.

The Logos is the Creator and flesh is His special creation. Though men and women were created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), they are distinct from God. And God is distinct from humans. In many respects, Logos and flesh are on opposite ends of the spectrum:

• Logos is immaterial | Flesh is organic matter

• Logos is incorruptible | Flesh decomposes

• Logos is eternal | Flesh is mortal

• Logos is abstract and invisible | Flesh is tangible and can be seen

• Logos is pure (and holy) | Flesh is crude (and associated with sin)

Logos and flesh do not just appear to be opposites, but they seem to be altogether incompatible. Consider then, the profound wonder of John’s statement that the Logos became flesh.

When John wrote the Word became flesh, he is not saying that the Logos came into being or began to exist. But rather, John uses “ginomai” (became) to convey the radical transformation of the immaterial, invisible, immortal, and eternal Logos entering His own creation as organic flesh that is composed of visible, mortal matter.

As the divine Logos, Jesus had no beginning. For in the beginning the eternal Word already was (John 1:1). But the humanity of the Word did have a beginning. The human existence of the Logos began when the Word became flesh.

In Jesus of Nazareth, God did not come as a disembodied Spirit. Nor did He come in appearance or semblance of a man. But rather, God came in the flesh, and entirely as a man. In Jesus of Nazareth, God Himself came to humanity as a human. The Word genuinely and entirely became human. The eternal God became a mortal man.

The Word as Flesh—Jesus’s Human Nature

Jesus was entirely human (and He was entirely God).

While John’s prologue considers the Word becoming flesh largely in philosophical terms, the Gospels of Matthew and Luke tell the human account of when the Word became flesh. Matthew and Luke share details of His miraculous conception inside of the virgin Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18-23, Luke 1:26-38). Matthew and Luke also record the biographical story of His birth (Matthew 1:24-25, Luke 2:1-20).

Hebrews reveals “since God’s children [humanity] share in flesh and blood, He Himself [the Son of God—the Logos] likewise also partook of the same” (Hebrews 2:14a) and that He was “made like His brethren [fellow man] in all things” (Hebrews 2:17). This includes being tempted in every way that other humans are tempted (Hebrews 2:18). He “has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Additionally, Jesus suffered and died as we suffer and die.

The immortal Word became mortal flesh in order to fulfill the Law (Romans 8:3-4, Galatians 4:3) and to be capable of dying for the sins of the world. Hebrews explains that God became human so that “He might taste death for everyone… and bring many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:9-10) and render the devil powerless (Hebrews 2:14). We will elaborate on God’s reasons for the Word becoming flesh in the Jesus as God and Man section of this commentary.

Jesus is a merciful high priest to make propitiation for the sins of the people and come to the aid of those who are tempted as He was tempted because He became human and experienced temptation, suffering, and death just as we experience these things (Hebrews 2:17-18, 4:15).

As a man, Jesus lived by faith and trusted God in every action. By relying on God His Father instead of His own strength for everything He did, Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy that the Messiah would learn to become a disciple (Isaiah 50:4-5).

Hebrews further reveals how Jesus, “in the days of His flesh… offered up prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death” (Hebrews 5:7) And how even though He was the divine Word, “He learned obedience from the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).

During His final Passover Seder with His disciples before His crucifixion, Jesus told them that the unleavened bread represented His sinless body/flesh and the wine His blood, sacrificed for them (Matthew 26:26-28, Luke 22:19-20). Because of Christ’s sacrificial offering, the author of Hebrews encourages his readers that they “have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is His flesh” (Hebrew 10:19-20).

Paul describes the humanity of Jesus in his letter to the Philippians when he encourages them to assume Christ’s humble perspective (Philippians 2:5-9). Even though Jesus was God, He did not cling to nor assume the privileges of God when He lived as a human. He limited His divine powers and constrained Himself to accomplish only what was capable of natural man.

All the trials Jesus overcame and the accomplishments that He achieved from His birth to His baptism (Matthew 3:13-17) to His final words on the cross (Luke 23:46, John 19:30) were done by faith in God.

In their accounts of Jesus’s life, Matthew, Mark, and Luke often depict the physical, spiritual, and emotional frailties of Jesus’s humanity.

• Physically, Jesus experienced intense hunger and overcame by faith the temptation to use His divine powers to satisfy Himself (Matthew 4:2-3, Luke 4:2-3).

• Jesus was tempted to use His divine power to achieve His mission apart from God (Matthew 4:5-6, 4:8-9, Luke 4: 5-7, 4:9-11). He overcame these temptations by relying on God’s word and provision (Matthew 4:7, 4:10-11, Luke 4:8, 4:12-13).

• Jesus was tempted to use His divine authority for personal revenge (Luke 9:53-54). He overcame these temptations by following the Spirit (Luke 9:55-56) and praying to His Father (Luke 23:34).

• Jesus suffered agonizing emotional distress and was tempted to avoid the suffering He was to endure, but He overcame these intense trials by faith (Matthew 26:37-39, Mark 14:33-36, Luke 22:40-44).

Even John’s Gospel, which explicitly highlights Jesus’s divinity, also emphasizes His humility and the limitations of His humanity through Jesus’s own words about Himself: “The Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing” (John 5:19) and “I can do nothing on My own initiative… I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 5:30). (See also: John 6:38, 7:16, 8:26, 8:28-29, 8:54 10:32).

Perhaps the statement that most clearly displays Jesus’s humanity in John’s Gospel is when He confides: “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save me from this hour? But for this purpose I came to this hour’” (John 12:27).

In becoming flesh, the Word not only fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5:17, John 19:30) by living a perfect life. But He also became a perfect sacrifice, offering Himself as the atonement for the sin of the world (Hebrews 9:28, 1 John 2:2), He also set the perfect example for the rest of humanity to follow (Luke 9:23-24, John 12:25-26, 13:15, 13:34, 15:12).

Paul, reflecting upon the example of Jesus’s humility and humanity, said that He “emptied Himself” of His divine prerogative in obedience to His Father (Philippians 2:7). And Paul encourages the believers of Philippi to adopt the attitude and perspective which Jesus had during the days of His flesh so that we too will please our Father and be exalted in due season (Philippians 2:5-15).

Finally, the Word was eternally God, but when the Word became flesh, He became forever human. That is, Jesus Christ will always retain His humanity. Jesus is the second Adam and the heavenly man (1 Corinthians 15:44-48), the firstborn of the dead (Colossians 1:18), the forever High Priest in the order of Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:20) whose ministry is without end (Hebrews 7:24-25) and the living One who was dead, and is alive forevermore (Revelation 1:18).

The Incarnate Logos—Jesus’s Divine Nature

Jesus was fully God (and He was entirely human).

Jesus is the Logos who was in the beginning with God and indeed was God (John 1:1). This is not only the opening assertion of John’s prologue—it is the core claim of his entire gospel account. John tells us that the things that he wrote were “so that you [John’s readers] may believe that Jesus is the Christ [Messiah], the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). This means John’s objective in writing his account was to lead people to be born again as God’s children, by faith, to gain the Gift of Eternal Life, then learn to live a life of faith in order to gain the experience and reward/Prize of Eternal Life.

In addition to John’s claims that Jesus of Nazareth is God (the Word became flesh) are Jesus’s own words about Himself. Perhaps the most overt of Jesus’s claims of divinity are His “I Am” statements.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus made numerous “I Am” statements that reveal His divine identity and mission. These statements are significant because they echo God’s declaration to Moses of His name, where He identifies Himself as “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14).

At least seven of Jesus’s “I Am” statements involve a descriptive metaphor revealing the character of His divine nature:

1. “I Am the Bread of Life”

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.’”
(John 6:35)

Jesus repeated this statement in John 6:48, 51. In saying this, Jesus claimed divinity as being the source of life.

2. “I Am the Light of the World”

“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’”
(John 8:12)

Jesus repeated this statement in John 9:5. In making this statement, Jesus claimed divinity in being the source of light, which is essential to life.

3. “I Am the Door of the Sheep”

“So Jesus said to them again, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.’”
(John 10:7)

Jesus repeated this statement in John 10:9. In making this statement, Jesus claimed to be the Redeemer of humanity.

4. “I Am the Good Shepherd”

“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
(John 10:11)

See also: Psalm 23:1 and Ezekiel 34—especially vv 11, 15, 23, 31.

Jesus repeated this statement in John 10:14. In making this statement, Jesus claimed the creative divinity of being the One who cares for His creation.

5. “I Am the Resurrection and the Life”

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.’”
(John 11:25)

In making this statement, Jesus claimed the divinity of being the author/creator of life.

6. “I Am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life”

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”
(John 14:6)

In making this statement, Jesus claimed the divinity of being the author of redemption, the I AM of existence and the creator of life.

7. “I Am the True Vine”

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.”
(John 15:1)

Jesus repeated this statement in John 15:5. In making this statement, Jesus claimed the divinity of being the sustainer of life.

In addition to these metaphorical statements, Jesus also made at least five absolute "I Am" declarations in John’s Gospel where He directly claimed divinity.

1.  When Jesus was walking on the water during the storm, He called out to His disciples: “It is I; do not be afraid.”
(John 6:20)

• The phrase “It is I” is the same expression translated “I Am” throughout John’s Gospel. Jesus comforts His distressed disciples by announcing His divine identity to them.

2.  “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
(John 8:24)

• The “He” is often italicized, indicating it is supplied for clarity. The original Greek simply says “I am.”

3.  “So Jesus said, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.’”
(John 8:28)

• The cross revealed not only Jesus’s identity as the Messiah, Son of Man as a fulfillment of the Psalms (Psalms 22, 31, 35, 69) and Servant Songs (Isaiah 42:1-4, 49, 50:4-11, 52:13 - 53:12), but the disturbing signs which occurred during His crucifixion (Matthew 27:45, 51-52) also revealed His identity as God, as confessed by the Roman Centurion (Matthew 27:54).

4.  “Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.’”
(John 8:58)

• John goes on to report that after saying this, the Jews picked up stones to kill Him, probably because they understood His claim and believed it to be blasphemous (John 8:59).

5.  At His arrest, Jesus asserts, “I am He”; and His words caused the soldiers to fall to the ground.
(John 18:5-6)

Individually and collectively, these statements feature how Jesus’s self—identified as God.

In Revelation, the glorified Jesus again asserts I Am statements:

1. “I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”
   (Revelation 1:17-18)
   
   
2. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
   (Revelation 22:13)

During Jesus’s ministry, Peter confessed to Jesus: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). In his epistles, Paul repeatedly describes or declares of Jesus as divine. Two of the most notable declarations are:

• “He is the image of the invisible God”
  (Colossians 1:15—See also 2 Corinthians 4:4).

• “it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him”
  (Colossians 1:19).

These truths from Colossians mean that Jesus is exactly like God and that all of God is in Jesus.

The author of Hebrews claims Jesus is God:

• “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power”
  (Hebrews 1:3a).

Finally, Paul, Peter, and Jude all explicitly describe Jesus as “God and Savior” (Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 2:1, Jude 1:25).

Jesus and His followers all claim that He is God.

The Word made Flesh—Jesus as God and Man

Jesus of Nazareth is fully God and He is fully human. Jesus’s dual natures of fully God and fully human is the unexplainable, founding paradox of Christianity. Theologians sometimes refer to the mysterious duality of His divine and human natures as the “hypostatic union.”

“Hypostatic” comes from a Greek term meaning “underlying reality.” The dual natures of divinity and humanity mysteriously coexisting in Jesus is multi—paradoxical. (A paradox is when two apparently contradictory truth claims coexist side by side.) Consider some of the paradoxes of the divine and human natures coexisting in Jesus of Nazareth as the Word and flesh.

• As God, Jesus was eternal.
• As a human, Jesus was bound by time.

• As God, Jesus was all—powerful.
• As a human, Jesus was frail.

• As God, Jesus was infinite.
• As a human, Jesus was finite.

• As God, Jesus was immortal.
• As a human, Jesus was mortal.

Logically, each of these truth pairings are incompatible. According to the rules of logic, either one or both of their statements must be false. But paradoxically every statement is true. It requires faith to accept them as true. It is the nature of all philosophical truths that they are paradoxical. An example from physics relates to geometry. The founding truth of Euclidian geometry (parallel lines never approach each and never converge) contradicts the founding truth of non—Euclidian geometry (parallel lines can approach each other while still never converging). Both systems can be used to describe and predict nature. Yet they stand in opposition, leaving us in wonder.

Such observations of paradox in nature point us to the paradoxical nature of God. He seems contradictory to us. But that should only lead us to wonderment, because God is the creator and is above all that is. Our observation of such paradoxes should lead us to wonder as Paul wondered when he exclaimed:

“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”
(Romans 11:33)

God does not require us to perfectly understand Him by means of logic or empirical evidence. In fact, this is not even possible. While facts and evidence may point to His identity, it takes faith to come to God (Hebrews 11:6). God requires us believe in Jesus with faith (John 1:12-13, 3:16).

Although this is observably true, it is also true that all knowledge begins with faith. Even if we appeal to experience, we must decide whether we can trust the experience (Is this real?) And whatever experiences we have will be an extremely small sample size of all that is, so are inherently untrustworthy.

Accordingly, Christianity is not the only system that requires faith. Every worldview, including those who claim to be non—religious or objective rest upon one or more paradoxes that do not rationally line up but yet, must be believed, accepted, or received as a matter of faith. Every worldview rests upon a Founding Paradox. To learn more about this phenomenon, see The Bible Says article: “Founding Paradox.”

That God became human and the Word became flesh are central to the Christian faith because if Jesus of Nazareth was not human, then His death and consequently His resurrection were not real, and according to Paul our “faith is worthless” and believers “are still in [their] sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). Moreover, if Jesus was not human, then the Law is still unfulfilled because no human has ever fulfilled it.

The main warning of 2 John is “many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist” (2 John 1:7). It is essential to the gospel that Jesus was fully human, so that His death and resurrection could redeem His brethren.

The reason God sent His Son and the Word became flesh was to fulfill the Law and sacrificially die on humanity’s behalf (Romans 8:3, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Hebrews 9:11-12, 10:10, 14).

Because of our sin nature, we were and are incapable of fulfilling the righteous requirements of God’s Law ourselves and were and are condemned by it. But God loved us and through Christ accomplished for us what we could not do for ourselves,

“For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us…”
(Romans 8:3-4a)

Paul reveals even further that the Word of God did not only become flesh, but that on the cross God the sinless Word became sin on our behalf so that we could receive His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).

The book of Hebrews is even more explicit: the everlasting and immortal Word became mortal flesh precisely in order to become capable of dying “so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9).

Perhaps the most elaborate scripture explaining why the immortal Word assuming mortal flesh was to become capable of death is:

“Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”
(Hebrews 2:14-15)

Jesus, speaking of His own death (John 12:33) said it was “for this purpose that I came” (John 12:27b). The Word became Flesh and the Son of God was born the Son of Man in order to die. He died in order to be raised and gain victory over death.

The early church father, Athanasius, in his work, “On the Incarnation,” skillfully articulated that the reason the Word became flesh was to become capable of death:

“The Word, perceiving that no otherwise could the corruption of men be undone save by death as a necessary condition, while it was impossible for the Word to suffer death, being immortal and Son of the Father, for this reason He takes to Himself a body capable of death, that it, by partaking of the Word who is above all, might be worthy to die in the stead of all, and might, because of the Word which had come to dwell in it, remain incorruptible, and that henceforth corruption might be stayed from all by the grace of the resurrection.”
(Athanasius. On the Incarnation of the Word. 2.7)

Athanasius explained that humanity's corruption could only be undone by the death of God. But God, being immortal, could not die. Therefore, He became incarnate in a mortal body to undergo death on behalf of all, thus breaking the power of corruption.

All of this points to the incomprehensible conclusion that The Word became flesh and the Son of God was born as the Son of Man in order to die to redeem humanity.

Furthermore, only God’s death could atone for the sins of the world.

Only God’s death had the power to save and redeem everyone. No other sacrifice would suffice.

Animal sacrifices do not have the power to remove sins.

“Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.”
(Hebrews 10:11-12)

The point the author of Hebrews is making is that we will be saved “through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10).

From a hypothetical standpoint, it is reasonable to speculate that even if a human (who was not God) somehow managed to live a sinless life and perfectly fulfill God’s Law, that person’s sacrifice would have limited power to redeem other people. From this perspective, it may be that the willing sacrificial death of a righteous human would be of finite worth—perhaps a one—to—one ratio. One human life for one other human life. But God’s life and death is of infinite value and can therefore redeem all of humanity.

As Athanasius explained:

“He who is Life itself bore our death in His body, and by this death, He destroyed the power of death for all. A mere human life would not suffice, but the Life—giver’s death is of infinite weight.”
(Athanasius. On the Incarnation of the Word. 2.9)

And:

“The Word of God was above all and therefore, by offering His own temple and bodily instrument as a substitute for the life of all, He fulfilled in death all that was required. Being of infinite worth, His death was sufficient to meet the debt of all.”
(Athanasius. On the Incarnation of the Word. 7.19)

In any case, the Bible is clear that we “were not redeemed with perishable things… but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19) and that “He Himself is the propitiation for [believers’] sins; and not for [theirs] only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

For the gospel to be good news for everyone, God had to become man to fulfill the Law, die for the sins of the world, and rise from the grave.

Jesus was God, the Word become flesh “who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). In the human life of Jesus, God became the second Adam,

^“For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.”
(1 Corinthians 15:21-22)

The Word Become Flesh from 1^st Century Greek and Roman Perspectives

The idea of God becoming human would likely have struck the Pagan Greeks and Romans as strange and would have gone against their expectations. Whether in their myths or their philosophies, one of the core aspirations of the Greeks and Romans was to escape the burdens of mortality.

Greek Philosophy

The Greek philosophers Socrates and Plato taught that the soul was weighed down by the desires and pains of the flesh:

“The soul is like a nail fastened to the body, caught fast in its own desires, and it partakes in the body's nature.”
(Plato. Phaedo. 83d—e)

They believed a person could escape wickedness and the corruptions of the flesh through living virtuously,

“Justice in the soul is like health in the body: when the soul is ruled by wisdom and reason, it avoids corruption.”
(Plato. Republic. 443c)

For Socrates and Plato, the highest virtue was justice because it was the harmony of the other virtues working together. (Interestingly, the Greek term Socrates and Plato used for “justice” is the same Greek term that is typically translated as “righteousness” in the New Testament—δικαιοσύνην, G1343, pronounced: “dik—ah—yos—oo'—nay”—See: “What is Righteousness?”)

Plato’s pupil Aristotle believed similar things. For him a virtuous life was the essential path to the good life and was an escape from all the distractions and pains brought on by indulging one’s appetites or ego. For Aristotle, the good life was one that was full of contemplation of eternal goods and truths, including the majestic Order (Logos) that sustained the cosmos—the Prime Mover.

For Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and their influential schools of thought, the idea that the Logos—the supreme order that established the universe—became flesh would have been mind—blowing.

With Socrates, an enlightened philosopher may reenter the Cave to bring truth to the prisoners chained in the darkness, but the Sun—the source of light and truth—does not become human and enter the cave’s shadows Himself.

(See: “How the Light of John's Prologue Illuminates Socrates's Allegory of the Cave.”)

With Aristotle, the unchanging Prime Mover “is not corporeal" (Aristotle. Metaphysics. 1072b4) and does not become corruptible flesh.

Even Heraclitus, the more ancient Greek philosopher, never imagined that the eternal Logos would directly become part of the changing material world,

“This Logos is eternal; yet men fail to understand it.”
(Heraclitus, Fragment 50)

The teachings of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and others offer profound insights into the nature of the soul, virtue, and the cosmos, but they fall short of imagining the revolutionary concept presented in John’s Gospel: that the Logos—the eternal order and reason undergirding the universe—would take on corruptible flesh.

While Greek philosophy emphasized the soul’s struggle to escape the corrupting influence of the body through virtue, the Christian claim that the Logos became flesh introduces a transformative idea that God Himself entered the brokenness of the material world to redeem it. This concept would have been incomprehensible to these philosophers, whose understanding of the divine was fixed in immutable separation from the physical realm.

The incarnation of the Logos as described in John’s Prologue bridges the gap between divine perfection and human frailty in a way that Greek philosophy could not conceive.

The Greeks could conceive that a man could approach the divine through moral and philosophical effort, but the Greek philosophers never imagined that the ultimate Truth would condescend to dwell among humanity. The Gospel’s proclamation of the Logos becoming flesh offers not just a philosophical resolution to the problem of human corruption, but a relational and redemptive one, redefining the divine—human relationship in ways that both challenge and fulfill the aspirations of Greek philosophy.

“For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified… to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
(1 Corinthians 1:22-24)

Greek and Roman Mythology

While the pagan myths of the Greek and Roman religion were full of stories of gods assuming human form to perform mischief on earth to satisfy their pettiness and lusts, they never did so for selfless reasons. The pagan gods occasionally mingled on earth for brief moments of intrigue or indulgence, but they always maintained their divine detachment.

The Greek and Roman gods used temporary human guises to manipulate mortals or pursue their own selfish desires. The idea of a god taking on flesh permanently and sacrificially for the benefit of humanity was utterly foreign to pagan mythology.

The Word becoming flesh, as presented in the Gospel of John, contrasts sharply with these myths. Here, God does not assume human form out of caprice or selfish ambition but to redeem humanity from sin and death in obedience to His Father (Matthew 20:28, John 3:16-17, Philippians 2:5-8).

The Word’s selfless act of sacrificial love redefines the relationship between the divine and the mortal, showing a God who is not only transcendent but also immanent, and personally invested in the wellbeing of His creation.

Such a concept would have been unfathomable in the tales of the Greek and Roman pantheons.

Moreover, the permanence and purpose of the Incarnation elevate it far above the fleeting escapades of the pagan gods. While Zeus, for example, might disguise himself as a mortal to deceive or seduce, Christ took on human nature fully and irrevocably, entering into the struggles and suffering of humanity. This self—emptying was not to exploit or dominate but to restore and redeem, and to offer an eternal relationship with the divine. In this light, the Word becoming flesh is not only unique among divine interventions, but it also fulfills humanity’s deepest longings to be united with God.

God partook Himself in suffering and death so that all who believe in Him can have eternal life, and those who partake in His suffering by faith will also partake in His glory. The reality of a God who understands and shares in humanity’s plight and makes available the glories of heaven is an undreamed hope that no Greek or Roman myth could ever deliver.

The incredible significance of the Word becoming flesh is constantly revealed as John describes and depicts Jesus in his gospel account.

The life of Jesus made it possible for as many people who receive Him by faith (in His identity as God and Messiah) to be born into God’s eternal family (John 1:12-13, 3:5, 14-15). Jesus’s actions and words reveal God’s heart to the world and His example of sacrificial love is one He invites us to follow that we may have life abundantly (John 10:10b, 15:12).

… AND DWELT AMONG US…

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us…

John’s expression—and dwelt among us—reinforces the full humanity of the Word when He became flesh. God dwelt and lived among us as a man (Jesus of Nazareth) in community with and among other humans.

Before we discuss the rich meaning of dwelt, we should first discuss what John means by the phrase: among us.

Who does “us” refer to?

The pronoun—us—could be understood in three senses:

1. Inclusively referring to all humanity.
2. Nationally or ethnically referring to the Jews.
3. Specifically referring to John and Jesus’s other close disciples.

1. The pronoun us could be an inclusive term referring to humanity at large.
   
   Among us underscores the communal aspect of Jesus’s incarnation. He did not isolate Himself but lived within the fabric of human society, experiencing its joys and sorrows, and forming deep relationships. He shared meals, engaged with sinners, healed the sick, and taught multitudes. The inclusivity of us invites reflection on the relational nature of God, who desires not only to save individuals but to restore relationships and establish a community of believers united in Christ.
   
   John’s description that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us is a fitting one for Jesus who is called “‘Immanuel’, which…means ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).
   
   When the Word became flesh, He was born as a human who lived in the world of humans. Jesus experienced all the things every other human being experiences—impulses, appetites, emotions, desires, ambitions, physical sensations.
   
   As a baby, Jesus needed to be fed, burped, and changed. As a boy, He likely scraped His knee, and had to learn to read and write, and the skills to work a trade to earn money. As a young man, He likely worked to support Himself and possibly had to provide for His mother.
   
   The book of Hebrews says that Jesus became like us (Hebrews 2:14) and was tempted in every way that we are tempted, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).
   
   Jesus felt deprivation (Matthew 4:2), fatigue (Mark 4:38), grief (John 11:33-35), depression (Matthew 26:37-38), humiliation and shame (Matthew 27:39-40), and excruciating pain (John 19:1—see also Exploring the Unimaginable Suffering of Crucifixion).
   
   Jesus was exactly as Isaiah predicted the Messiah would be: “a man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3).
   
   The Word condescended from the comforts of heaven for the troubles of earth because He loved us. And even though He was God, He did not use His divine authority to shield Himself from either temptation or suffering (Philippians 2:6-7). But rather, He was obedient unto death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).
   
   The inclusivity of the pronoun us refers to Jesus’s mission to redeem humanity. God came to earth as a human so that He could save the world (John 3:16). Jesus is the World Messiah—“the Light of Men (John 1:5) and “the Light of the World” (John 8:12, 9:5).
   
   
2. The pronoun—us—could be a national or ethnic term referring to the Jews.
   
   Jesus was a Jew, who lived among Jews in Judea. He was born in the Jewish town of Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1, Luke 2:4-6). He grew up in Nazareth (Matthew 2:22-23, Luke 2:39). He participated in Jewish customs (Luke 2:41, John 2:13, 10:22-23) and was known as “Jesus of Nazareth” or Jesus the Nazarene (Mark 10:47, John 1:5, 18:5, 19:19).
   
   Jesus was familiar to His neighbors (Matthew 13:55-56, Mark 3:31-31, Luke 4:22). He was known throughout Israel (John 7:41-42). He was known by His enemies (Matthew 13:55-56, John 6:2, 8:41).
   
   When John wrote among us, he could have been referring to his own people.
   
   
3. The pronoun—us—could be a specific term referring to John and Jesus’s close disciples.
   
   During His ministry Jesus lived with His disciples. They saw Him perform numerous miracles (both public and private) and heard Him deliver sermons. His disciples traveled with Him, broke bread with Him, and asked Him questions about His teachings. Jesus revealed things to His disciples that He did not reveal to anyone else.
   
   If and/or as John might have intend the pronoun us to refer to Jesus’s disciples, this would have bolstered his authority as the author of this Gospel. John would have personally seen and witnessed the things he is writing about.
   
   This most exclusive sense of the pronoun us would have a similar meaning to what John says near the end of his gospel account:

“This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.”
(John 21:24).

All three senses of—us—are mutually valid and could be intended by John.

“Tabernacled” among us

When John says that God dwelt among us, his terminology is descriptive and deeply significant.

The Greek verb, translated as dwelt, is a form of σκηνόω (G4637, “skénoó,” pronounced: “skay—nah'—ō”). It literally means “to tabernacle,” “encamp,” or “pitch a tent.”

“Skénoó” evokes the Old Testament tabernacle. In fact, “skénoó” is the verbal form of the Greek noun translated as “tabernacle” in the Septuagint—the Ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament.

The tabernacle was a special tent that God commanded be constructed according to His specifications shortly after He delivered Israel out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 25:8-9, Exodus 26). It was designated to be the place where God’s presence resided on earth (Exodus 29:43-46). (To learn more about the Tabernacle, see The Bible Says article: “The Temple”).

The phrase dwelt among us communicates the tangible reality of God's presence. In the Old Testament, God’s glory filled the tabernacle, and it was a visible sign of His nearness to His people (Exodus 40:34-38).

Similarly, in Jesus, the fullness of God dwelt in bodily form (Colossians 2:9). Through His words, actions, and miracles, Jesus revealed God’s character, wisdom, and love in ways humanity could see and understand. The Word dwelt among us affirms that God has made Himself knowable and approachable in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

The tabernacle expressed God’s desire to dwell among His people (Exodus 29:45). Jesus, the Word become flesh, was the embodiment of God’s desire to dwell among His people. Again, Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). The life of Jesus manifests God’s ultimate intention to live in close relationship with humanity (John 1:12-13, 3:16, 10:10, 17:21).

The phrase dwelt [tabernacled] among us conveys the truth that the infinite God has chosen to enter into His creation, to walk among His people, and to invite them into fellowship with Him. Just as God “tabernacled” (dwelt) among the Israelites in the wilderness as He led them to the Promised Land, so too did the Word of God tabernacle among men as He took away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

In Exodus, the manifestation of God’s presence and glory was visible in the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (Exodus 40:34-38). During the Exodus, God “tabernacled” in a physical replica of the heavenly temple (Hebrews 8:5). During the life of Jesus, God “tabernacled” (dwelt) in human flesh. As a human, Jesus “is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3a). “He is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15a).

“Skénoó” (“tabernacled”) also highlights the temporary and humble nature of Jesus’s life on earth.

A tent is not a permanent dwelling place, but a temporary one. “Tabernacled (dwelt) among us” signifies the brief time Jesus, the Son of God, actually lived among us on the earth. Jesus lived among us for approximately thirty—three years. Thirty—three years is not a long time. It is a comparatively short lifetime for a human. And it is a mere blip in human history, not to mention the history of the universe or eternity.

In the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4), Jesus “tabernacled” among us for a specific reason. The Word became flesh, and Jesus was born in order to fulfill the Law by faith (Matthew 5:17). He came to live as a man and endure terrible suffering then to die to redeem humanity and His creation from the destructive power and deadly penalty of sin (Galatians 4:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21). The Son of God became flesh to experience the hour of His own death (John 12:27, 12:33) on our behalf (Hebrews 2:9, 2:14-15). In other words, Jesus was born and dwelt among us to die for us.

The Son of God’s act of condescension and death (Philippians 2:6-8) demonstrates the immense love God has for humanity (John 3:16, 15:13, Romans 5:8).

Jesus temporarily dwelt on earth to accomplish this mission. But His brief time among us has eternal consequences for human destiny. On the night before His death, Jesus promised His disciples some amazing things:

“In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
(John 14:2-3)

The Word became flesh and temporarily dwelt among us, so that we might eternally dwell with God in His Father’s house.

In the meantime, even after Jesus’s death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, God’s presence, though not currently present among us in the flesh, is still among us in spirit.

Jesus promised to be with His disciples “always” (Matthew 28:20) and to send the Holy Spirit to indwell His followers (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit came a few days after Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 2:1-4).

The Word’s dwelling among humanity assures us of God’s intimate involvement in our lives. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is the most significant demonstration of His unwavering commitment to redeem and restore all things through Him. The phrase: “tabernacled (dwelt) among us” conveys the truth that the infinite God has chosen to enter His creation, to live and walk among His people, and to invite them into fellowship with Him.

… AND WE SAW HIS GLORY, GLORY AS THE ONLY BEGOTTEN FROM THE FATHER…

John recognizes the boldness of his astonishing claim that God became human and dwelt among us. The phrase and we saw His glory conveys the eyewitness testimony of John and others who encountered the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ (John 21:24).

The pronoun we in this phrase can refer to the same three meanings as the pronoun us refers to in the previous phrase. These three meanings were:

1. Humanity at large;
2. The Jewish nation;
3. John, and his fellow disciples of Jesus;

While all three meanings are mutually valid, it seems as though John is referring to himself and his fellow disciples as a way to demonstrate his credentials for writing this Gospel account.

His glory refers to Jesus’s glory, Jesus the Word/Logos made flesh.

John writes that we saw His glory, referring to the glory of the Word made flesh during the time He dwelt among us.

Glory—the Shekinah of God

The Greek term translated as glory is δόξα (G1391—pronounced: “do—xa”). Glory means the essence of something being observed by others.

Through Jesus, humans can observe and understand the true essence of God.

In Jesus, John and others were able to observe the glory of God. As the only begotten Son from God the Father, Jesus is the manifestation of divine majesty and splendor.

• Jesus told His disciples: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).
• Paul wrote that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God” (Colossian 1:15).
• And the author of Hebrews explains that Jesus “is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His [God’s] nature” (Hebrews 1:3).

John appears to expand his expression—and we saw His glory—in the opening of his first epistle: when the aged apostle reminisced about his time with Jesus:

“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—”
(1 John 1:1).

The Greek verbal tenses for “what we have heard… seen… looked at… touched” (1 John 1:1) make it appear as though John is reminiscing of his time with Jesus. The aged apostle is replaying scenes or dialogue in his mind. John can still visualize Jesus’s expressions and still hear the inflections in Jesus’s voice as he recalled the things Jesus said.

When John writes we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, he is emphasizing that Jesus, though fully human, revealed the magnificence of God in a way that was observable and undeniable to those who witnessed His life and ministry.

In the Old Testament, the manifestation of God’s glory is associated with His shekinah glory which dwelt in the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35) and later the temple (1 Kings 8:10-11). During the Exodus, God’s glory was manifested in the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (Exodus 40:34-38).

The cloud and pillar of fire symbolized God’s glory, presence, and power among His people. Jesus was the human manifestation of God’s shekinah glory. And Jesus is the literal embodiment of God’s glory, presence, and power among His people.

In stating we saw His glory, John asserts that the same divine glory, once confined to the tabernacle, was now revealed in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. This aligns beautifully, with John’s earlier proclamation that the Word became flesh and “tabernacled” (dwelt) among us (John 1:14a).

Interestingly, the Aramaic translations of the Old Testament (“the Targums”) specify that it was literally the “‘Memra’ [‘the Word’] of the Lord” which:

• inhabited the tabernacle
• and whose presence was in and whose shekinah glory was visible in the cloud and pillar of fire.

When John writes: The Word dwelt (tabernacled) among us and we saw His glory, he appears to be making a direct link to what the Targums previously said concerning the Memra (Word), the tabernacle, and the Shekinah glory.

For instance, when the Lord promised to meet Israel in the tabernacle that He might dwell among them, the Targums read:

• “I will appoint my Memra [The Word] to be there for the sons of Israel”
  (Targums Onkelos and Neofiti. Exodus 29:43).

• And “the glory of My Shekinah [will] dwell in the midst of the sons for Israel”
  (Targums Onkelos and Neofiti. Exodus 29:45).
  
  Targum Neofiti continues: “My Memra will be for them a redeeming God… so that the glory of My Shekinah might dwell among them”
  (Targum Neofiti. Exodus 29:45-46).

It is possible that John had these Targum translations in mind when he wrote: And the Word became flesh, and dwelt (“tabernacled”) among us, and we saw His glory.

To learn more about the Memra and other similarities between it and the Logos, see The Bible Says article: “How Do Ancient Jewish Teachings and Greek Philosophy Converge in John’s Gospel?”

It seems the most brilliant and undeniable time John saw Jesus’s glory was when he, Peter, and James beheld Jesus’s divine glory during His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8). During this occasion Jesus’s divine nature was momentarily unveiled in radiant splendor. The three disciples saw Jesus’s glory.

The disciples who observed Jesus’s transfiguration saw His face shining like the sun and His garments gleaming white, leaving no doubt about His divine identity (Matthew 17:2). Peter, not really knowing how to properly respond to seeing the fuller glory of God, blurted out: “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Matthew 17:4).

We are told that the prophets Moses and Elijah appeared alongside Jesus when He was transfigured. We can observe that Peter immediately thought of tabernacles when he saw the divine glory of Jesus.

Also notice what happened next during the moment of Jesus’s transfiguration:

“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well—pleased; listen to Him!’”
(Matthew 17:5)

The imagery of the bright cloud and the language, “This is My beloved Son” (Matthew 17:5) spoken by the voice from that cloud both match what John claims to have witnessed: we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father. It is possible that John had the moment of Jesus’s transfiguration in mind when he wrote this line in John 1:14.

Jesus’s glory was not merely displayed in moments of grandeur but was also revealed through Jesus’s humility and obedience. The ultimate expression of His divine glory came through the cross and resurrection. Jesus Himself spoke of the cross as the hour in which He would be glorified (John 12:23-24, 13:31).

In His sacrificial death, Jesus revealed the glory of God. Jesus’s death revealed the unfathomable depth of God’s love and justice. Jesus’s resurrection revealed the glory of God. With His resurrection, Jesus demonstrated God’s power to conquer sin and death.

This paradoxical glory—manifested in both suffering and triumph—is central to the Gospel.

Jesus thought little of the shame and tortures of the cross in comparison to the joy (Hebrews 12:2) and glorious reward that was set before Him (Isaiah 53:12, Philippians 2:9-11).

Jesus invites us to share in His sufferings by faith and promises us glory if we do (Matthew 10:32, 38-42, Luke 22:28-30, Revelation 2:8-11). Paul reinforces these claims (Romans 8:16-18). So does Peter (1 Peter 1:3-9). So does James (James 1:2-4, 1:12).

Only Begotten Son

The phrase glory as of the only begotten from the Father reveals Jesus’s unique relationship with God the Father.

The Greek term translated “only begotten” is μονογενής (G3439—pronounced: “mon—og—en—ace”). It means “unique” or “one of a kind.”

“Monogenace” is a compound term from “mono” meaning, only or “unique,” and “gen—ace” meaning begotten, “birthed,” or “produced.” In strictly human terms, “monogenace” can mean “only child” (Luke 8:42, 9:38, Hebrews 11:17). But when applied to Jesus, the expression—only begotten—does not imply creation but rather signifies the uniqueness of who He is and His relationship as God the only Son to God the Father.

As God the Son, Jesus’s existence is eternal. “He was in the beginning” (John 1:1a, 1:2). Consequently, Jesus did not have a beginning. He was not born or begotten in the same sense that children are begotten or born of their parents. Children have a beginning to their existence. Their beginning starts when they are begotten (conceived). Jesus is not merely begotten—He is only begotten, uniquely begotten. Jesus is eternally begotten.

“Monogenace” emphasizes Jesus’s singular and unparalleled status as the eternal Son of God. It is a term intended to convey how Jesus, the Word, uniquely shares the divine status with God. Jesus’s glory (His essence) is distinct and unparalleled because it is directly derived from His identity as the eternal Son of God (John 1:1-3.)

Even though the Word became flesh and entered creation as a human, He is utterly distinct from all creation. He is only begotten—“monogenance.”

“Monogenance” is the same Greek term used in John 3:16 to describe the unique, only begotten essence of God’s Son. And interestingly, the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) uses “monogenace” in the Messianic psalms when the psalmist cries out for God to save his “only life” (Psalm 22:20, 35:17).

Only begotten is foundational to understanding Jesus’s identity within the Trinity and His role in salvation.

Paradoxically, God is Three and God is One. The One God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Father in John 1:14 is God the Father. The Father loved the world (John 3:16) and did not want it to perish from its rebellion against Him. God the Father had a plan to save it by sending His Son (John 3:17).

God the Son is Jesus, the Word (John 1:1, 14). When God the Father sent His Son into the world, God the Son became human and was born Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus, like a faithful Son obeyed His Father in all things—even unto death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8).

God the Spirit is the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised to send the Spirit to be with His followers forever, calling Him “the Spirit of truth” who abides with them and is in them (John 14:16-17). God the Spirit came on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). Through the indwelling of the Spirit, God’s presence is no longer confined to a physical temple, or to the bodily presence of Jesus on earth. As the Spirit, God now resides in the hearts of those who believe, transforming them into the tabernacle of God (1 Corinthians 6:19). Colossians 1:27 also says that Christ is “in you, the hope of glory.”

Only begotten also reveals God’s intention to share His glory with humanity through Jesus.

By virtue of being the only begotten from the Father, Jesus makes the glory of God accessible to those who believe in Him. This aligns with Jesus’s High Priestly prayer:

“The glory which You have given Me, I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one.”
(John 17:22)

Believers are invited into this divine glory with the Father and Spirit through their relationship with the only begotten—Jesus.

John’s testimony—and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father—serves as both a declaration and an invitation. It is a declaration of who Jesus is: the Word become flesh. And it is an invitation to encounter the living God through His Son, Jesus Christ. John’s Gospel reveals who Jesus is.

…FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH.

The final phrase of John 1:14—full of grace and truth—succinctly describes the character of God and the mission of the Word made flesh. Jesus embodies the fullness of God’s divine attributes in His human life. Jesus is full of grace. And He is full of truth.

Full of Grace

The Greek term, which is translated here as grace, is χάρις (G5485—pronounced: “khar—ece”). It simply means “favor” or “kindness.” Favor is a disposition or expression of love, goodwill, or blessing. We see “charis” translated as “favor” in Luke 2:52, which speaks of Jesus growing in favor (“charis”) with God and man.

Kindness is a quality or action characterized by benevolence, compassion, and care toward others—often at one’s own expense. Grace is both a reflection of God’s nature and a practical expression of His love.

Context determines who is dispensing the grace, to whom it is being offered, and the basis for grace being bestowed.

Sometimes grace or favor is undeserved; it is dispensed as a matter of mercy. In the Old Testament, the Lord’s grace was demonstrated in His covenant faithfulness to Israel, despite their repeated unfaithfulness (Psalm 30:5, Lamentations 3:22-23).

In the New Testament, the good news of Jesus is that people receive the forgiveness of sins and the Gift of Eternal Life on the basis of unearned grace through faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8-9). Although this amazing grace or favor is unmerited by humans, the favor is granted based on the merit of Jesus Christ, who died in our place.

But God also bestows favor upon those who walk in obedience to His word. This is the favor/grace of eternal rewards. It is what Jesus referred to as “treasure in heaven” for doing good deeds on earth (Matthew 19:21). This verse from 1 Peter illustrates this point:

“God is opposed to the proud but gives grace [“charis”] to the humble.”
(1 Peter 5:5b)

We see in this verse that God tells us specifically what He will favor (humility) and what He disfavors (pride). This fits with one of the Apostle Paul’s theme verses, Habakkuk 2:4, which is quoted in the New Testament in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38. It shows us that pride (faith in self) is the opposite of faith, which is trusting God. Since this is what God desires, it is what He promises to reward.

Notwithstanding this promise, God’s favor is always a matter of His mercy, for there is no standard that is above Him. No one can demand anything from God, for He is not accountable to any standard. However, this is likely better for us as humans, because He is a God that is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Here in John 1:14, full of grace describes a core element of God’s character. Grace is God’s initiative to bless and save humanity despite their sinfulness.

God’s grace is on full display in the life of Jesus. In Jesus, grace is personified and fully realized. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus extended God’s grace to humanity.

Through Jesus we are graciously offered:

• Reconciliation to God and the forgiveness of sins
  (Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:13-14, 1:19-20),

• Adoption into God’s eternal family
  (John 1:12-13),

• The Gift of Eternal Life
  (John 11:25, Ephesians 2:8-9),

• Opportunity to enter and inherit dominion in His kingdom—the Prize of Eternal Life
  (Matthew 19:28-29, Romans 8:17-18).

In Jesus, there is an inexhaustible supply of God’s favor: “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace” (John 1:16). God’s supply of grace will never run out or empty (Psalm 136:1).

His grace never decreases nor diminishes. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23a). Where sin abounds, His grace increases (Romans 5:29). It is impossible for too many people to receive Jesus and exhaust His mercy and grace. His grace is infinite. As many people who do receive Him will experience the gospel’s blessings (John 1:12-13).

The gospel’s supply of grace is infinite and unlimited. Infinite grace is part of what makes the gospel such good news.

This is possible, in part because Jesus as the Creator was the Maker of grace (John 1:17). His grace is available to all who believe in Him.

Grace is personified and fully realized in Jesus.

Full of Truth

The Greek term which is translated as truth is ἀλήθεια (G225—pronounced: “al—é—thee—ah”). Truth describes reality. As a description of the Word, the expression full of truth describes God’s nature as absolute reality.

When God revealed His name to Moses, He told Moses He was: “I Am Who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). God’s self—description can be understood to mean “I Am Reality Himself.”

Jesus proclaimed Himself as “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God’s moral truth and the way to complete fulfillment. Whatever is real is from God and of God. All that the world offers as being real is simply a passing illusion of what is real (1 John 2:17).

As God, Jesus “is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5b). This claim means there is no trace of deceit, falseness, ignorance, or evil in God at all.

As a man, Jesus is the embodiment of truth. He was entirely righteous, meaning He lived entirely according to God’s design for humanity. He lived according to the truth as He was completely and perfectly faithful to the Law of God (Matthew 5:17, Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus is described as “the faithful and true witness [martyr]” (Revelation 3:14) because He was faithful and true unto death (Isaiah 53:10-12, Philippians 2:8, Hebrews 2:14-15). Throughout His ministry, Jesus demonstrated truth in His teachings. Jesus exposed sin and falsehood while always pointing people to the righteousness of God (John 3:19-21).

Jesus is “the Light of the World” (John 8:12, John 9:5). He came to bring the light of truth and goodness to the darkness, ignorance, and wickedness of humanity (John 1:5). Jesus came to deal with the terrible reality of human sin and suffering with grace and truth.

“You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.”
(1 John 3:5)

“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
(John 1:29b)

Jesus graciously took away our sins, not by ignoring them but by confronting them in truth. He took away our sins by taking them upon Himself in exchange for His righteousness (Isaiah 53:5-6, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Colossians 2:14).

If we receive Jesus as God and Messiah—i.e. believe in His name for our salvation, we are born into God’s eternal family (John 1:12-13) and we are promised that our sins will not separate us from God in eternity (Romans 8:1).

John’s description that Jesus is full of truth, like Paul’s reminder that “the gifts and callings of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29), assures us that Jesus is completely trustworthy. God is faithful to fulfill His promises of grace to save us from sin and death.

Grace and Truth together

Jesus was and is full of grace and truth at the same time. Jesus was not one of these things without the other:

• Grace without truth ceases to be grace. Without truth, grace loses its meaning, for if every behavior is equally approved then there is no need for forgiveness, no distinction between right and wrong, and no understanding of God’s love or righteousness.
  
  In short, if there is no standard of truth then there is no possibility for grace. Postmodern relativism can sometimes picture what it looks like when people attempt to have grace without truth.

• Truth without grace ceases to be good. Graceless truth twists God’s character into a harsh or even cruel taskmaster who creates moral burdens only to watch us miserably fail. Graceless truth promotes legalism and judgmentalism and destroys community.
  
  Without grace, God’s love for sinners is impossible. Truth without grace can only love what is perfect. And no human apart from Jesus is perfect. Therefore, there would be no hope of being loved by God or others. Without grace, humanity would be doomed and irrevocably denied its greatest good—fellowship with God and community with other people.
  
  The scribes and Pharisees are a depiction of truth without grace (Matthew 23). Jesus commended the church at Ephesus for standing for truth, but then told them He would remove their “lampstand” or witness if they did not return to their “first love.”

The combination of grace and truth in Jesus is essential to the Gospel. Without grace, God’s truth would be unbearable, as it exposes human sin and unworthiness. Without truth, God’s grace would lack direction and substance. In Jesus, these attributes coexist perfectly and fully, offering both forgiveness and the path to righteousness.

Jesus is neither grace without truth, nor is He truth without grace. Jesus is full of grace and truth. In Matthew 24:12-13, Jesus warns future disciples to endure, and not let their love “grow cold” because lawlessness (i.e. lack of truth) has abounded. He says that if any believer “endures to the end” in keeping their love in the face of lawlessness, “he will be saved.” We can infer that the “saved” in this instance is being delivered from standing for truth, against lawlessness, without continuing in love. This shows the vital importance of having both in combination in order to live in a manner that displays Jesus to the world and pleases God.

Here are three examples of the fullness of grace and truth of Jesus put into action when He dwelt among us:

1.  The Woman Caught in Adultery
     (John 8:2-11)

Jesus reflects the heart of God’s character (full of grace and truth) to the adulterous woman.

Jesus did not overlook, condone, or downplay her sin (truth). Neither did He condemn her for her sin (grace). He forgave her and told her to sin no more (John 8:11). He does not compromise truth to extend grace, nor does He withhold grace in the name of truth. His interaction with the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11) illustrates the fullness of both grace and truth in Him. He upholds the truth by acknowledging her sin and telling her to sin no more but extends grace by refusing to condemn her, urging her to leave her life of sin.

By being full of grace and truth, Jesus models the transformative power of grace and truth working together.

Grace is not just about forgiving sin but also empowering believers to live differently. Grace changes hearts and lives by drawing people into a relationship with God and enabling them to grow in holiness. True grace does not excuse sin, but rather, it motivates us to live in gratitude and obedience to God. Part of that motive is that we know that God promises He will reward/favor our obedience as faithful witnesses. This was a primary motive of Jesus as well as the Apostle Paul (Hebrews 12:2, 2 Corinthians 4:17, 2 Timothy 4:8).

2.  Jesus’s Cleansing the Temple of Extortioners
     (John 2:13-17)

The former high priest, Annas, set up a racket to extort the sincere worshippers of God, by forcing them to use special temple coins (instead of the Roman—issued currency which bore Caesar’s likeness) for temple sacrifices. There was an upcharge on the exchange. Annas’s bazaars also sold animals for sacrifice at a premium price.

Jesus was righteously angered by this unjust abuse of His Father’s temple and His people. He took time to make a whip (John 2:15a) and violently drove out money changers and animal sellers, turning over their tables (John 2:15b).

At first glance, this may seem like an action of pure truth, with little to no grace. But even in violently clearing the temple of this market, Jesus’s action was full of grace and truth. It was motivated by His deep love for God and compassion for His people (grace). Jesus refused to tolerate the injustice or abuse done in His Father’s name (truth) in His Father’s house.

Truth was expressed in His righteous indignation toward sin and corruption, and at the same time, His act of cleansing was an act of grace for those who came to the temple to worship, as it restored the proper focus on God.

Grace does not mean passivity. Sometimes, grace requires bold action to confront wrongdoing for the sake of truth and justice.

3.  Jesus’s Crucifixion
    (John 19:1-30)

The cross is the ultimate demonstration of both grace and truth. On the cross, Jesus bore the judgment for sin that humanity deserved (Colossians 2:13-14), satisfying God’s justice (truth) while extending forgiveness and salvation (grace) to sinners.

As God, fully God, Jesus was full of grace and truth. And the fullness of grace and truth was on full display during His crucifixion:

“For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”
(Colossians 1:19-20)

The cross is the ultimate demonstration of both grace and truth. On the cross, Jesus bore the judgment for sin that humanity deserved (Colossians 2:13-14), satisfying God’s justice (truth) while extending forgiveness and salvation (grace) to sinners (John 3:16).

Grace and the Lake of Fire

Furthermore, the cross of Jesus, where He sacrificially suffered and willfully surrendered His life in obedience to the Father for the sins of the world, is how an all—loving, all—powerful God who is full of grace and the terrible reality of eternal damnation and separation from God in the lake of fire are both possible.

The truth is that all have sinned and are deserving of death (everlasting torment and separation from God in the lake of fire)—(Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23a, Ephesians 2:1-3, Revelation 20:15). But because of God’s gift of grace through sending His Son Jesus, all people can receive eternal life through faith in Him (John 3:16, Romans 6:23b, Ephesians 2:4-8).

The cross is able to rescue us from the reality of hell. The cross is God’s act of grace to save us from this terrible truth. But the grace must be received in order to save us.

Each person must receive God’s grace through faith in Jesus as God and their Messiah (Savior), and as many who receive Him are born into God’s eternal family and are saved (John 1:12-13). Again, Jesus is “the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through [Him]” (John 14:6).

Rejecting Christ means choosing God’s wrath and judgment instead of grace (John 3:18-19, 3:36, 8:24, 12:48, 15:22). Those who spend eternity in the lake of fire do so because they chose it. Even in this, God’s favor toward humanity abounds because He granted agency to each person to choose their path, and a window of time in which to choose it.

It is good to remember that while grace is free to us, it was costly to God. The awful sacrifice of God’s Son reveals the truth of sin’s gravity. Jesus’s suffering and death on the cross is the price of grace. Jesus’s sacrificial death on the cross demonstrated the greatest act of love the world has ever seen (John 15:13).

And His sacrifice on the cross demonstrated that He was full of grace and truth.