John, Part 5 – The Revelation Of Jesus Christ — The Word Was Made flesh
John was witness to the revelation that Jesus is the Life and Light. The third witness of John was the revelation that Jesus Christ the Word, was made flesh.
John 1:14-18 NKJV And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
One of the greatest mysteries of God’s grace is the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, was made flesh and blood. Out from eternity, the Son of God became a man with all of the limitations of time and space.
Philippians 2:6-8 NKJV Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
No greater message could ever be proclaimed to man. The message of the incarnation of Jesus Christ presents the world with the glorious mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The entire plan of God’s salvation hinges upon the fact of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. Christ became flesh. He who was spirit and life became flesh and dwelt among us. There is no doubt about John’s meaning here.
The Word became flesh.
The word “flesh” describes the physical human nature with all of its potential weaknesses and tendencies. This is a staggering thought. Jesus Christ is God Who humbled Himself to come in the likeness of man. One truth that is difficult to comprehend is the fact that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He possesses the full nature, character and attributes of God while He took upon Himself all of the nature, character, and attributes of man.
John 1:14 NKJV And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
The word “beheld” means actually seeing with the human eye. John is saying that God actually became a man and we saw Him. Jesus Christ was not just a vision or apparition of God’s Son. John is saying that they actually saw Jesus Christ the Son of God in the flesh. Jesus Christ was definitely God, Who became man. The concept of this is incomprehensible. The infinite and unbounded God became a man. He had the very same flesh as all other men.
1 John 1:1–4 NKJV That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
The first proof of the incarnation is that Jesus Christ dwelt visibly among us.
John 1:14 NKJV And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
God’s glory was seen in a human being. Christ was the Shekinah glory of God dwelling among us. The light of the world is the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, (2 Corinthians 4:6).
The word Shekinah is not found in the Bible. It refers to the times that God visibly revealed Himself in glory. God’s radiant glory was the bright cloud that led Israel out of Egypt. It was the glory cloud that rested upon the tabernacle and above the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place (Exodus 40:34-38). The radiant glory, or presence of God dwelling in the midst of His people, is used to signify God Himself. In Ezekiel 9:18, the glory of God departed from the temple.
Now, John is giving witness of the glory of God dwelling in Jesus Christ. Dwelling among them was the Son of God, in all of His glory. Christ’s glorious person dwelt among men in the same manner as the radiant glory of God settled upon the tabernacle. In the tabernacle, the cloud was a sign of God’s presence.
John was saying: “We beheld His glory.” We actually saw the radiant glory of God’s very presence “dwelling among us.” On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James and John were privileged to see the radiant glory of God.
Matthew 17:1–5 NKJV Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
Jesus Christ is the very embodiment of God in human flesh.
He is the incarnation of all that God is and does. John said: “we beheld,” we looked at Him and we could tell He was God. Jesus was enormously different in His person and being, character and behavior. In person and behavior, work and ministry He was the very embodiment of “grace and truth.” He was the perfect manifestation of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control. He was the absolute personification of all that God is.
Jesus Christ was a man. He could maneuver fishing boats. He paid taxes. He ate and talked with different people. He suffered great agony. He cried out on the cross when He felt abandoned. These things show the humanity of Jesus.
Yet, He was not an ordinary man. He forgave sin and had authority over nature. He revealed the glory of God. He is in a class of His own. In the person Jesus Christ, the glory of everything that God is stood before them. He dwelt in their very presence, walked, talked and fellowshipped with them.
They beheld Him with their very own eyes. Jesus Christ, the Man dwelt among them but He was more than just a man. The glory of God was among men in the person Jesus Christ.
In Christ, the whole fullness of deity dwells in a bodily form.
Colossians 2:9 AMP For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature].
The glory of His being was the very glory that God Himself possesses. The glory of His being was the very glory that God would give His only begotten Son.
James called Jesus “the Lord of glory.”
Mary was the Mother of Jesus and James. James was raised in the same house with Jesus from the earliest years of childhood. James knew Jesus through the years of adulthood. He had every opportunity to see and observe Jesus. He had every chance to see some act of disobedience, or sin. He would have seen anything that was contrary to the nature of God. James’ testimony said: “Our Lord Jesus Christ, was the Lord of Glory.” (James 2:1b)
Jesus Christ was full of grace and truth. He was the very embodiment of grace. He was the very embodiment of truth.
Isaiah 9:6 NKJV For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Romans 8:3 NKJV For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
Philippians 2:7 NKJV But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
The second proof of the incarnation is the witness of John the Baptist.
John 1:15 NKJVJohn bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”
John the Baptist said, “Jesus was born after me” (6 months after). “He is preferred before me” (mightier; more important in being, rank, and dignity).
Why was Jesus preferred before John the Baptist? Because “He was before John.” In time, Jesus Christ pre-existed John. He existed “in the beginning”—throughout all eternity. John said, “He was before me.” He always existed. He was the First. He was the cause for John’s existence. John declared that Jesus was first in importance. He was first in superiority, being, person.
Isaiah 44:6 NKJV “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.”
Revelation 1:8 NKJV “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
The third proof of the incarnation is the fullness and grace
of Christ that was given to us.
John 1:16–17 NKJV And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Believers can testify to this.The word “fullness,”– pleroma, means that which fills, the sum total, the totality. This is the sum total of all that is in God. John is giving witness to the fullness and grace that is in Christ.
Colossians 1:19 NKJV For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell.
In Jesus all the wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption dwells. All of the abundance of what constitutes God dwelt in Him.
Think about this. All that Jesus Christ is, the very fullness of His being, is given to us who believe. We are complete in Him.
Colossians 2:9-10 NKJV For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
We have been made complete in Him. We have been given His “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23).
John 1:16-17 NKJV And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
“Grace for grace” means that He gives grace piled grace. He gives enough grace to meet all our needs, no matter the circumstances. In Christ, we receive one blessing that leads to another. Fresh experiences of His favor constantly spring into our lives. The fullness of God, His grace and truth, does not come by the law, but by Jesus Christ. They do not come by being as good as we can. They do not come by working to please God. In the law, we fail to meet the expected degree of perfection.
In Christ, grace can make you acceptable to God. Grace is the undeserved favor of God. God’s grace comes by Jesus Christ. We cannot know the grace of God unless Jesus Christ comes to reveal it to us.
The fourth proof of the incarnation is Christ alone has seen God.
John 1:18 NKJV No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
John said: “No man has seen God at any time.” Jesus Christ claimed… that He was “the only begotten Son of God,” (John 3:16). He said that He came from the very “bosom of the Father.”
Jesus Christ dwelt in the most intimate place with the Father. He knew the most honorable and deep fellowship. He came to reveal and to proclaim the Father. The fact that Jesus Christ is “the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father” is proof that God became flesh. Jesus declared unequivocally that He had come from God.
