The Word Became Flesh

“And the Word was made 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 1:14

John has been very clear about who Jesus of Nazareth is: He is eternal God. He has always existed as God. He created the world and gave life to every human being. He came to that world to give life, but he was rejected by the people He had made. However, God will make those who believe in His Son His children. But Jesus of Nazareth was a man, observed by eyewitnesses and recorded in history. How could this man claim to be God?
In this verse, John describes the incarnation, which means “the process of becoming flesh.” John says that the Eternal Son of God, the Word, “was made flesh.” Without sacrificing His divine nature, Jesus took on a human nature. This one person was both fully God and fully man. In this way, John says, the Eternal Word took on human flesh and lived with us.
But Jesus was not just a man. John takes pains to say that although He took on flesh, those who saw Him and knew Him realized He was not just a man. No, they saw His glory. They observed His surpassing excellency and greatness, the glory that proved He was God’s unique and beloved Son.
Jesus’ life and actions proved He was who He claimed to be: God’s Son. His life demonstrated a perfect example of “grace and truth.” In His dealings with sinful men (the majority of whom rejected Him), He displayed the love and mercy of God. In His teaching, He displayed absolute truth, total conformity to the nature of God in all things. Jesus was God come in the flesh.