A Study of John's Gospel

John 1:14: The Word Became Flesh and We Have Seen His Glory

A study of 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."

‭‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Definitions of the original language in the context of this passage:

-Word: "logos", "λόγος"; masculine noun - In several passages in the writings of John "ὁ λόγος" denotes the essential Word of God, i. e. the personal (hypostatic) wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in the creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world's life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man's salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah and shone forth conspicuously from his words and deeds.

-Flesh: "sarx", "σάρξ"; feminine noun - entered into participation with human nature.

-Dwelt: "skēnoō", "σκηνόω"; verb - "to fix one's tabernacle, have one's tabernacle, abide (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent); universally equivalent to "dwell", i.e. in John 1:14 to "dwell" or "tabernacle" among us. "To dwell in a tent," "To tabernacle."

-We Have Seen: "the Somali", "θεάομαι"; verb - to behold, look upon, view attentively, contemplate; of august things and persons that are looked upon with admiration.

-Glory: "doxa", "δόξα"; feminine noun - the absolutely perfect inward or personal excellence of Christ: 2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4; in which he excels by virtue of his nature.

-Of The Only Son: "monogenēs", "μονογενής"; adjective - used of Christ, denotes the only begotten son of God.

-The Father: "patēr", "πατήρ"; masculine noun - God is called the Father; the Father of Jesus Christ, as one whom God has united to himself in the closest bond of love and intimacy, made acquainted with his purposes, appointed to explain and carry out among men the plan of salvation, and made to share also in his own divine nature.

-Full: "plērēs", "πλήρης"; adjective - of the soul, thoroughly permeated with.

-Grace: "charis", "χάρις"; feminine noun - the grace of Christ,' in that through pity for sinful men Christ left his state of blessedness with God in heaven, and voluntarily underwent the hardships and miseries of human life, and by his sufferings and death procured salvation for mankind.

-Truth: "alētheia", "ἀλήθεια"; feminine noun - the truth, as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man; the truth which is the gospel or which the gospel presents.

Observation/Summary(short explanation of what the passage says in your own words):

The Word, who is Jesus Christ, the uncreated One who created all things, added the fullness of humanity to His nature while retaining the fullness of His deity and lived among us on this earth. John tells us "we," meaning he and the many other eyewitnesses, saw Jesus and His glory. The glory they witnessed in the Word who became flesh was the glory of the only Son of God sent by God the Father. And He in His glory was and is full of grace and truth.

Implication (what does this mean to us):

In the 13 verses leading to this one, John has presented the idea of the "Word" or "Logos" which ancient Jewish Rabbis and Greek philosophers had discussed and pontificated about for centuries, as the uncreated, preexistent God who created and gave life to all things. He told us about how the Word, Jesus, came into the world, the world did not know Him, and His own people did not receive Him, which was shocking and sad. But then He told us that actually there were some who did receive and believe in Him, and those who did were given the right and ability to become children of God. These statements on their own would have been shocking enough, but John goes even further here in verse 14 when he says the "Word became flesh."