📖 Passage

John 1:14–18
Read John 1:14–18 (NKJV)

🧠 Context & Background

After describing the eternal Word and humanity's varied response to Him, John reaches the climax of the prologue: the Word became flesh. This is the doctrine of the incarnation — God the Son taking on full humanity while remaining fully God. John testifies to having seen His glory, a glory marked by grace and truth. The passage contrasts the grace given through Christ with the law given through Moses, affirming Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God. No one has ever seen God in His essence, but the Son, who is Himself God, has made Him known.

🌿 Key Themes

• Incarnation — The eternal Word took on human nature to dwell among His people.
• Glory Revealed — Jesus' life displayed the glory of God in a way accessible to humanity.
• Grace and Truth — Christ embodies God's covenant faithfulness in perfect fullness.
• Superiority of Christ — He surpasses John the Baptist and the law of Moses.
• Revelation of God — The Son makes the invisible God known.

📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary

John 1:14

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory..."

• Incarnation Defined — God the Son took on human nature without ceasing to be God.
• Dwelling Among Us — Echoes the tabernacle, where God's presence was among His people.
• Glory of the Son — The visible manifestation of divine majesty, full of grace and truth.

John 1:15

"(John bore witness about him, and cried out...)"

• John's Testimony — Affirms Jesus' eternal preeminence, existing before His human birth.
• Superiority Recognized — John acknowledges that Jesus surpasses him in rank and origin.
• Prophetic Confirmation — Reinforces the divine mission of Christ.

John 1:16

"For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."

• Abundant Grace — Christ supplies an inexhaustible store of grace for His people.
• Fullness in Christ — All spiritual blessings are found in Him.
• Continuous Provision — Grace is not a one-time gift but an ongoing supply.

John 1:17

"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

• Covenant Contrast — The law revealed God's standards; Christ fulfills and surpasses it.
• Grace and Truth — In Christ, God's covenant faithfulness is perfectly realized.
• Fulfillment, Not Abolition — Jesus completes what the law pointed toward.

John 1:18

"No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known."

• Invisible God — God's essence is unseen by humanity.
• Unique Son — Jesus is uniquely qualified to reveal the Father because He is God Himself.
• Perfect Revelation — In Christ, the Father's character and will are fully disclosed.

🔍 Trusted Insight

D.A. Carson writes that in the incarnation "God's ultimate self-disclosure took place," and that "Jesus is the exegete of God — He explains Him fully and finally."

Summary: In Christ, the invisible God is made visible, and His glory is revealed in grace and truth.

🧩 Review Questions

1. What does "the Word became flesh" teach about the nature of Jesus?
2. How does John connect Jesus' dwelling among us to Old Testament imagery?
3. In what way does Jesus surpass Moses and the law?
4. Why is Jesus uniquely able to reveal the Father?

🔍 Definitions

• Incarnation — The eternal Son of God taking on full humanity.
• Glory — The visible manifestation of God's majesty and holiness.
• Grace — God's unearned favor toward sinners.
• Truth — God's faithfulness and reliability in keeping His promises.

🙋 Application Questions

1. How does the reality of the incarnation shape your relationship with Christ?
2. In what ways have you experienced "grace upon grace" in your life?
3. How can you reflect Christ's grace and truth to others?

🔤 Greek Keywords

• Sarx (Flesh) — Human nature in its fullness, apart from sin.
• Skēnoō (Dwelt) — To pitch a tent or tabernacle; God's presence among His people.
• Plērōma (Fullness) — The complete sum of God's attributes and blessings.
• Monogenēs (Only Begotten/Unique) — One-of-a-kind Son with a unique relationship to the Father.
• Exēgeomai (Made Known) — To explain or reveal fully.

📚 Cross References

• Exodus 40:34–35 — God's glory fills the tabernacle.
• Leviticus 26:11–12 — God promises to dwell among His people.
• Hebrews 1:1–3 — The Son is the radiance of God's glory.
• Colossians 1:19 — All the fullness of God dwells in Christ.
• 1 Timothy 3:16 — The mystery of godliness: God manifested in the flesh.
• 1 John 4:9 — God's love revealed in sending His only Son.

📦 Next Study

Next Study → John 1:19–28