“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.” – John 1:14
This is one of the most beautiful verses in Scripture! John is describing God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, his friend for three years who literally changed his life forever. He is describing the very embodiment of grace and truth who walked among crowds of people healing, rebuking and encouraging them all at the same time. In addition, John is connecting New Testament truth to Old Testament fact.
There are two very important things to realize in this Scripture. First, notice in this verse that the word “Word” is capitalized. This is highly unusual unless John is describing deity. The Greek word used here was “logos” which was a popular word used among the philosophers of Jesus’ day. It was one of Aristotle’s three dimensions to philosophical reasoning (the other two being ethos and pathos). It meant “logic” or “rational reasoning;” in this case the very “reason” for our existence, the entire incarnation of God, came down to live among His creation. The verse can be reiterated as “And the very reason for our existence became flesh and dwelt among us …”
Second, the word “dwelt” is very important. The Greek word used here is “tabernacled.” John was a Jewish fisherman, versed in the Hebrew language and culture. He had a working knowledge of Old Testament theology. He knew the story of the Exodus and the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years. He also was aware of the significance of the Tabernacle that God instructed Moses to build in the center of their camps (Exodus 25:8). It was the place where God dwelled among His people in the form of a cloud that covered the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:34). God revealed his glory, called the Shekinah glory, daily as He dwelled with His people.
It’s no accident that John purposefully used this word to describe the fact that hundreds of years later God, in the form of His Son Jesus, would once again dwell among His people. Just like the Shekinah glory shone in the desert, the same Shekinah glory shone through Jesus Christ.
Today, just like in the day of the apostle John, we are the Temple (or Tabernacle) of God (1 Corinthians 3:16) and He “tabernacles” with us, in our hearts. And just as His Shekinah glory shone through the Tabernacle in Moses’ day and through Jesus, He desires that His glory continue to shine through us.
Let Jesus shine!
In Christ,
Dave
Other articles in this series:
Jesus – More Than a Name
Immanuel – God is With Us
Bethlehem – House of Bread
Jesus – God in the Flesh
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