“A JOURNEY THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF JOHN” St. John 1:14-18

In the previous verses, St. John 1:1-13, we discussed the fact that our Lord had a preexistence before time began; thus, we forth rightly stated that the “Word” is God, for He was and is the creator of this vast universe (St. John 1:1-3). But the infinite One in St. John 1:1-3, became finite. In verse 14, the “infinite One” became manifest and “became flesh.” What a marvelous expression as found in verse 14, “And the Word was made (became) flesh.” Christ became what He was not previously. He took upon Himself human flesh. Our Lord did not cease to be God, but He became man. This marvelous union of the two natures in the Person of Christ is indeed one of the giant mysteries of our faith – “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh.” (I Timothy 3:16). The same Babe that was born in Bethlehem, who was born in extreme poverty, was none other than the Lord of glory, who tabernacled among men. Thank God for such kindness, for in such a condescension, Christ displayed the essential glory of God. When men beheld Christ, they witnessed His supreme excellence and personal perfections. When men beheld Christ, they saw Deity personified in a human body – for in the person of Christ, there was a union of the two natures. Yes, Christ became a genuine man, yet He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26).

One of the reasons for Christ’s incarnation was for Christ to make known God to man. God, who is Spirit (St. John 4:24), and in His essence, no man has seen, was clearly manifested in His Son. God’s “grace and truth” was fully manifested in Christ (St. John 1:17). Yes, when men saw Jesus, they saw “Deity manifested in human flesh.

In conclusion, Our blessed Lord testified to that fact when He replied to Phillip in St. John 14:9, for He said: “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father”. In Christ’s condescension, we have an exhibition of God’s love to mankind, a love that was expressed supremely on a cross of shame as Christ gave
Himself a ransome for all mankind.
And if mankind is willing to be saved,
he or she only needs to look in faith to
Jesus Christ – in that Christ said in St.
John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by Me.”

May God bless!
by Rev.Johnny Smith