The Living Word

John 1:14 “And the Word became 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.”

I read a great little commentary on this bible verse that I’d like to share today. It proclaimed that this is the great verse of “the Incarnation”, declaring to us that the Creator of all things, the eternal Word of God actually became a man, being “made flesh”.  The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines the word “incarnation” as : The act of assuming flesh, or of taking a human body and the nature of man; as the incarnation of the Son of God. Literally, God with skin on. Since this verse and the following verses unequivocally refer to “Jesus Christ”, there is no legitimate escape from the great truth that the man called Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, as well as perfect man and redeeming Savior. Furthermore, He has assumed human flesh forever, while still remaining fully God. He is Immanuel, “God with us”.  He is not part man and part God, or sometimes man and sometimes God, but is now the God-man, fully and eternally true God and perfect man.

 When He came to earth, born of woman, He “dwelt among us” for a while. The word “dwelt,” however, is actually the Greek word for “tabernacled.” As in the tabernacle prepared by Moses in the wilderness, the glory of God in Christ dwelled on Earth for a time in a “body” prepared by God. We also “beheld His glory,” says His beloved disciple, John. The Greek word for “tabernacle” (skene) is a cognate word to shakan(the Hebrew word for “dwell”), both being related to what has come to be known as the Shekinah glory cloud that filled the ancient tabernacle.

Eventually, per Revelation 21:3, when the Holy City descends out of heaven to the new earth, then “the tabernacle of God” will forever be “with men,” and He will “dwell with them” and “be their God” eternally. Thus, God’s “Living Word” is now and always our living Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessings in Christ