For a few weeks now we have looked at John’s prologue from which the rest of his gospel will flow. In the gospels of Matthew and Luke we see the historical evidence of Jesus’ incarnation, but in John’s gospel we see the theological exposition of Christmas. There is a key phrase that is both the message of Christmas and is the heart of the gospel. This phrase is, “The Word was made flesh.” This one phrase separates Christianity from every other religion. This one phrase distinguishes Christ from all others who have ever lived. John’s gospel and Christianity itself flows from this incredible phrase. The Word is Jesus. He is the preexistent, coexistent, self-existent Word of God. He is Himself the infinite and illuminating glory of the godhead. The infinite illuminating Word became flesh. The incarnation of Christ makes the invisible glory of God visible. To better understand the heart of Christmas and the gospel we need to simply understand that Jesus became something that He wasn’t without losing or diminishing who He was. This is what it means when John writes, “The Word was made flesh.” There in Bethlehem, the Eternal I Am manifests in temporary time, space, and matter as a newborn baby. Jesus’ birth into the world reminds us that the ageless Ancient of Days will be born, will grow, mature, age, bleed, and die as a man. Jesus is truly God. Jesus is truly man. Jesus is truly the Word made flesh. This critical doctrine is often forgotten or ignored. However, this doctrine of the incarnation of Christ, though a mystery, is revealed to us in scripture. The Greek mind viewed their gods as simply supermen who had to stay appeased. Simply, their view of deity was low. The Jewish mind viewed God being too high and lofty to be associated with flesh or humanity. Their view of God is not so much that they viewed Him too high, that is an impossibility. However, they viewed Him distant and disinterested. Yet, the birth of Jesus Christ tells us the opposite.
The greatest expression, extension, and explanation of God’s grace and glory are in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. These are the three things that we will focus on in this passage as we behold His glory at Christmas. Today we will peer into the manger to see the eternal Word made flesh for us. There in the manger we see baby Jesus who is the expression of God’s glory. He is the extension of God’s grace to man. He is the explanation of God Himself. The only way that we can behold the glory of God this Christmas and each day for that matter is by looking at the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. Jesus’ incarnation shows us the infinite glory of God has come into our finite world and may be known, experienced, and enjoyed by the finite.
John 1:14-18 says,
“14 And the Word was made 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. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”
First, we must see that the incarnation expresses glory. John 1:14-15 declares that Jesus in His incarnation, putting on of human flesh, expresses the glory of who God is. The glory of God is His intrinsic glory or essential glory. This is who He is, what He is like, what He has done, is doing, and will do. The glory of God is His attributes and actions. Jesus is the incarnate glory of God. Jesus is the glory of God with flesh on. In the above verses, we see that there are two witnesses to the fact that God’s glory came down and put on flesh in the birth of Jesus Christ. The first witness is Jesus Himself. He came to bear witness to the world of the Father. He does this first by being “made flesh.” Remember, Jesus is the eternal Word of God, but in the incarnation, He expresses the glory of God in the flesh. In the incarnation of Christ, He puts on humanity without taking off His deity. The incarnation is Jesus becoming what He isn’t without losing who He was. Jesus was born in the flesh and lived in the flesh. He was the God man. He was tempted as a man. He walked, talked, and lived as a man. He died as a man. Jesus became a man to identify with humanities’ struggle with grief, sorrow, and temptation; but Jesus lived in perfect obedience without ever sinning (Isa. 53; 1 Pt. 2). He knew no sin. He knew sinners, but He Himself would not sin and could not sin because He is the Word of God but made flesh for us. The incarnation of Christ is the expression of God’s glory that has come for you, to you, and near you. Both the Jews and Greeks could not comprehend this concept. We couldn’t come near the glory of God, so in the incarnation of Christ, God’s holy glory came near to us as the Word is made flesh. Notice the second key phrase, “and dwelt among us.” The word dwell here is the same word for tabernacle. This is an allusion to the Old Testament tabernacle in the wilderness that was entrusted to the children of Israel. The tabernacle was also called the tent of meeting because it was the place where God met with His people and they could meet with God. However, the tabernacle was divided up into outer courts, holy place, and the holy of holies. The further you went into the tabernacle, the more restricted the access was, because the glory of God dwelt in the holy of holies above the mercy seat. This was only accessed once a year by the serving high priest who would enter in on the Day of Atonement. There was a thick veil that divided the holy of holies from the rest of the tabernacle. No man has seen God, nor can behold Him in all of His glory. So, as John tells us that Jesus “dwelt among us,” He is saying that Jesus put on a tent so that the glory of God could be seen, touched, and known as it could not be in the Old Testament tabernacle. Look at what Exodus 40:34-38 says, “34 Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 36 And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: 37 But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. 38 For the cloud of the Lord was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.” God used the tabernacle to be present with His people and also to protect His people from His infinite unapproachable glory. Jesus’ incarnation is the expression of God’s glory but veiled in flesh. He is the true and better tabernacle and temple, because He Himself dwelt among His people. He walked and talked with them. He ate with them. He had compassion on them. He loved them. Now, we are not in need of a tabernacle or temple, but each believer in Christ is the “temple of the Holy Ghost” (1 Cor. 6:19) and in eternity we will have no need of the temple because Jesus will be the forever abiding radiating presence of God’s glory.
The second witness of the incarnate glory of Christ are two different Johns who were Jesus’ witnesses of His incarnate glory as He expresses God’s glory in human flesh. First, there is who we will call John A. John A is the John the Beloved Apostle of Jesus who authors this gospel. John “beheld his glory” as Jesus walked among them. John was able to witness the intrinsic glory of God’s attributes and actions in the life and ministry of Jesus. This glory of God is declared by God in Exodus 33:17-34:7 as Moses is given the privilege of seeing the afterglow or back parts of the glory of God as He passes by Moses to declare His glory. John is showing us the incredible truth that God showed Moses His back parts, but that now in Jesus, God shows us His face. In the other gospels, we also see that John, James, and Peter were witnesses of the expression of God’s glory on the mount of transfiguration where the veil is opened for these privileged disciples to see the true glory of Christ (See Matthew 17:1-8). John A also is a witness of the incarnation expressing the glory of God as Jesus lives “full of grace and truth.” Grace and truth can’t be separated. Grace reveals truth and requires truth. Responding by faith to the truth of the gospel is a work of grace. Jesus is grace incarnate, in the flesh. Jesus is truth incarnate, in the flesh. If you look at Jesus, you are looking at the expression of God’s glory. You are looking at grace itself. You are beholding eternal truth in flesh. Second, there is who we will call John B. John B is John the Baptist who was physically older than Christ, preached before Jesus performed miracles or preached messages. However, John B’s witness of Jesus is that Christ is preexistent, preferred, and preeminent. John the Baptist knew his place and that his role was to point to Jesus (John 1:6-9; 3:25-35). Jesus is sovereign, John B was not. Jesus is sufficient, John B was not. Jesus is supreme, John B was not. Jesus is superior, John B was not. The incarnation is the expression of God’s glory as the Word is made flesh, dwelling amongst men full of grace and truth for all who will receive Him.
Second, we must see that the incarnation extends grace. John 1:16-17 says, “16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” Jesus is full of glory and grace. Grace and glory in many respects are the two themes of eternity. God’s glory is the subject and God’s grace is the teacher. Jesus is both the subject of all eternity and the professor of all that we are and all that God is. As the incarnation expresses God’s glory, which of course simultaneously shows us our lack thereof, it also extends grace to man so that we can behold the glory of God. Without God’s grace we could never know His glories. Yet, because of the incarnation we can know both and receive both. These two verses show us that God’s grace is infinitely abounding and infinitely available in the person and work of Christ. The phrase “grace for grace,” should be understood that grace is unending and unlimited. We only experience God’s grace. All you and I have ever known is God’s grace. All of life is of grace because of Jesus coming to extend the grace of God. Grace itself is God’s kindness, favor, revealing, and work for, in, and through us. Grace expresses God’s glory by extending the gospel to the lowly, last, and least of us. The grace that is found in Christ’s coming is God’s best for your worst. That’s what grace is. Grace, like manna in the wilderness, is free and available to all who will receive it. To receive grace is to receive Jesus and to receive Jesus is to receive grace. Jesus is the expression of God’s glory and extension of His grace to us so that through Him we might know God. God’s glory can’t be known outside of grace and Jesus Christ. What is also seen is that Jesus’ extension of grace is far greater than what Moses and the Law could ever do. The Law could never save, only condemn and show one’s need of a savior (Gal. 2:17-21). This Christmas, the greatest gift that you can open is the grace of God in the person and work of Christ. He is the expression of God’s glory and extension of His grace. Jesus’ grace is greater than your guilt, sorrow, or shame. Hebrews 9 expresses the superiority of Jesus, His grace, and the New Covenant through His substitutionary sufficient sacrifice for sins. Who does Christ extend this grace to? John 1:12-13 tell us, “12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Later John writes in John 20:30-31, “30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” God’s grace came to you, for you, and near you in the incarnation of Christ. Jesus expresses God’s glory and extends grace, but there is one more thing that we must see to behold His glory this Christmas.
Third, and finally, we must see that the incarnation explains God. John 1:18 culminates the prologue of John’s gospel and this theological exposition of Christmas by saying, “18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” No one has ever seen God, but He is expressed and seen in Jesus. Jesus is the only begotten of God who eternally enjoyed the intimate fellowship with God but came to this world so that you and I might do the same. John tells us that Jesus has “declared him.” The word “declare” is the word for exegete. You might hear people say something about exegeting or expositing the scriptures. This simply means to explain and interpret. Meaning, if you want to explain God or interpret God, you must do so by way of Jesus. Jesus is the eternal Word made flesh who explains God, extends grace, and expresses glory all the while explaining man’s nature to man. Jesus has seen God and shows us God so that those who have received Him will one day see God face to face as Jesus eternally does. Without the incarnation, man could never know or explain God. Without the incarnation we could never begin to wrap our head around Him, but He came and revealed Himself to us so that we may know Him. God wants to be known, received, experienced, and enjoyed. He is known, received, experienced, and enjoyed in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you want to know God, you can because of the incarnation of Christ. All that we need to know about ourselves, and God are found in Jesus, the incarnate Word made flesh.
As we wrap this series up, I wonder if you have considered the glory of God as you prepare for Christmas. We are faithful to our shopping list, scheduled events, and preparation for the new year, but all of this is futile in comparison to knowing and beholding the glory of God. This Christmas, do you know Jesus Christ? I’m not asking if you know about Him or even the historical events surrounding His birth, but do you know the Word made flesh? Have you received His grace? Are you resounding His glory? As we think about Jesus being born of a virgin wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger in Bethlehem, let’s not forget to behold His infinite, illuminating, incarnate glory. The Word was made flesh for you so that you may be born again and enjoy the grace and glory of God in Christ eternally. That is something to behold this Christmas and every day. By grace, you and I can freely see His glory in the gospel of Christ. Jesus was born to die so that you and I who are born in death may be born again unto eternal life. This is His glory and grace lying in a manger. This is Christmas.
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