[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. [15] John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” [16] And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. [17] For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. [18] No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
What are the facts of the passage?:
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The Word, previously introduced, become flesh. That it (He) dwelt among us is added to be certain that we understand that we are talking about a human being.
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John beheld His glory
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John the Baptist bore witness to Him.
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We have all received of His glory - grace heaped upon grace.
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Moses was great - he was the instrument by which the Law was given. Christ is greater, grace comes through Him!
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No one is able to see God by their own natural abilities. The Son of God must reveal God to them.
What do those facts mean?:
There
is no finer or grander statement
in all of the Scripture than the Word was made flesh. Neither is there any
better news for sinful man, at least for the elect portion of sinful man.
Of course, there could be no worse news for those who, ultimately, will
not believe. God has made provision by coming to do the work of salvation
Himself.
The witness of John (both the Baptist and Apostle) are key because they were eye-witnesses to these events; and key players in the drama that is about to unfold and thus will be able to be trusted as far as their testimony goes. This is not hearsay but the reports of men who were there and who did and witnessed the events in question.
How do those facts apply to my life?:
The knowledge of who Christ really is is of inestimable value. In fact... one could say that it changes everything! To know that God has come in the flesh and to know who it was is the most valuable thing there is.
What should I do in response?:
I must be certain that I treat Christ with the respect, deference and honor that He deserves as the only begotten Son of God.
