John 1:1 and John 1:14 are two pivotal verses in the Gospel of John that reveal profound truths about Jesus Christ as the eternal Word of God made flesh. In these verses, John establishes Christ’s deity and incarnation – that He is fully God and yet took on human flesh to dwell among us.
John 1:1
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
This verse teaches us several key things about Jesus as the Word:
- He is eternal – “In the beginning was the Word” – He existed before the beginning of creation
- He is distinct from God the Father, yet equal – “The Word was with God” – He has a close relationship and union with the Father
- He is fully God – “The Word was God” – He shares the divine nature and is one with the Father
So in this first verse, John establishes that the Word (Jesus) is eternal, close to the Father, and is in His very essence God. This lays the foundation for the stunning statement to follow in verse 14.
John 1:14
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
While verse 1 teaches Christ’s deity and eternal nature, verse 14 reveals His incarnation. This verse teaches us:
- The Word became flesh – the eternal Word took on a human body and nature
- He dwelt among us – the Word lived on earth as a man among mankind
- He is the only Son of the Father – Christ has a unique, one-of-a-kind relationship with the Father
- He is full of grace and truth – Jesus perfectly reveals God’s grace and truth to us
This is a monumental revelation – God became man! The divine Word added humanity to His deity in the person of Jesus Christ. God came down to dwell among His people so they could behold His glory.
The Significance of Jesus as the “Word”
Why does John describe Jesus as the “Word”? This title for Christ encapsulates His importance and work in at least four ways:
- Jesus reveals who God is – As a word expresses an idea or concept, Christ perfectly expresses the character, mind, and truth about God (John 1:18).
- Jesus is the communication and message from God – Just as words/speech transmit information between persons, Christ is God’s communication to humanity.
- Jesus is the revelation of God’s plan – God’s full redemptive plan is found and revealed in Christ (Ephesians 1:7-10).
- Jesus creates and sustains all things – As God spoke creation into being, Christ upholds all of creation by His word of power (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17).
In summary, these two verses in John teach us that Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of God who took on flesh to become both fully God and fully man in order to reveal God to us and redeem us from our sins. This willful act of condescension by the Son of God to lower Himself and become the God-man is one of the most stunning truths of Christianity.
Unfolding the Meaning of These Verses
We can further unpack the profound significance of these verses by looking closely at what they reveal about Christ:
1. Christ’s eternal nature
Jesus was not created and did not come into being at a point in time. He has eternally existed with the Father and the Spirit. When John says “In the beginning was the Word” he reaches back before the creation of the space-time universe as we know it to declare the Word’s eternal pre-existence and deity. This point is key – the Word is categorically different than the creation because He Himself is uncreated.
2. Christ’s distinct yet equal relationship with the Father
The Word is “with God” – meaning that though distinct from the Father, He intimately co-exists with Him and shares union, fellowship, and glory with Him. This language suggests both distinct personhood of the Word and equality with God the Father in essence. The Word does not become fully God at a point in time, He has always been fully divine in nature.
3. Christ is fully God
This simple but profound phrase “the Word was God” is one of the clearest declarations of Christ’s absolute deity in the Bible. He does not merely have “a divine nature”, He is fully and completely God. When John says “was” rather than “became” it underscores that the Word is unchangeably and eternally God. There is no point at which He “became” deity.
4. Christ added perfect humanity to His deity
The divine Word added to Himself a real human nature when He became flesh. This is an astonishing truth – the Creator became part of His creation! As fully man Jesus lived on earth just like us, facing temptation and death, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). In becoming flesh, God could save, relate, and identify with humans in the most intimate way possible.
5. Christ is the unique Son of God
Jesus has a one-of-a-kind relationship with the Father that no other being in the universe shares. He is God’s “only Son” – sharing the same divine nature as the Father from all eternity. This speaks to the absolute uniqueness of Christ’s sonship as compared to believers who are adopted into God’s family.
6. Christ reveals God’s glory, grace and truth to us
As John says, “we have seen his glory.” In Jesus, the invisible God became visible and tangible to us. Christ manifests the weightiness, splendor, and majesty of God. He also perfectly communicates God’s truth, love, mercy, and grace to mankind. We behold the heart of God and the wonder of the Gospel through Christ.
These truths should fill believers with awe, joy and gratitude for who Christ is and what He accomplished for us in becoming flesh!
Verses for Deeper Study
For further study on Jesus as the Word here are some other key verses to examine:
- John 1:3 – Christ the Word created all things
- John 1:18 – The Word makes God known to us
- John 8:58 – Before Abraham was, I am
- Colossians 1:15-17 – Pre-eminence and sovereignty of Christ
- Colossians 2:9 – Fullness of God in Christ
- Hebrews 1:1-3 – Final revelation of God in His Son
- 1 John 1:1-3 – The apostles’ witness of the incarnate Word
- Revelation 19:13 – Christ called Faithful and True and the Word
Meditating on these and other passages alongside John 1:1 and 14 will provide greater understanding of who Christ is as the living Word of God. We see His supreme glory, creative power, and redemptive grace on full display through Him. What an awesome Savior!
Putting These Truths On Display
How can we reflect and apply these truths to our lives today? Here are some ways to keep the stunning reality of Jesus as the eternal Word made flesh on display in our hearts and actions:
- Worship Christ in prayer and song for His greatness revealed through the incarnation. Praise Him aloud!
- Proclaim the Gospel with boldness, remembering that this Word transforms lives. Speak His truth!
- Study Christ’s words in Scripture. Dig in deeply to know Him more and more. Learn from the Word!
- Imitate Christ’s grace and truth by the Spirit’s help. Walk as the Word lived. Follow His examples!
- Tell others about who Christ is and what He has accomplished. Make the Word known far and wide!
- Stand in awe of the Word made flesh. No truth is greater than this. Marvel at His glory!
As we reflect on the meaning of John 1:1 and 14, may the wonder of the Word made flesh ignite worship, grace, obedience and proclamation in our lives!
