John 1:14

Main Thought: Here John the Apostle recounts to us the marvelous truth of Jesus Christ becoming flesh and residing among us. The One who was eternal along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, became flesh, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and dwelt, or tabernacled among us as men. His time here on earth was brief, only 33 years, but His purpose was very clear from early on, that He came to “save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). John points out that we beheld His glory, indicating that the apostles and other followers were privileged to see the glory of God displayed in the person of Christ. They saw this glory in the many miracles that He performed, which included healing multitudes of their sicknesses and demon possession, commanding the winds and waves of the sea, forgiving men of their sins, and raising the dead to life. John himself saw Christ’s glory when He was transfigured before him, saw the risen Christ after His resurrection, and watched as He ascended back to the Father. Oh, what evidence of the glory of God the apostle John witnessed. Not only did John witness His glory, but he witnessed that Christ was full of grace and truth. Like no other, Christ demonstrated grace in His life and spoke the truth of God. He did not seek out the Pharisees, the religious elite of that day, but He sought out those who were sinners, the reviled of society, those most in need of the grace and salvation of God, saying “For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt. 9:13). And the truth that He spoke was unmatched, speaking with perfect knowledge and clarity. He spoke of man’s greatest need, which was and is not social justice or reclamation, but of the salvation of his soul, saying to Nicodemus “You must be born again” (John 3:3); telling Martha that “I am the resurrection and the life… everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:25-26); and telling the apostles “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). What great mercy, grace and love our Lord showed to this world in becoming a man, making Himself into the form of a servant, speaking the absolute truth regarding salvation, and dying upon the Cross of Calvary to pay the sin debt for every sinner that will ever come to Him. May we today raise our voices and our hearts in praise to Him for what He has done for us.