Jesus Christ brought to fullness the Old Testament manifestations of the presence of God’s glory among men. He epitomized God’s true nature. By revealing Himself in this way, YHWH made Himself approachable, understandable and tangible for all people.
Despite miraculous signs and profound demonstrations of God’s power in the past, such as the parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of Jericho, humanity remained estranged from it’s Creator. So the Lord took it upon Himself to enter into the world He created and provide the path of salvation. “But when the kindness of our God and Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.” (Titus 3:4-5a).
In the gospel of John, Jesus is clearly depicted as God’s self revelation. The eternal, infinite, omnipotent and omnipresent Creator, incarnated in the bodily form of Jesus of Nazareth. “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.” (John 1:9-10). The disciple is speaking of more than spiritual illumination, he is implying the giver of life itself would be walking among us.
From the onset of His narrative, John indicates that while Jesus was distinct from the Father, He was God in the fullest sense. John 1:1-3, establishes the premise of his comprehension of who Jesus was. ”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.”
THE WORD BECAME FLESH
This conceptual framework is further conveyed in verse fourteen, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The Word didn’t cease being God, but rather, the Word who was God took on human flesh and lived in the midst of humanity.
The Greek word skēnoō (σκηνόω) is used here and translates as “to dwell,” to tabernacle,” or to “pitch a tent.” It can also be translated as “to live,” to have one’s dwelling,” or to “abide.” Skēnoō emphasizes the notion of dwelling or residing, often with the connotation of a more intimate and temporary dwelling place, such as a tent or tabernacle.
Furthermore, skēnoō alludes to God dwelling among the Israelites in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:8-9; 33:7). Moses spoke with God in the tent of meeting while Jesus, the incarnate Word, conversed with society throughout Judea. The Holy Spirit now dwells within believers and our bodies are considered temples of God (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19).
Matthew 1:23 also conveys that Jesus would be called Immanuel – which means “God with us.” And Isaiah 9:6 predicted the incarnation in the 8th century BC: “For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” These titles illustrate the divine nature of the Son, to the point of calling Him “Mighty God.”
AN EXTENSION OF GOD HIMSELF
The Son of God is an extension of God Himself. He is not a created son, but a Son who is one with the Father in being and unique in His relationship with the Father. Jesus is the “One and Only” Son (John 1:14). The Greek word monogenēs is used, which means “one of a kind,” or “unique in origin.”
Paul declares in Colossians 2:9, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,” Here the Greek word translated as “fullness” (pleoroma) refers to a complete and perfect embodiment of something. The phrase “lives in bodily form” highlights the fact that this fullness of God is not just a spiritual or abstract presence, but is expressed in a physical, human form. Jesus was truly human, with a body, soul and spirit, while also being fully divine.
John explicitly states in John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known.” The multi-dimensional nature of God is evident in this proclamation, and after His ascension, Jesus once again took up His position at the right hand of the Mighty One.
Again, in John 6:46, Jesus’ revelation to the Jews that, “No one has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father.”, underpins this concept. These passages allude to the declaration of Exodus 33:20, that states that no one can look upon God’s face and live. This assertion significantly differentiates natural men (as Moses was) and Jesus in a distinct and concise way.
This truth is undoubtedly reinforced by the words of Jesus recorded in John 14:9 in His response to Philip’s question. “Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
Our finite minds cannot fathom the infinite nature of God and His ability to accomplish what we deem impossible. On this notion, the synoptic gospels concur. Luke 1:37 states, “For nothing is impossible with God.” In Matthew 19:26, Jesus says, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” And Mark 10:27 records Jesus similarly informing the disciples, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
THE BREAD OF LIFE
John’s emphasis of Jesus elevating the provision of God from the manna that sustained Israel in the desert (Exodus 16) to Himself, illustrates not “what”, but “who” the true bread of life is. “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (John 6:33). The subsequent discourse (John 6:48-58) demonstrates the difficulty in comprehending that Jesus is indeed the giver of life, and many of His students discontinued following Him because of this. They perceived His words in a strictly physical interpretation rather than the spiritual context He intended.
Indeed, this is the very same understanding that is conveyed in Genesis 2:17, that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil will bring about death that very day. Adam and Eve died spiritually when they consumed the fruit. Conversely, Jesus offers spiritual life when we truly believe and consume the Word. This contrast is proclaimed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:22, where he wrote, “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”
The words of Jesus in John 6:62-63 convey the consistent and unwavering truth that He not only came from heaven, He is equal with the Holy Spirit in providing life. “What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where He was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh accounts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life.”
John wrote his gospel so that people would believe that Jesus was the Messiah. As an eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry, miracles and teachings, he discloses in the twentieth chapter, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not recorded in this book. These were written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:30-31).
The incarnation is a powerful testimony to the infinite power of God and the co-equality and co-essentiality of Christ with the Father. It affirms that Jesus is not simply a created being or prophet, but the very embodiment of God Himself. Jesus Christ, the unique “One and Only” Son, is both fully divine and fully human, and He alone is the path to knowing God. His proclamation in John 14:6 resonates throughout the ages: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
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