John Series Part 4 Series

John Series Part 4

John 1:14-18

Jesus the Word Made Flesh: The Third Witness of John the Apostle, 1:14–18

(1:14–18) Introduction: “The Word was made flesh”—God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, was made flesh and blood; He became a man. No greater message could ever be proclaimed to man.

1. Christ became flesh (v.14).

2. Proof 1: Christ dwelt visibly among us (v.14).

3. Proof 2: John the Baptist bore witness of the superiority of Christ (v.15).

4. Proof 3: men have received the fullness and grace of Christ (vv.16–17).

5. Proof 4: God has revealed Himself through Christ (v.18).

1 (1:14) Jesus Christ, Incarnation: Christ became flesh. The Incarnation did take place. The Son of God was actually made flesh. He came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ. There is no doubt about John’s meaning here.

The word flesh (sarx) is the same word that Paul used to describe man’s nature with all of its weakness and tendency to sin. This is a staggering thought. Jesus Christ is God—fully God, yet Jesus Christ is man—fully man. (See 1 Jn. 4:2–3.) The word beheld (theasthai) means actually seeing with the human eye. It is used about twenty times in the New Testament. There is no room whatever for saying that God’s becoming a man was merely a vision of some man’s mind or imagination. John was saying that he and others actually saw the Word made flesh. Jesus Christ was beyond question God Himself who became man, who partook of the very same flesh as all other men. (See 1 Jn. 1:1–4.) (See DEEPER STUDY # 1, Flesh—Jn. 1:14 for the meaning of “flesh” and why Jesus Christ had to become flesh. Also see DEEPER STUDY # 1, Flesh—1 Co. 3:1–4 for more discussion.)

DEEPER STUDY # 1

(1:14) Flesh: What does the Bible mean by “flesh”? And why did Jesus Christ have to become flesh? The best description of the flesh is probably found in 1 Co. 15:42–44. (See outline and notes—Ro. 5:12–21; 8:1f; DEEPER STUDY # 1—1 Co. 3:1–4.)

1. The flesh is corruptible.

a. The flesh is tainted, debased, ruined and depraved by sin (lust, 2 Pe. 1:4). There is a seed of corruption within human flesh; therefore, the flesh sins (lusts) and thereby ages, dies, deteriorates and decays. It does not live beyond a few years on this earth.

“The corruption which is in the world through lust” (2 Pe. 1:4).

“For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption” (Ga. 6:8).

“Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption” (1 Co. 15:50).

b. Christ (the Word) became flesh to correct and to counteract the corruption of flesh.

“[By Christ] are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Pe. 1:4).

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.… Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you” (1 Pe. 1:18–19, 23–25).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).

2. The flesh is dishonorable.

a. The flesh is not what God created it to be. It does not exist in the image of God that God intended. It does not hold the glory, the honor, nor the prestige it once did when God created it. It is disgraced and shamed, and it is reproached by sin and lust. It is held in the grip of sin and fear and subject to being held in bondage—even the bondage of death.

“In me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing” (Ro. 7:18).

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (Ro. 1:28–32; see Ga. 5:19–21).