"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." (v.14)
And the Word became flesh: This is John’s most startling statement so far. It would have amazed thinkers in both the Jewish and the Greek world to hear that the Word became flesh. What John was indicating is that God (The Word) has come close to us (man) in the person of Jesus Christ. And one doesn't have to struggle to find Him; He came down to us.
And dwelt among us: The idea behind this phrase is more literally, dwelt as in a tent among us. From the sense and the context, John connected the coming of Jesus to humanity with God’s coming to and living with Israel in the tent of the tabernacle. A better translation might be, and tabernacled among us - as the tabernacle represented was many things that Jesus is among His people: The center of Israel’s camp, the place where the Law of Moses was preserved, the dwelling place of God, the place of revelation, the place where sacrifices were made, and the center of Israel’s worship. Everything was centered around the tabernacle.
We beheld His glory: The word beheld is stronger than the words “saw” or “looked.” John tells us that he and the other disciples carefully studied the glory of the Word made flesh. John testified to this as an eyewitness, even as John the Baptist testified. John could say, “I saw His glory, the glory belonging to the only begotten of the Father.”
Full of grace and truth: These two ideas should hold our minds and direct our lives. God is grace, and truth. Not one without the other. Not the other apart from the one. In His government there can be no lowering of the simple and severe standard of Truth; and there is no departure from the purpose and passion of Grace.
The Truth: "For the Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)
