John 1:14-18

The fruit of this union of God  in man gives us His joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. It enables us to have  grace for others and ourselves.

1 John 4:9 |n this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

Maybe we just need to be reminded God is with us. We, too, have God's presence. We do not walk alone. His hand holds us, (Isaiah 41:10) and His love protects us. (Romans 8:38-39) His peace guards us. (Philippians 4:7) No matter what we face, God will be with us. Kayla Ferris “First5” 

Care begins with the intentional choices we make about being present. About passion, grace, play, laughter and wholeheartedness. Sabbath Moments 

John 1:14-18

14 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. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. The New King James Version

This describes how the logos took on human form. This depiction of the logos as a personal being in human flesh is a reversal of the philosophical concept of the logos as an impersonal principle or force. The emphasis on the “flesh” could be an attempt to correct misunderstandings about the humanity of Jesus present in the early church. One of the earliest christological heresies from the second century ad was Docetism, which held that Jesus was fully divine and only appeared human and only appeared to die on the cross. The idea that divine beings could appear in human form was common in the ancient world, so John seems to take extra care to emphasize that Jesus was human, not that He merely appeared in human form. 

Through His Son, God is taking up a post among His people just as He had done for ancient Israel. The glory of Jesus, the Word, is the same as the glory of God the Father. The Greek term monogenēs, meaning “one and only” carries the sense of uniqueness and special beloved status. John’s use of monogenēs foreshadows the emphasis on the intimate relationship between Jesus and God the Father. Jesus is the unique and beloved Son of God, sent from God to fully represent the Father on earth and reveal the Father and His plan for salvation in a previously unparalleled way. The Son reflects the Father perfectly and perfectly carries out His will. The close relationship of Father and Son means their works and will are in perfect unity. 

Two central attributes of the divine character used throughout the old testament are steadfast love and faithfulness. Jesus embodies the ultimate expression of God’s covenant loyalty and unmerited favor toward the world that rejected Him. 

John contrasts Moses with Jesus, emphasizing the superiority of the gospel of Christ to the law of Moses. Throughout his Gospel, John presents Jesus as the fulfillment of old testament expectations. The world will fully see God only as revealed through Jesus. Faithlife Study Bible

The Son of God who was from eternity became human, with limitations in time and space. This is the doctrine of the incarnation: God became human. Nothing of the essential nature of deity was lost in this event; we might rephrase became as “took to Himself.” 

John uses the word flesh to refer to the physical nature of humans, not to our sinful disposition. Dwelt comes from the Greek word for tent that was used in the Greek Old Testament for the tabernacle, where the presence of God dwelt. Glory refers to the divine presence. As God manifested His glory in the tabernacle, so Jesus displayed His divine presence before the apostles. 

Only begotten means unique, one of a kind. The same term is used of Isaac, who was not the only physical son of Abraham, but was the unique son of promise. All who trust Christ are born of God. In the Gospel of John, these “born ones” are called children of God, but Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God. He is the only Son who is fully God. He is also full of grace and truth. When God revealed Himself to Moses, He proclaimed Himself to be “abounding in goodness and truth”. As applied to Jesus Christ, this phrase marks Him as the author of perfect redemption and perfect revelation. The NKJV Study Bible

Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Matthew 11:27 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,