And the Word was made 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.
If there be a single verse in the Bible marked with the special emphasis of God the Holy Ghost, surely this is one. Every word tells. Here is the glorious person so much and so highly spoken of before under the name of the Word, declared to be made flesh. And this distinct from the person of either the Father or the Holy Ghost. It is the Son of God only. He is made flesh. The original word translated flesh, is very strong. It is Sarx. The same word as is used Romans 3:20. where no flesh is said to be justified. And elsewhere Christ is said to be made in the likeness of sinful flesh. Romans 8:3. And it is a word of the same significancy with one in the Hebrew, used Genesis 6:12 corrupt flesh. So that no word of stronger import can be found to denote the vast humiliation of the Son of God in the assuming of our nature. Had the verse expressed that the Word was made Man, though the same nature would have been implied, yet it would not have been so strong, as to the point of degradation. The word means our full nature, both of soul and body, complete man. And it is so very fully expressed by the word flesh, that the assumption implies the most perfect union of the both natures, divine and human. Not by any change or alteration of the one by the taking the other; but by the junction forming and constituting one whole person, God and Man Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ. As Augustine hath happily expressed it, when speaking of the word being made flesh; " Not (said he) by changing what he was, but by taking what he was not." And what endears the whole, and renders it truly blessed to all his people who are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones, is, that this union of God and Man in one person, is indissoluble and forever. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8
And how blessedly John speaks of his and his brethren's knowledge of Christ under this precious union, He dwelt among us (said John), tabernacled, as the word is, alluding to the Tabernacle in the wilderness, which was (and no doubt considered as such by holy men of old), a type of Christ's human nature, in which Jehovah dwelt, and from which manifestations were made. We beheld his glory, (said he), observe, his glory. Yes! because in his divine nature, truly his own, underived as it was, it could be called no other. And this glory, like to that of God's own Son, full of grace and truth. Reader! think what a blessed testimony is here to the Godhead of Christ, to the Manhood of Christ, and to the union of both. And do not fail to observe, that all this was in the same time while Christ came to his own, and his own received him not; distinguishing grace taught John and his brethren thus to behold Christ's glory, and rejoice in it. Depend upon it, so is it now, so hath it been in all ages of the Church, and so will it be as long as the earth shall continue!