🌍 John 1:14 | "And the Word became flesh..."

Happy Monday, {{first_name | everyone}}!

’Tis the season when the world turns its attention (at least briefly) toward Jesus.

And yet for many, He remains strangely small. Reduced to a porcelain figure in a manger or the subject of a familiar carol, we miss the staggering claim right at the heart of Christmas: Jesus is God made flesh.

In today’s email…

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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory,

glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

This week, we’re focusing on one of the most profound declarations about Jesus in all of Scripture.

But before we reflect on what it means that “the Word became flesh,” let’s set the backdrop for the book of John.

Author: John, the son of Zebedee, one of Jesus’ closest disciples and friends wrote it. He was part of Jesus’ inner circle with Peter and James (see John 21:20–24).

When: The Gospel of John was the last of the four gospels to be written. By then, many first-generation witnesses had passed. The early church was facing persecution, theological division, and debates about Jesus’ identity were growing.

Original Audience: John likely wrote for a mixed group of Jewish and Gentile believers. They lived in a world influenced both by Greek philosophy and Jewish expectation of a Messiah. He wanted everyone to grasp that Jesus is not just another prophet or moral teacher. He is the eternal Word, the Son sent by the Father, who shares fully in God’s glory (more on this later this week).

Cultural Context: By the late first century, followers of Jesus were being pushed out of Jewish synagogues. Many were also struggling to hold on to faith in the face of Roman pressure. Some groups taught falsely that Jesus only seemed human but was all divine. Others questioned if he had any “God” in him at all.

John opens his gospel not with a birth story, but with a claim that echoes the opening line of the Bible: “In the beginning was the Word…”

The Gospel of John is one of my favorite books to study. In my opinion, it is an absolute masterpiece. Each word is intentional, and John seems to always be communicating at multiple levels:

Together this week, we’ll see how John makes it clear that Jesus is both fully divine and truly human.

This isn’t just another prophet or even another appearance of God (like through a burning bush). This is God, in flesh, come to save us.

John’s Gospel isn’t trying to tell a “good story.” He states his purpose clearly:

John is inviting a response, even for us today. The big question is: will we receive Jesus for who He truly is? As God in the flesh? Or will we keep Him at a distance? Relegated to an assistant who we ask to do things for us when we need help?

I hope, this week and for the rest of our lives, we choose to receive Jesus as our Savior and King.

📖 Read: Set aside 5-7 minutes to read all of John 1. Don’t rush. Remember that you’re reading the Holy Spirit inspired words of one of Jesus’ closest earthly friends. It’s some of my favorite writing in the Bible, so really sit with it.

💻 Watch: The Gospel of John Summary video by The Bible Project.

🙏 Pray

Jesus, help me to see your glory. Let your grace and truth shape the way I think, speak, and live. Show me what it means to receive you with my whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. Amen.

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And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory,

glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14