👶 John 1:14 | God With Us

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I’m excited to dig into three important words in our memory verse: flesh, dwelt, and glory. If you missed yesterday’s email, you can read it here!

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And the ____ _______ ______ and _____ _____ __, and we have seen his glory,

glory as of the only ___ ____ ___ ______, full of _____ ___ _____.

John 1:14

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The danger when hearing familiar verses is that we can be tempted to rush past deeply significant truths that deserve meditation.

In addition, since every language is different, we can sometimes miss out on profound aspects of God’s Word when we only read it in our native language.

With that in mind, let’s slow down and take a look at the original Greek words used for flesh, dwelt, and glory.

1. sarx (pronounced SARKS) — “flesh”

The Greek word sarx refers to “physical human nature.” Things like skin, bone, blood, and tendons.

John uses this word to describe what the eternal Word became. It’s not that Jesus merely “appeared” to be human. Jesus truly entered the full human experience.

By using sarx, John wants us to consider the full weight of the incarnation. Unlike the supposed gods of other religions, our God didn’t hover above suffering - He stepped right into it. Real body. Real vulnerability.

The infinite God humbly became finite.

The Word became flesh so that no part of our humanity would be untouched by redemption.

2. eskēnōsen (pronounced es-KAY-noh-sen) — “dwelt”

This is not the normal Greek word for “live” or “reside.” This verb literally means to “fix one’s tabernacle.” John chose a word that intentionally evokes the tabernacle, which was the location of God’s presence among Israel back in Exodus 25:8–9.

Now, John says, that same divine presence has returned, but this time, in Jesus.

The point is that God didn’t come to visit. He came to live with us.

John is saying that Jesus is God’s tabernacle - in other words, God’s presence is located in the person of Jesus.

3. doxa (pronounced DOX-ah) — “glory”

Doxa speaks of splendor, majesty, or divine radiance.

In the Old Testament, glory marked God's presence — clouds on Mount Sinai, fire over the tabernacle, light filling the temple. The sort of stuff that makes your jaw drop or might make you fall to your knees in praise.

In John 1:14, glory is now seen in Jesus.

To see Jesus is to see God’s glory — not distant or untouchable, but full of grace and truth.

When I held my newborn niece for the first time, I remember thinking how small and fragile she was. The fact that God became that — real flesh, tiny lungs, breakable bones — is still hard to grasp.

But that’s what John 1:14 tells us. Jesus didn’t bypass the awkward parts of humanity — birth, puberty, our limitedness. But instead Jesus came close enough to be held, hurt, misunderstood, and ultimately, crucified.

I don’t know about you, but I’m so glad to have a God who isn’t distant and disconnected from what we experience in this life.

Pause and name one place in your life where you need to remember that God dwells with you.

Maybe it’s a relationship that feels strained, or a decision sitting heavy on your mind. Let the truth of the incarnation give you the confidence to approach Jesus with any problems that ail our flesh.

Pray 🙏

Jesus, thank You for coming near and experiencing our humanity. Help me remember that You are with me in the places that feel heavy and messy today. Help me draw strength from your nearness, Lord. Amen.

Here are a few resources to help you dig deeper into the verse and its themes:

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