“And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.” – John 1:14 AMP

Jesus is the Word made flesh – human, incarnate. The Amplified version says Jesus “tabernacled” among us; he lived with us for a while. That’s an amazing thought! God’s Son could have chosen to be anywhere in the universe, but he chose to abide here with us in the earth.

In Jesus, the Word had a human experience but was able to remain true and perfect. Jesus showed us the Word works in spite of the fallen nature of the world and its inhabitants. The Word is bigger than experience. It actually has authority over experience and has the power to make experience come into line with it. Jesus demonstrated this during his life on earth.

Before Jesus came, the Word had previously been represented by the Law. The Law was truth, but it wasn’t capable of empowering people to follow its truth. It could only reveal where a person fell short.  But when Jesus dwelt in the earth as the living Word, he brought grace with him. Grace – charis – is a supernatural empowerment that comes with the Presence of the Spirit. In Jesus, the Word remains fully true, but it also transmits an empowerment that gives us the ability to abide by the truth. This empowerment makes truth “doable.”

Jesus made the Word personal and relatable. The Law made people only as good as their obedience. But when the Word became flesh, love and compassion and grace were released, making a way for redemption when people fell short of the Law. The Living Word changed everything and made all things possible. We were able to see the glory of God full of grace and truth, and God came closer so we could touch him.