John 1:14 says that the eternal Word, who was with God and was God from the beginning (John 1:1), became a real human being and lived among us. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. The word translated dwelt means to pitch a tent, the same picture as the tabernacle where God's glory lived with Israel. John and the other apostles saw that glory in Jesus, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, and they found Him full of grace and truth. It is the Christmas story told in one sentence.
Matthew and Luke tell the Christmas story from the ground: a young woman in Nazareth, a journey to Bethlehem, shepherds and a manger. John tells it from heaven. He does not mention the stable at all. Instead he begins before creation, with the Word who made all things, and then writes the most astonishing sentence in the New Testament: the Word was made flesh. That is why John 1:14 is read at so many Christmas Eve services and lessons-and-carols programs, and why the old carols keep returning to it (O Come, All Ye Faithful sings Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing). Below, the verse is explained phrase by phrase, with 12 KJV passages grouped around its three great claims: who the Word is, what it means that He dwelt among us, and what full of grace and truth tells us about God.
And the Word was made flesh: who the Word is
1. John 1:14
"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."
Every phrase in this verse carries weight. The Word is the One John introduced in verse 1, eternal and fully God. Was made flesh means He became what He had never been before, a true human being with a body, hunger, tiredness and tears, without ceasing to be what He always was. Dwelt among us describes a real, local, daily presence: the apostles ate with Him and walked the roads of Galilee beside Him. We beheld his glory is eyewitness language. And the glory they saw was not blinding light but a life full of grace and truth. Christmas is not God sending a message about Himself; it is God coming in person.
2. John 1:1-2
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God."
To understand verse 14, start with verse 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John deliberately echoes Genesis 1:1. When the beginning began, the Word already was. He was with God, a distinct person in fellowship with the Father, and He was God, sharing the same divine nature. Greek readers knew logos as the reason behind the universe; Jewish readers knew that God created by speaking. John takes both ideas and gives them a face. The baby of Bethlehem did not begin to exist at Bethlehem. The One who was born had been with the Father from eternity.
3. John 1:3
"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. John says it twice, positively and negatively, so that nothing is left out. Every star, every mountain, every cell was made through the Word. That is what makes verse 14 so staggering. The Maker entered His own workshop. The One who shaped Adam from the dust took a body of dust Himself. Paul says the same in Colossians 1:16. When Mary laid her son in a manger, she was holding the Creator of the hay, the stable and the night sky above it, which is why the hymn writers never tired of the contrast.
4. Philippians 2:6-7
"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:"
Paul explains how the Word was made flesh without ceasing to be God. Christ Jesus, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. He did not lose His deity; He added humanity and laid aside His rights and His glory for a time. Theologians call this the humility of the incarnation. The eternal Son chose a poor family, an occupied land and a borrowed manger. The way down was His own choice, and it was the first step on the road to the cross.
And dwelt among us: God pitches His tent
5. Exodus 25:8
"And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them."
The word John uses for dwelt (skenoo) comes from the Greek word for a tent, and Greek-speaking Jews would have heard the tabernacle in it. At Sinai God told Moses, And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. The tabernacle was a portable tent at the center of Israel's camp, the place where the holy God lived among His people as they traveled. John's point is that Jesus is the true tabernacle. In Him God did not visit for a moment; He set up camp in our neighborhood. The Christmas question is no longer where God can be found. He is found in a person.
6. Exodus 40:34
"Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."
When the tabernacle was finished, Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. The glory was so heavy that even Moses could not enter. Later the same glory filled Solomon's temple, and later still Ezekiel saw it leave the temple because of Israel's sin. For centuries God's people waited for the glory to return. John says it has. We beheld his glory, he writes, and he means the same glory that filled the tent in the wilderness. On the night of Christ's birth that glory shone around the shepherds, and in Jesus' life it was seen up close.
7. John 2:19-21
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body."
Early in His ministry Jesus told the temple leaders, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. They thought He meant the building, which had been under construction for forty-six years. John explains: But he spake of the temple of his body. The temple in Jerusalem was where God's presence was focused, the successor of the tabernacle. Jesus was saying that He Himself was now the true meeting place between God and man. That is what John 1:14 means when it says the Word dwelt among us. The place where God meets us is no longer a building. It is a Person, crucified and raised on the third day.
8. Ezekiel 37:27
"My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people."
During the exile, when the temple lay in ruins, God promised through Ezekiel: My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. It is the same promise God made at Sinai, renewed for a scattered and defeated people. John 1:14 announces that the promise has begun to come true. The tabernacle of God has come to live with His people in the person of Jesus. Revelation 21:3 shows the promise completed in the new creation, with no more death or tears. Christmas is the beginning of that fulfillment. For more, see our Bible verses about heaven.
Full of grace and truth: God made known
9. John 1:16-17
"And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."
John continues: And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Grace for grace means grace upon grace, one gift following another like waves on a beach. The law given at Sinai was good; it showed God's holiness and our need. But it could not change a heart. In Jesus, grace and truth arrived in person. The word full in verse 14 and the word fulness in verse 16 belong together: everything that was in Him overflows to those who receive Him (John 1:12). For more, see our page on grace.
10. John 1:18
"No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. Moses asked to see God's glory and was allowed to see only His back. No prophet ever saw God as He is. But the Son, who shares the Father's closest fellowship, has declared Him, literally exegeted Him, explained Him in full. That is why Jesus could say, He that hath seen me hath seen the Father (John 14:9). If you want to know what God is like, you do not need to guess. Look at Jesus touching lepers, welcoming children and praying for His enemies.
11. Exodus 34:6
"And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,"
When Moses asked to see God's glory, the LORD passed by and proclaimed His own name: The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. In Hebrew, abundant in goodness and truth is the phrase rich in steadfast love and faithfulness, and many scholars believe John had it in mind when he wrote full of grace and truth. The God who described Himself to Moses in words now shows Himself in a life. What Moses heard on the mountain, the disciples saw in Galilee. Jesus is the glory of Exodus 34 walking among us.
12. 1 John 1:1-2
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)"
John wrote these words years later, and he still sounds amazed: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life. He piles up the senses on purpose: heard, seen, looked upon, handled. The Word was made flesh is not a myth or a beautiful idea. It happened to people who could touch Him. The eternal life which was with the Father was manifested unto us. Faith in the incarnation rests on testimony from people who knew Jesus personally.
A short prayer
Lord Jesus, eternal Word of the Father, You were with God and You are God, and yet You were made flesh and dwelt among us. Thank You for coming so close, for pitching Your tent in our world and showing us the Father's glory, full of grace and truth. Let me receive from Your fullness grace upon grace. When I wonder what God is like, turn my eyes to You. This Christmas, make Your home in my heart, and keep me ready for the day when God will dwell with His people forever. Amen.
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Frequently asked questions
What does the Word was made flesh mean?
It means that Jesus, the eternal Son of God whom John calls the Word, became a real human being. He did not stop being God, and He did not only appear to be human. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of Mary, and lived a full human life. Christians call this the incarnation, from the Latin for in flesh.
Why does John call Jesus the Word?
A word is how a person makes his mind known. John calls Jesus the Word because He is God's full self-expression: God spoke the world into being through Him, and in Him God has spoken to us most clearly (Hebrews 1:1-2). The title also echoes Genesis 1, where God creates by speaking.
What does dwelt among us mean in John 1:14?
The Greek word means to pitch a tent or tabernacle. It recalls the tabernacle in the wilderness, where God's glory lived among Israel. John is saying that in Jesus God came to live with His people in person, and that the disciples saw the same glory in Him.
Is John 1:14 a Christmas verse?
Yes. Many churches read John 1:1-14 on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, often as the last reading in a service of lessons and carols. While Luke tells how Jesus was born, John 1:14 tells who was born: the eternal Word who became flesh. Read it beside the Christmas story in the Bible for the full picture.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Emmanuel Meaning · Isaiah 9:6 Meaning · John 3:16 Meaning · The Christmas Story in the Bible · Names of Jesus · Christmas · Jesus Is God · Advent
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