Who Jesus Really Is: Jesus is the Eternal God (Part 2)

Dr Alfonse Javed
5 days ago
10 min read

When the dirt of sin covers our mind, heart, and being, it distorts the reflection of God’s glory in us. Jesus didn’t leave us helpless or hopeless; He gave us the Holy Spirit. When we call upon Him, He restores us to reflect God’s glory so the world can see the image of Christ in us.

John 1:14-18 - ¹⁴And 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. ¹⁵(John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

How do you tell truth from falsehood? I ask that because we have been looking at John 1:14 that holds seven key Christian doctrinal truths about the nature of Jesus. Misunderstandings of these doctrinal truths has led to cults and heresies. Last time, I pointed out seven heresies that came out of misunderstanding one of these doctrines in John 1:14, the doctrine of incarnation.

The problem is that people fall for cults and heresies when they don’t know how to tell truth from falsehood. They need to measure it against the standard of truth, Jesus Himself.

This was one of the reasons why the prologue in John 1:1-18 focused on who Jesus really is so intensely. As we come back to John 1:14 for the second time, we discover that the Eternal God in the person of Jesus not only came to dwell among us, but He is full of grace and truth.

The big idea is, not only is Jesus fully man and fully God, who came to dwell among us, but also, He is full of grace and truth. The questions is, why not just full of grace? Why the addition of truth? It is because the Bible teaches that we will know the truth and the truth will set us free— and that truth is Jesus. When we know Jesus, we know the truth.

The truth in John 1:14-18 is that God took on flesh in the person of Jesus, who came into this world so that the presence of God is experienced, the person of God is exhibited, and the purpose of God is expressed.

The Person of God is Exhibited (John 1:14b)

John 1:14 ESV reads, “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.” Out of this verse, last time I listed seven doctrinal truths. The first two doctrinal truths— Incarnation in the phrase “the Word became flesh” and Divine Immanence in the phrase “dwelt among us”— explained how the presence of God is experienced. Today, we will see how in the person of God is exhibited the remaining five doctrinal truths in John 1:14.

Third, the Doctrinal Truth of Revelation

In the Bible, the concept of revelation is how God communicated with us through general and special revelation. His general revelation is for everyone in which God has disclosed Himself through creation and morality. His special revelation, however, is for particular individuals or groups in which God disclosed Himself in a special way through prophets, scriptures, and ultimately through Jesus Christ. This is what the next part of the verse means when it says, “We have seen His glory.” The word “glory” describes who the eternal God is and how He reveals Himself. We cannot describe the glory, but glory does describe the infinite honor, worth, and majesty God holds.

In the Old Testament, the Jewish understanding of glory comes from the word Shekinah, which means “that which dwells.” In the Jewish mind, glory is the presence of God, which was with Israel. John tells his readers that he and others actually saw the glory of God that was with Israel in wilderness in the cloud in Exodus 16:10 and filled the Tabernacle in Exodus 40:34, and the Temple in 1 Kings 8:11, and departed Israel in 1 Samuel 4:22.

His argument, in the Jewish context, is also that the glory that was hidden on Mount Sinai because no one could see God’s glory and live. In Jesus, that glory became visible and accessible so that we may see His glory exhibited in the person of Jesus Christ. John and others witnessed that glory in the life, ministry, and miracles of Jesus and also in the transfiguration of Jesus when He became radiant in glory (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-39).

In the New Testament, the Greek word for “glory,” doxa, conveys the idea of honor, splendor, and radiance. A good illustration of that is Hebrews 1:3, “He [Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” Also, Colossians 1:15 says that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. When believers receive Jesus, they also receive His glory and the presence of God began to dwell in us. Jesus, in John 17:22, prayed this to the Father, “The glory that you gave me I have given them [the disciples], that they may be one even as we are one.” That prayer includes all those who came to believe in Jesus because of their witness.

Application

God’s full revelation is in His Son, Jesus. We are made new in Jesus to experience the glory of God and are called to reflect it before others. Hhow are you reflecting His glory?

Fourth, the Doctrinal Truth of the Trinity

The trinity is in the next clause of the verse, “glory as of the only Son from the Father.” This shows that the glory John witnessed was the glory of the “only Son,” in Greek monogenēs, which means “one of a kind.” The Greek word describes a unique, eternal relationship that only exists between the Father and the Son— not created but begotten in the sense of sharing the same divine essence.

Many Muslims use this part of the verse to argue against the divinity of Jesus. They say Jesus cannot be God because the verse uses the preposition, “from” in “from God.” They ask, how could Jesus be God when He is sent from God? This is exactly the argument John is making this whole time that Jesus is coequal with God and yet, distinct from God the Father.

Application

For effective witness, we need to know and point people to these doctrinal truths.

Fifth, the Doctrinal Truth of Grace

Grace in the phrase “full of grace and truth.” Notice three elements here:

Grace. The Greek word for grace, charis, appears some 150 times in the New Testament and it describes God’s unmerited favor toward sinners. It is the saving action of God through His Son, Jesus, to redeem the unredeemable. Therefore, it is something we can never earn.

Truth. Jesus is full of grace and truth because He is the ultimate self-disclosure of God. Therefore, Jesus becomes the standard of truth. Think about all religious leaders and teachers of the past and present. They all claim to teach the truth, but Jesus didn’t just teach truth; He said, “I am the truth (John 14:6)” and His truth is that He is fully God and fully man, and He is full of grace and truth.

Perfection. In the person of Jesus, the perfection of God is exhibited because grace without truth would be empty sentimentality and truth without grace would be unbearable judgment. Christ brings both together in perfect harmony. Only Jesus can condemn and redeem at the same time.

The illustration I can give you is of sunlight— it brings both warmth and light. Grace is the warmth; truth is the light. Remove either one and life cannot grow. John 1:14 says that Jesus is “full of grace and truth.” Truth without grace is law— cold and condemning; grace without truth is license— soft and compromising. But grace and truth together are the perfect revelation of God’s heart exhibited in the person of Jesus Christ.

Application

We cannot earn our way into heaven because, without God’s grace, which is unmerited favor toward sinners, our souls remain damned.

Sixth, the Doctrinal Truth of the Sufficiency of Christ

The sufficiency of Christ is in the phrase, “full of grace and truth.” The idea of fullness here points to Christ’s sufficiency and completeness. Everything before the incarnation of Jesus, the Son of God, was a partial revelation but in Christ, God provided us with His perfect revelation.

A good illustration is in John 1:17 which says, “The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” The law was good at exposing and condemning sin but it could not do anything to redeem the sinner. Christ is sufficient to do all— expose our sin, condemn our sin, and forgive our sins.

Application

The One who is sufficient for your salvation and eternal life should be sufficient for earthly life and its needs.

Seventh, the Doctrinal Truth of Atonement

As I said earlier, atonement it is not explicitly mentioned in the verse, but it is implied. The incarnation prepares the way for the doctrine of atonement.

Hebrews 10:5-10 is a great illustration of how atonement was accomplished. If you would like to learn more about the truth of atonement, please listen to the podcast episode ( oururbanvoices.com/captivate-podcast/why-did-jesus-die-debating-the-atonement-faithfully/ ).

Application

The Word became flesh because God cannot be killed, but flesh can. He took on flesh so that He could bear our sin on the cross, suffer for our sake. Without incarnation, redemption and atonement would not have been accomplished. John 1:14 is a concise summary of the Gospel itself that the infinite God became fully human without ceasing to be divine. The presence of God is experienced through Him, full of God’s grace and truth. This is what John 1:15 says, “(John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”

Closing Thought

As I close, I invite you to reflect on the sunrise. When it rises after a long night, we don’t just see the light; the light lets us see everything else. The glory of the Son not only lets us look at Him but also lets us see the reality of the Triune God because the glory of the Son is the glory of the Father. It is exhibited in the Person of Jesus Christ.

In John 17:5 Jesus acknowledged that this glory is the same divine majesty that belonged to Him before the world began. Jesus is the sunrise of the soul; once He rises, everything else in life is seen in His light. Second Corinthians 4:6 puts it this way, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Action Step

Here are seven biblical measurements that will help tell truth from falsehood as not to fall for any cult or heresy:

Source — Ask, does it originate in God or contradict His nature?
Revelation — Ask, does it align with Scripture?
Person of Christ — Ask, does it exalt or diminish Jesus?
The Spirit — Ask, does it bear witness with the Spirit of truth?
Consistency — Ask, does it correspond with biblical and spiritual reality?
Fruit — Ask, does it produce righteousness or rebellion?
The Church — Ask, does it align with historic, orthodox Christian confession?

Appeal

Reflect the glory that is the presence of Christ in you. You and I are like mirrors reflecting His glory to the world. Like any mirror, when clean and pointed toward the light, it radiates that light beautifully but when it’s cracked or covered in dirt, the reflection is distorted. For us, when the dirt of sin covers our mind, heart, and being, it distorts the reflection of God’s glory in us. The good news is that Jesus didn’t leave us helpless or hopeless; He gave us the Holy Spirit. When we call upon Him, He polishes the mirror of our lives, restores us to former glory so that the world can once again see the image of Christ in us.

Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, Application

· Observation https://www.kathyhoward.org/10-observation-tips-for-better-bible-study/

· Interpretation https://www.kathyhoward.org/4-tips-to-help-you-understand-the-bible/

· Application https://www.kathyhoward.org/4-ways-you-can-apply-scripture-to-your-life/

Observation: What Does the Text Say?

According to John 1:14b, what did John and the disciples “see” in Jesus?
How does John 1:14 describe the glory of Jesus? What specific phrase is used?
What two qualities does John highlight about Christ in John 1:14?
What title does John the Baptist give Jesus in John 1:15?
What repeated words or phrases stand out in John 1:14-15?

Interpretation: What Does It Mean?

To what does the “glory” of Jesus refer?
Why is Jesus called the “only Son from the Father?” What does this reveal about His relationship within the Trinity?
Why does John describe Jesus as “full of grace and truth?” How do these words reveal the character of God?
Why is John the Baptist’s testimony so important in this Gospel? How does his witness confirm Jesus’ identity and mission?
When John says Jesus “ranks before me because He was before me,” what is he teaching about the nature and eternality of Christ?

Application: How Does It Apply to Us Today?

If Jesus is truly “full of grace and truth,” how should that shape the way you approach Him in prayer, repentance, and daily living?
Where in your life do you need more of Christ’s grace today? (Healing? Forgiveness? Strength? Renewal?)
Where do you need more of Christ’s truth today? (Correction? Clarity? Conviction? Wisdom?)
How is the “glory” of Christ currently being revealed in your own life through…

Your character?

Your speech?

Your decisions?

Your relationships?
How can your small group, family, or church better reflect the grace and truth of Christ to those around them?