John has already told us that the Word/ Son was with God and was God, and that all things came into being through him. Now he tells us this Word became flesh.  This draws us into the mystery of Jesus. 

By “flesh,” John means the full reality of human life in all its frailty and vulnerability—hunger, weariness, and the capacity to be tempted. The eternal Son did not merely appear human; he entered completely into our condition.

This happened at a moment in history, yet its origin lies in eternity. From the beginning, the Father and the Son existed in perfect communion, turned toward one another in love through the Spirit. Even before creation, it was the will of God that the Son would come into the world as a human. In this eternal decision, God chose to be for us and with us as one of us in Jesus.

This reveals something profound about who God is. God is not solitary but communal. The Father delights in the Son, and the Son delights in the Father, in the unity of the Spirit. Their shared life is one of overflowing love and joy. And it is this very “withness” that God desires to extend beyond himself. The Word becoming flesh is the way by which God unites himself to humanity, so that we might share in his life.

All of this is sheer grace. God was under no obligation to become human. He owes nothing to anyone, and no one can claim his favour. Yet, in complete freedom, God chooses to be with us, to share his life with us, and to bring us into communion with himself. Why? Because God’s very being is self-giving love.