Before Israel entered the land, the tabernacle was the place where God chose to dwell among His people. When it was completed, the tabernacle was filled with the shekinah glory—the radiant, visible manifestation of God’s presence (Exodus 40:33–35). That same overwhelming glory later filled Solomon’s temple at its dedication (2 Chronicles 7:1–3). These scenes established a pattern: where God dwells, His glory is revealed.

John draws directly on this imagery when he writes, “The Word became flesh and lived among us.” The verb translated “lived” literally means “pitched his tent” or “tabernacled.” John is intentionally declaring that in Jesus, God once again takes up residence among His people. He immediately adds, “We saw his glory.” The same divine radiance that once filled the tabernacle and temple is now made visible in the person of Christ. Jesus Himself is the new dwelling place of God.

But can we still see the shekinah glory in Jesus today? John’s Gospel answers with a resounding yes. The One who dwelt among the first disciples now dwells among us by His Spirit. Through the Spirit, Jesus tells us, we are in Him, and He is in us (14:20)  .In this mutual indwelling, we become God’s dwelling place in Christ, as the Father and the Son make their home with us (John 14: 23). In this shared life, we behold the glory of the Father’s only Son.

This present experience of glory also awakens our future hope. Jesus desires that His followers be with Him where He is, to see the glory He shared with the Father before the world existed (John 17:24). And so, by the Spirit, we anticipate the day when we will see Him as He truly is—and be made fully like Him (1 John 3:2).