We read in John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
The Evangelist (under inspiration) shows what was that coming of Christ, which he had mentioned; namely, that having been clothed with our flesh, he showed himself openly to the world.
Although the Evangelist touches briefly the unutterable mystery that the Son of God was clothed with human nature, yet this brevity is wonderfully perspicuous. The word “flesh” expresses the meaning of the Evangelist more forcibly than if he had said the he was made man. He intended to show (under inspiration) the despicable condition the Son of God, on the (believers) account, descended (to), from the height of His heavenly glory. When Scripture speaks of man (in his sinful nature) it calls him flesh.
Now, though there be so wide a distance between the spiritual glory of the Speech of God and the abominable filth of our flesh, yet the Son of God stooped so low as to take upon himself that flesh, subject to so many miseries.
The word “flesh” is not taken here for the corrupt nature (as it is often used by Paul), but for mortal man, though it marks disdainfully his frail and perishing nature, as in these and similar passages; (such as) “for he remembered that they were flesh” (Psalm 78:39) and that “all flesh is grass” (Isaiah 40:6).
