The Word Pitched His Tent: John 1:14

John does not tell the Christmas story with a stable and a manger. He tells it with a tabernacle.

"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." The Greek verb John chose is eskenosen, built on skene, a tent. Literally: the Word pitched his tent among us. Anyone raised on the Greek Old Testament would hear the echo at once, because that same word family describes the tabernacle, the tent where the glory of God settled in the middle of Israel's camp.

That is why John's very next phrase is "and we have seen his glory." In Exodus 40:34 English - ESV the glory of the LORD fills the tabernacle so completely that even Moses cannot enter it. In John 1:14 English - ESV that same glory appears again, but now it has a human face, and fishermen share breakfast with it.

Luke gives us the manger; John gives us the meaning. The baby of Bethlehem is God moving his tent into our neighborhood, not for a visit but to stay. And where the old tent kept people at a distance, this one draws them in: from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace, John 1:16 English - ESV.

The light has come, and it did not stay far away.

John 1:14 English - ESV Exodus 40:34 English - ESV

John 1 Berean Standard Bible - Bob Souer

Model of the tabernacle as it might have looked. The tent of meeting whose Greek name stands behind John's verb eskenosen.