The solemn reflection which begins John's Gospel teaches us that we can only understand Jesus from the perspective of eternity and his union with the Father.

St John does not say that the word became man, but that "the Word became flesh". John's intention is to tell us what kind of human being the Word became in Jesus of Nazareth, namely a weak human being: "a man like us in all things except for sin", as the Fourth Eucharistic Prayer expresses it, following the teaching of the Letter to the Hebrews (cf. 4:15) and the teaching of the great councils of the Church. Like the Letter to the Hebrews, John wishes to stress the reality of Jesus' human nature.

Jesus is true God and true man. This truth raises many questions. While these questions are important for a deeper understanding of our faith within the realm of theology, we must distinguish clearly between theology and faith, and what is of primary importance for our spiritual life is our faith in Jesus as true man and true God, and the reason why the Word became flesh, namely for us and for our salvation.