And the
Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth. John
bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that
cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of
his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the
law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:14-17)
What was the purpose of these verses in the first chapter of John? John is painting a picture here. God does nothing without a reason and here John makes a declaration with the authority placed in him through the Holy Spirit. "And the Word was made flesh". Jesus is declared by John to be the Word of God, God's voice among men, the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. By Jewish law any testimony presented as truth had to have at least two witnesses. John's word that Jesus was is and shall ever be the Word of God, the Son of God needed someone else's testimony to collaborate his, and John the Baptist's words in the next verse do just that. "John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.". The Apostle John wanted the credentials of Christ declared soundly and with a witness because the statement that came next was of profound importance.
Grace is defined as unmerited favor. We cannot earn grace, it is the fully and totally God's to give or not by His will alone. Looking to I Corinthians 15:10a; "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain" and again in Ephesians 4:7 "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.". Bestowed upon me... unto every one of us is GIVEN grace.
The idea of grace was alien to the pre-Christ Jews. The word we translate in the Old Testament as 'grace' means kindness or favor; it was only through the service of sacrifice that forgiveness was bestowed by God to the children of Israel. Which John reminds us in verse 17 "For the law was given by Moses"
This amazing, mind blowing concept John is expressing here is not only the concept of grace but that "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ!" Only through Jesus can we receive this unmerited favor of God. The old contract with God is done, the old rules and laws replaced: "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." To us now this seems old hat, things we have heard since we were knee high to a grasshopper; but stop and think of what this meant to the Jews hearing it during Jesus' time on earth. You may remember me describing to you in previous articles the idea of a wow moment. A moment that you realize something that blows your hair back, assuming you're not like me and actually have hair to be blown back. This would be that moment for them. The messiah had not only come, but was among them offering them grace and truth for the first time.
What was the purpose of these verses in the first chapter of John? John is painting a picture here. God does nothing without a reason and here John makes a declaration with the authority placed in him through the Holy Spirit. "And the Word was made flesh". Jesus is declared by John to be the Word of God, God's voice among men, the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. By Jewish law any testimony presented as truth had to have at least two witnesses. John's word that Jesus was is and shall ever be the Word of God, the Son of God needed someone else's testimony to collaborate his, and John the Baptist's words in the next verse do just that. "John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.". The Apostle John wanted the credentials of Christ declared soundly and with a witness because the statement that came next was of profound importance.
Grace is defined as unmerited favor. We cannot earn grace, it is the fully and totally God's to give or not by His will alone. Looking to I Corinthians 15:10a; "But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain" and again in Ephesians 4:7 "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.". Bestowed upon me... unto every one of us is GIVEN grace.
The idea of grace was alien to the pre-Christ Jews. The word we translate in the Old Testament as 'grace' means kindness or favor; it was only through the service of sacrifice that forgiveness was bestowed by God to the children of Israel. Which John reminds us in verse 17 "For the law was given by Moses"
This amazing, mind blowing concept John is expressing here is not only the concept of grace but that "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ!" Only through Jesus can we receive this unmerited favor of God. The old contract with God is done, the old rules and laws replaced: "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." To us now this seems old hat, things we have heard since we were knee high to a grasshopper; but stop and think of what this meant to the Jews hearing it during Jesus' time on earth. You may remember me describing to you in previous articles the idea of a wow moment. A moment that you realize something that blows your hair back, assuming you're not like me and actually have hair to be blown back. This would be that moment for them. The messiah had not only come, but was among them offering them grace and truth for the first time.