Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ

John 1:1-28 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. ⁵ And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.

⁶ A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

⁹ This was the true Light that, coming into the world, enlightens every person. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ John testified about Him and called out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who is coming after me has proved to be my superior, because He existed before me.’” ¹⁶ For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. ¹⁷ For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him.

¹⁹ This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰ And he confessed and did not deny; and this is what he confessed: “I am not the Christ.” ²¹ And so they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” ²² Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³ He said, “I am the voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Make the way of the Lord straight,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

²⁴ And the messengers had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵ They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” ²⁶ John answered them, saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. ²⁷ It is He who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy even to untie the strap of His sandal.” ²⁸ These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing people.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it… And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.   Before Jesus was born in the stable in Bethlehem, He was with God at creation. In Genesis 1:26 it says:  Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”  Romans 8:28-30 says:  We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.  Because mankind was unable to grasp and comprehend the light, because we are unable to live fully in the image of God and Christ, Romans 5:8 says:  God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Jesus came and lived among us as a teacher and example, then He died for us, so that we might be restored and conformed to the image and likeness that was intended at creation.

The text says: Of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.  There are many today who focus on the grace of God given and demonstrated in Christ. It is grace through Christ that we don’t receive the judgment or punishment for our sins that we deserve. Because of grace we are blessed and not cursed. It is vital though that we balance grace and truth. Grace does not embrace our sin, the truth is that Jesus embraced the suffering of the cross to forgive us for our sin and also to redeem us from sin. Sin has not been redeemed. The things that are in opposition to God’s laws and commandments have not been made acceptable in God’s sight by grace. We are made acceptable through Christ’s suffering and sacrifice. The truth is as it says in 1 John 1:5-10:  God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.  In John 14:6 Jesus says:  “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”   The truth is, there is no grace without the cross.  2 Peter 3:9 says:  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.   God’s grace is not that He has changed His mind to accept our sinfulness, it is that He has given us time to repent from our sinfulness before Christ comes as righteous judge.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, thank You for grace and truth. Thank You that You are the light that dispels all darkness. Thank You for Your love, demonstrated in the cross.  Amen.