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The Gospel of John, God's Grace - Lesson 5
John 1:16-18, And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
His fullness - spiritual wealth of Christ, the full measure of all the divine powers and graces which are concentrated absolutely in Christ, the incarnate Word.
Paul says in Col 1:19, For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;
Jesus Christ's fullness is a bank of Grace in which you can never be overdrawn. Your check will not bounce due to lack of Grace.
Each Christian according to his fellowship with Christ draws from that fullness whatever he needs for the accomplishment of his own part in the life of the Church, Christ's body.
Eph 1:23, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
"Westcott, The Gospel according to John"
Christians receive from Christ as from a spring of divine life whatever they severally require according to their position and work.
All is in Him and all in Him is available for the believer.
We have received life, peace, joy, God's own Word, the Holy Spirit.
All that we need both for time and eternity.
John was a witness to the glory of Christ but he includes us as receivers of the same grace as the witnesses.
We all received his gifts when we were admitted to his fold.
No group or organization or denomination can lay claim to having more grace available to them than another group.
"And grace for grace" Each grace appropriated becomes a foundation for another grace.
A little use of grace gains a larger measure of grace.
One wave in the ocean of grace is replaced by another more vigorous wave of grace.
II Cor 12:9, Paul relates: My Grace is sufficient for you.
Not given in a miserly fashion as it the bank of grace were bankrupt but poured out like Mary's ointment, as it there is no end.
John 1:17, For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
This is John's first mention of the name of the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, Anointed one.
Heb 10:1, For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Moses was a shadow
Jesus Christ is the very image
The law threatened but did not help
It revealed the reign of sin but does not subdue sin
It shows the heart of man but offers no cleansing fountain
It tells us of our feebleness but imparts no strength
Arthur W. Pink says:
a) Law manifested what was in man, sin, grace manifests what is in God, love b) Law demanded righteousness from men, grace brings righteousness to men c) Law sentences a living man to death, grace brings a dead man to life d) Law speaks of what men must do for God, grace tells of what Christ has done for men e) Law gives a knowledge of sin, grace puts away sin f) Law brought God out to men, grace brings men into God
The law is good and serves an important purpose.
It is the school master that brings us to the only one who is equipped to do anything eternal for us, the only one capable of solving our problems.
We need help and that help is grace!
Here in this verse John in his gospel emphasizes that:
A) the new order fulfills, surpasses and replaces the old B) the wine of the new creation is better than the water which was used in Jewish religion, 2:19 C) the new temple supercedes the old, 2:19 D) the new birth opens up a sphere of life that cannot be entered by natural birth, even the natural birth into membership of the chosen people, 3:3,5, the Jew E) the living water of the Spirit which Jesus imparts is far superior both to the water in Jacobs well and to the water which was poured out in the temple court F) the bread of heaven is the reality of which manna in the wilderness was but a figure, 6:32
The law was given to Moses, it was not his own, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ because these are his own perfections, they were not given to him because he is grace and he is truth.
God was made known through the law as of a shadow but God was fully made known by the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ
As we summarize in 2 Corinthians 3:10,11, For even that which was made glorious (the law) had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth (grace). For if that which is done away was glorious (the law), much more that which remaineth is glorious (grace).
Also notice the connection of these two words "Grace" and "Truth"
Grace comes to those who accept the Truth.
Grace and Truth go together-cannot have one without the other.
Many would like the grace of salvation but cannot tolerate the truth that one must believe to enjoy the Grace.
Note the story in Luke 4:22, as Jesus preached they wondered at his gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth but in verse 28 when they heard truth about themselves they were filled with wrath and thrust him out of the city.
We see in the gospel of John a development of this theme of Grace being tied to Truth.
People are ready to hear Grace but its the truth that offends and causes many to depart from the Grace that saves.
It is the Truth that shall make you free!
John 1:18, No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
This verse is the conclusion of the prologue and summarizes the whole of the first 18 verses of this gospel.
We see that Christ has "declared", told, revealed, unveiled, displayed the Father, the one who did this has full knowledge of the Father and has every capacity to reveal him to us.
He resides in the bosom of the Father.
Where other than the bosom is a place of intimacy, a place of love and comfort and knowledge and a place of the Father's love.
In becoming flesh he did not leave that intimate union as it says here, he is in (present tense) the bosom of the Father.
His incarnation did not impair or weaken that relationship.
Nothing changed in the slightest degree from the nearness and oneness to the Father that he had enjoyed from all eternity.
Lets look at this verse:
No man hath seen God at any time;
See 1 Kings 8:12, Then spake Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
Psalm 97:2, Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.
These verses tell us that under the Law, God was not revealed fully.
1 Peter 2:9, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
and: 1 John 1:5, This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:7, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
But See: Exodus 33:23, And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
How do you know a person?
How can you identify a person?
By his or her back parts? No!
That Moses saw only God's back parts is in accord with the dispensation of Law in which he lived.
How wonderful to have passed from Law to Grace and Truth through Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:6, For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
How do we then see God in all his glory. By looking into the face of Jesus Christ which we can do by knowing his Word and letting the Holy Spirit do a work of Grace in our hearts.
The God whom no man has seen has now been fully revealed and declared by Jesus Christ, All we need to know about the Father is revealed in Jesus Christ.
This then is what John wants us to meditate upon as we enter into this Gospel and consider what this declaration or revealing of the Father is. As we see Jesus we see the Father. There is no thick darkness, no clouds, no back parts. We, by God's grace walk in the light. |