Read John 1:16-18. Circle the words that stand out to you.
16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[a] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
My wife and I are in Hot Springs, Arkansas for a short vacation. She loves shopping. We agree that I will pick her up in two hours and I was there early. I was early but she wasn’t quite looking through all the vendor booths. She wanted to show me some things that she wanted to buy. Would you have insisted to the agreed upon time or would you have given her a little bit more time?
The Apostle John writes that the Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The word, through, is significant. Sometimes we read as if the Law came from Moses rather than through Moses. Moses communicated the Law of God to the Israelites.
There is no grace in the Law. It is either right or wrong, adhered to or violated. Living under the Law squeezes the life out of a person. There isn’t any room for mistakes or the “hammer comes down.”
In contrast to that, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. There is patience and mercy understanding the person’s needs and circumstances. There is forgiveness and restoration. It is not grace at the expense of truth nor truth without grace. The Apostle John says that Jesus is full of grace and truth and grace and truth flowed through Him.
By the time we left that store, it was 1 hour later. It was past lunch and I was hungry. I am certain that she was hungry as well. I pointed out to her that it is passed two hours and my stomach was hurting. I didn’t drag my wife out of the store, but I offered to her that if she wanted to come back tomorrow she can. Guess what? She’s going back there this morning.
Upholding the truth, but having the freedom to extend grace to the person who violates it. I understand my wife for she is disable and shopping gives her joy. God’s grace flowed from me rather than my insistence of the “law”. We had a wonderful day. What will your day be like today?
Kingston Tong