John 1:14-18 (NASB)
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.
It is Christmas Day! The day we celebrate Jesus’ birthday! We rejoice in remembering the day that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. As John said in this passage, “we saw His glory” as He lived on this earth. Jesus lived His whole life “full of grace and truth.” By His birth, we who have received Him, receive “grace upon grace.”
What does “grace upon grace” mean? I think it means that we receive grace that is overflowing. It is grace abundant.
But I also think John is referencing the Old Covenant. He says in verse 17, “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.”
The law given to Moses was grace to the Israelites. There was grace extended to them. When they disobeyed God, they could follow the law and go to the temple where God dwelled and receive forgiveness of sins. That was grace. But now, when Jesus came to earth and dwelt among us, His appearing became more grace on top of that former grace. Now grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ, as verse 17 stated. Grace and truth became more pronounced, for Jesus’ death and resurrection has given us this grace upon grace.
The last verse in this passage is verse 18, which says, “No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him.”
This is one of my favorite verses about Jesus, for I love the wording in the NASB. It says, “He has explained Him.” Jesus has explained God. The Greek word for explained is exēgēsato and, according to Strong’s Concordance, it means, “to show the way.”
That word is from where we get the word exegesis, which is a term that means a critical explanation or interpretation of a text. When we study God’s word or write a sermon, we should carefully exegete the text. We should study it intently so we can find out what Scripture is showing us. If we write an exegetical sermon, we are showing what we found out in the Word and are explaining it.
At Biblehub.com you can look up the literal Greek translation and for verse 18 is it translated as such: God no one has seen ever yet; [the] only begotten God, the [One] being in the bosom of the Father, He has made [Him] known.
I love that translation. Jesus, the One being in the bosom, or heart, of the Father, He has made the Father known. That is what Jesus did. He has explained God to us. Jesus, by taking on flesh and becoming a man, He literally personified God to us. That is what we mean when we say that Jesus is God incarnate. He is God in the flesh. He has shown us God.
Jesus says this about Himself, too. John 14:9 says: Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? The one who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
Sadly, there seems to be a widely accepted idea that Jesus is completely different from God the Father. Some people wrongly think that while Jesus is full of love, God the Father is full of wrath. But this idea about Jesus being different from God the Father is so incorrect. Jesus has made the Father known. He is exactly Who God is, there is no difference in their behavior or depth of their love. The God of the Old Testament is not a different God in the New Testament. Jesus is not different from God the Father. Jesus has made God the Father known.
When we read through the Bible, starting in Genesis and ending in Revelation, we would be wise to read all the books through the lens of Jesus. We should hold Jesus in our minds as we read about Moses and the 10 Commandments, remembering what Jesus said about the commandments when He summarized them as Matthew 22:37-40 tells us: And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets.
When we read about the sacrifices and offerings given in the temple for forgiveness of sins, we should think about Jesus and how He is the Great High Priest as Hebrews 9:11-12 tells us: But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things having come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made by hands, that is, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all time, having obtained eternal redemption.
When we read about the prophet Hosea and how God had him marry a woman who would be unfaithful to him, we should think about Jesus and how He loves us even when we are unfaithful to Him. As Romans 9:25 explains: as He also says in Hosea: “I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’”
All throughout the Bible, we should read all the texts through the lens of Jesus. If we do that, we will be better able to see how the love of God is evident all throughout. Jesus clearly shows us who God is. Our minds cannot easily comprehend God. He is too great and wonderful for us to know. As John 1:5 told us, “[…] the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.” The darkness of our minds could not understand it, but Jesus explained it. Jesus showed us how to grasp the Light. He revealed to all people the way to know God.
By coming to earth, being born of a woman, living a life of glory and truth, suffering on the cross, dying for us, and rising victoriously, Jesus revealed God’s great plan of salvation for the world. He did all that, so we might be called children of God.
This Word Who became flesh, He gives us grace upon Grace. He has shown us the way to the Father, so one day we, too, can rest in the arms of God. He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
This is why we celebrate. This is why we spend an entire month in anticipation and praise. We are giving glory and honor to the One who came to earth in order to make a way to the Father!
Let us rejoice and sing!
Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing!
Pray: Happy birthday Jesus! Thank You for being born on this earth! Thank You for the gift of Christmas! Thank You for giving Yourself to us so we can know the Father. And thank You for giving us grace upon grace! We love You and praise Your name. Amen.
Comments