Journey Through The Gospel of John: 1:14-18
John 1:14-18
New American Standard Bible
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.
Jesus became flesh. The Living God became flesh and bone. He has walked in our shoes. He has faced temptations of every kind. He understands our every weakness. He is our faithful and compassionate High Priest. Jesus has come from the Father to reveal the Father. John was an eyewitness of Jesus Christ. He saw everything Jesus did and he has written down his account according to the leading of the Holy Spirit so that those who would read would believe.
The glory that John saw was the signs, wonders, and miracles. It was seeing the Living Christ overcome sin, death, and the grave. Because of what Jesus has done, we can have a restored relationship with the Father. This was always the plan of Almighty God from the beginning. God knew when He created Adam and Eve that they would sin and become separated from God. God’s plan of sending His Son was not reactionary, it was already put in place.
It shows us the depths of His love. We don’t deserve salvation and we don’t deserve His love. But it is through Jesus Christ that we encounter and fully receive grace and truth. God’s unmerited favor is lavished upon us because of the precious blood of Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He is not a way, He is the way. When our faith and trust are placed in Christ, we become children of the Most High God.
Jesus' ministry would follow that of John the Baptist. John was the forerunner and called by God to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of the Messiah. But though Jesus’ ministry began after that of John, Jesus was not only superior to John in rank, but Jesus has always existed. He has always existed. He has no beginning or no end. He is Almighty God and this again is the purpose of John’s gospel to show beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is God.
From the fullness of who Jesus is and all He has done, we have received grace upon grace. The grace of God is unending. It is lavished upon those who make Jesus Lord and Savior. For when we come to Christ we exchange our sin for His salvation. We exchange the curse of sin and death, for the unending grace of God. The grace of God is lavished upon our lives not because of our works, but because of what Jesus has done. As we demonstrate stewardship in our lives of the little we have been given, the Lord will simply entrust us with much. But His grace being lavished upon us is simply a result of what Jesus has done and us receiving that precious gift.
The law was given through Moses. It is impossible to keep the law of God. No matter how hard we try, if we break one jot or tittle of the law, we are deemed law breakers. The purpose of the law was to reveal man’s need for a savior. The law makes known the righteousness of God. It shows our need for a Savior. That Savior is found in Jesus Christ. For in Christ we find grace and truth. He is the truth, but it is through Him the grace of God is lavished upon us. We are undeserving of God’s grace, but through Christ and faith in Him, it makes it possible for us to not only be saved, but for the grace of God to touch every area of our lives.
Jesus is the Son of God. He is Almighty God. When it speaks of the bosom of the Father it speaks of the intimacy between the Father and the Son. Jesus came to reveal the Father. No one has ever seen God and lived. Moses saw the goodness of the Lord pass before Him. Others have had encounters with the Living God and have received revelations from Him. But it is only the Son who has seen God in all His glory. Jesus is the only begotten of the Father. It doesn’t mean that Jesus is created by the Father, but He is the unique Son of God. There is none who compares with Him.
The word explain in the Greek means to describe, make known, to explain. Jesus came to reveal the Father. This is why without Christ we cannot know the Father. This is why without Jesus there is no hope. When we come to know Christ, we come to know the Father. It is an intimate relationship that is made possible because of what Christ has done. This is why when a person stands before Jesus someday, if they have never known Him, He will say away from me I never knew you. Salvation is not merely a get out of jail free card. It is to know the Son of God intimately. To walk with Him daily. To live for Him. To build one’s life upon Him, and to fully give Him Lordship of everything.