Grace and Truth Came

“The Firm” by John Grisham - a few selected paragraphs do not make for a full reading and details

Do we do that with the Bible at times? Bounce around reading sections based a topic we’re studying?

What if we took a book of the Bible and read it from beginning to the end and discover the flow of information and revelation that the author, inspired and guided by God’s Spirit, developed and wrote for us.

Let’s do that and see how it goes.

I thought of the Gospels - and selected the fourth gospel - John. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the synoptic (along side each other) are in a biographical style.

John’s gospel is a thought out presentation of the good news of Jesus Christ; this gospel often draws us into the context - not just as observers, but as part of the story.

So we’re starting with John chapter 1

Please stand as we honor the reading of God’s Word.

John 1:1–18 NIV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”) 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 is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

THE WORD OF GOD, FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD.

Pastor friend (and co-pastor) - word for word - 4 gospels - 7 years

Pages upon pages in commentaries and word studies.

Lord “help me!”

Bible scholars have named these verses the “Prologue” - the opening of this gospel

Here are some key words and thoughts that “pop out” to me to share about today:

First: Word and Creator

Second: Life and Light

Third: Grace and Truth

Word and Creator

Use Verse 1 and 14

Here in verse 1 - “In the beginning” the same Greek words in Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 in the Greek translation of the Old Testament.

Word not identified as Jesus Christ until verse 17 - although implied in verse 14 for those who know the birth of Jesus.

Faithlife Study Bible - The “word of Yahweh” evokes associations with creation, divine revelation, personified wisdom, and the law of Moses.

God spoke creation; God spoke through Moses and the Law; the Word both word and deed - New Interpreter's Bible Commentary (NIB)

Pre-exists before creation - the Word exists outside of time and space.

Embodies the thoughts and actions of the creator - our creator

All things were made through Him!

These first five verses - for the Jew of that day - and for us today - very much parallel the first few verses of the creation story.

In Genesis, we see Life and Light...

Life and Light

John is making that connection here.

The source of life is the Word, is God, is Jesus - He is the light who dispels the darkness

John the Baptist was a witness and preacher to the light; John preached that He surpasses me because He came before me.

This source of life and light provides us life and light if only we receive Him.

Believe on his name -

Grace and Truth

Grace alludes to the Old Testament phrase: unfailing love of God

Truth alludes to the Old Testament phrase: faithfulness of God

John tells us grace upon grace is better than what Moses received in the Law; the fullness of grace and truth come through Jesus Christ (verse 17

The truth we’ll see through this gospel - is that Jesus, the Son, is in close relationship to the Father. Jesus, God Himself, in the bosom or near to the heart of God, has come to make God know to us. Not just in Jesus day, but still making God known to us.

(NIB) - Greek word for grace only 4 times here in the prologue but will illustrated it throughout without using the word grace

John 1:14 NIV

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The central verse to understand in this prologue and will impact our time in the gospel of John.

He draws us in - “we” is not eyewitness, but the confessing community - (NIB)

The manager scene is wonder - we have scene it depicted many times over the years; many of you have participated in that; many of us have nativity scenes we set up at Christmas

The focus of every nativity scene is the baby in the manger

John brings our focus to the baby

The Word (God himself) who became flesh;

The glory (the presence) of the Son, Jesus;

Full of the grace and unfailing love of God

Full of the truth and faithlfullness of God

In that manger - Grace and Truth came

As we continue over the next few months in the gospel of John - may we read, listen, and study it knowing that:

Grace and Truth Came and still comes to dwell with us; may we continue to behold and confess His glory - our Savior and Lord - Jesus Christ.