Monday, February 4, 2013

Grace and Truth

John 1:17 ncv
The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

In the Old Testament, Moses was the giver of the law. Moses emphasized God’s law and justice. It was the only way that the people would come to know God was through His law and God’s nature. God communicated through different people, usually prophets who were told to give specific messages. But no one ever saw God.

In the New Testament, Christ came to earth to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17). The only way God could communicate His people was through His Son, Jesus Christ. God send His Son into world to show God’s mercy, love, faithfulness, and forgiveness rather than through the cold stone tablets.

In the beginning of John’s writing, he introduced Christ, as the Word. The Greek word is “logos,” meaning any kind of communication; it could be translated “message.” Here, it means Christ, because Christ was the way God told people about himself (note from ncv).

John continued, “The Word became a human and lived among us. We saw his glory—the glory that belongs to the only Son of the Father—and He was full of GRACE AND TRUTH. John (the Baptist) tells the truth about him (Christ) and cries out, saying, “This is the One I told you about: ‘The One who comes after me is greater than I am, because he (Christ) was living before me.’” Because he (Christ) was full of GRACE AND TRUTH, from him (Christ) we all received one gift after another. The law was given through Moses, but GRACE AND TRUTH came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But God the only Son is very close to the Father, and he (Christ) has shown us what God is like. (John 1:14-18 ncv)

Jesus said, “For when you see Me, you are seeing the one (the Father in Heaven) who sent Me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the darkness” (John 12:45-46 qvlab).

We often wonder what God is like. How can we know the Creator when He doesn’t make Himself visible? Jesus said plainly that those who see Him see God, because He is God. If you want to know what God is like, study the person and words of Jesus Christ. Why? It is because Christ was full of GRACE and TRUTH, the One whom you can trust.

May the words of grace and truth dwell in you richly!

Dorothy

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