John 1:17-20

17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 

18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

God granted us the fullness of His grace when He sent us Jesus Christ. Does that mean that there was no grace in the law of Moses? No, not at all. We saw God’s grace continually throughout the Old Testament. In verse 16, we saw the phrase “grace for grace” which means the grace shown through Jesus Christ is superior to the grace shown in the Old Testament, because it is the full measure of God’s grace. In verse 17, we see the comparison between the law of Moses and the law (grace and truth) of Christ. Let’s talk about the attributes of the law of Moses, and why it had to come before the full measure of grace that came through Jesus Christ. First of all, the law of Moses revealed God’s grace by revealing the character and will of God. The law was very clear about what God expected of them. God had already delivered them out of Egyptian slavery so God was already showing them grace. The law of Moses was not a burden. It was a blessing from a gracious God who wanted to show His children what He expected of them. God’s laws are not just a bunch of rules to make life hard. His laws and statutes are all for our own good. God sees the big picture of what is best for us. God let His people know what He expected of them in detail so they would have no excuse not to obey Him. That is grace. God wouldn’t be a very good Father if He didn’t tell us what to expect from Him. We do this with our own children, because we love them. Second, the law of Moses revealed the sinfulness of humans. As the law revealed God’s character, it also revealed our character as human beings. The law revealed that we as humans could never measure up to God. Our character could never match God’s. But God didn’t strike everyone down for every sin they committed. He showed grace to His people time and time again. There were times when specific people were struck down immediately, because they were in complete rebellion to God, but if you think about it, God showed His people grace the majority of the time. Remember, God knows hearts. He knows them now, and He knew them then. He could see if a person was truly penitent for not. Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”, but then a couple of verses down in Romans 3:25 it says that “in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed”. Passing over sins is grace. So, the law of Moses was a tutor to prepare humans for the grace and truth of Christ. The law taught humans about God and about themselves, and proved to them that they could never measure up to God’s standard without an advocate…..without a Savior. Also, God’s grace and truth in the old testament was for the nation of Israel only, but Jesus brought the extra measure of grace, not only for the nation of Israel, but for all people. 

In verse 18, John reiterates the fact that no one has ever seen God. Even Moses, who spoke face to face with God like a friend, could not see God in all His glory. (Exodus 33:11) In Exodus 33:18, Moses asked God to show him His glory. In the following verses of Exodus 33:19-23, God told Moses, paraphrasing, “My goodness will go before you, and I will be gracious and show compassion to whom I will, but you cannot see my face, because no man can see Me, and survive. You stand here on the rock beside me. I will pass by you as you are in the cleft, shielding you with my hand as I pass. Then I will take my hand away when I am past you. You will be able to see my back, but not my face.” Ezekiel fell down on his face at the very appearance of the likeness of God. (Ezekiel 1:28) John fell as though he was dead at the feet of Jesus when he saw the vision in Revelation 1:17. No one except Jesus has seen God. Jesus is unique, the one and only Son, who has not only seen God, but is God. There is no one who is in a closer relationship with the Father, than Jesus. The phrase “in the bosom of the Father” shows us the close relationship that the Father and the Son have. Later in John 14:6, Jesus says that if anyone has seen Him, he has seen the Father. 

Verse 19 begins John’s testimony of himself. It began with John being questioned by priests and Levites who were sent by the Jews to find out who he was. They weren’t interested in John personally. They just wanted to know if he was the Messiah. John immediately confessed that he is not the Messiah. We have already been told in John 1:8 that John was not the light, but that he was sent to bear witness of the light. John knew his place and his purpose, and he never allowed himself to be perceived as more than he was. His humility is a great example to us today. He is questioned more by these priests and Levites in the coming verses. 

Just as a side note, I often think of how Jesus felt about John. In Matthew 11:11, Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” In Matthew 14, we read of John the baptizer’s horrible, violent death. Jesus went off to be alone after hearing about it from his disciples. We know that Jesus knew where John was in a spiritual sense. John was in paradise. But it didn’t change the fact that Jesus was sad to hear that John was murdered in such a violent way. John the baptizer was a bold witness for Jesus, as we should be bold witnesses for Him today. Am I being a bold witness for my Savior in my life?

Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? If you aren’t, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are…..believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan that God has set forth in His Word, for humankind to receive His grace that leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we remain faithful in our commitment to Christ until death. (Revelation 2:10, 2 Peter 2:20-22)