John 1. 14-18
John 1. 14-18 Grace upon grace
We have learned about the Grand Miracle of the Incarnation: Jesus is the Word, who was in the beginning, the Light who has come to shine in the darkness of this world. In Jesus, God becomes a human being. We have learned that this Grand Miracle invites a response - to receive Him, to know a new birth, and to give the love of God and and legs through our lives... If we're tempted to think that responding to this Grand Miracle is all a huge sacrifice, an effort, we need to look a bit closer at the last part of the Prologue.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us... He really is the "Only begotten" of the Father. The word means the One-and-only. He's unique. Fully God, fully human, making his home among us... So we have SEEN his glory. We have a faith that is more than a philosophy. It is more than simply belief in some supernatural being floating on a cloud somewhere. It is rooted in history. It is rooted in historical events which John – and others around him – had seen. Indeed John in a letter to some of his friends, goes further when he says “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life” (1 Jn 1. 1)
Shekinah. The awesome radiance, majesty, & beauty of God himself. Seen... in flesh. If you want to see the glory, look at the flesh. Look in the manger. Look at the one who falls asleep in the boat. Look at the man on the cross.
Jesus, the Word become flesh, is full of Grace & truth. Grace & truth together have their roots in the Covenant relationship between God & his people. Moses (Ex 33. 18) wanted to see God's glory. And God said "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." Grace is undeserved favour, which makes thankful, joyful, beautiful. Truth is saving truth, Revelation, brought by Jesus and perceived by the Spirit. Jesus is the Truth. When the word became flesh, when Jesus came, he was full of Grace & truth. John compares Moses & Jesus: "the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ". Jews traditionally believed that the Torah, the 0T Law, was a gift from God - not a burden. Law is a gift. So it's not a bad thing. It points us in the right direction. It is our "guardian" until Christ comes. AV says "Schoolmaster" The word doesn't mean a teacher but the slave / servant whose job it is to get the boy safely to School, sit behind him and smack him if he didn't pay attention! The law is meant to help us! To lead us to Jesus! But grace and truth come through Jesus! They happen through Jesus. When the Word became flesh, grace & truth came through Jesus. They are an event. In the happening of the incarnation, the becoming flesh, grace and truth happened, they were seen and entered the world. Grace and truth happened.
Jesus is Bigger and better than John (verse 15) John represents the Old Testament and, like Moses, gives the ministry of Jesus an Old Testament context. Jesus is to be understood as Jewish Messiah, fulfilment of OT prophecy. Yet Jesus ranks before John. He was before John, and David, and Moses, and Abraham. Everything human, reputations, preachers, rock-star worship leaders, churches, denominations – Jesus ranks before them because he was before them. When you’re in touch with a Bishop or prophet or preacher or organiser, you’re in touch with a human being. When you’re in touch with Jesus you’re in touch with eternity.
No one has seen God. Any Jew could tell you that. Only Moses was able to look on God and survive. The only son (only God) who is in the closest relationship (bosom, lap, fold in garment) has made him known... The word “made known” is exegesis, which is what I was doing to prepare this talk. Getting to the true meaning. Telling the story of God. Explained him, The Greeks used this word when a God explained a divine secret. How amazing that John finishes his introduction to the story of the coming of the Jewish Messiah, with a word that pagan Greeks would understand. the Grand Miracle is for everyone.
So we have a Message that is rooted in historical meetings. A message about a person who is god become flesh, who is full of grace and truth, who can change our lives.
And from his fullness, says John, have we all received, grace upon grace. Grace after Grace. From the stuff that Jesus is full of, we have all received. One grace after another. One blessing after another. Forgiveness, mercy, for our messed up lives. Power and vision to serve Jesus and change the world. Joy, faith; gifts and abilities.
Let me tell you a couple of stories.
In the first months of the Church’s life, Peter took a major step forward when he went and told a Roman officer called Cornelius the Good News about Jesus; Cornelius became a follower of Jesus. It was not long before other people started talking about Jesus to non-Jewish people. Many Gentiles became Christians in a town called Antioch in Syria. The Church leaders in Jerusalem sent a man called Barnabas to investigate. When he went there, he literally saw the grace of God. He rejoiced, and taught and encouraged these new believers. Luke tells us that Barnabas as a good man, full of the holy Spirit and of faith.
John, the author if this Gospel, was one of the leading people in the Church. He worked closely with Peter. He was so used by God – so dangerous – that he was exiled onto the Island of Patmos. (Don’t get the idea that he was like Robinson Crusoe on a desert island. It was more like Alan Donaldson being forced to live on Tiree: the authorities wanted to “get him out the way so he can’t do any harm”.) But even in exile he was In the Spirit on the Lord's day – quite possibly with other believers. And he had an amazing vision – which became the Book of revelation, the last book of the Bible.
So when John says “From his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace” he doesn’t mean that we will always live prosperous healthy and wealthy lives. But he does mean that God’s blessings keep coming: different kinds of grace. Faith; joy; answers to prayer; breakthroughs in mission; gifts for service, in the power of the Spirit.
Jesus is full of grace and truth. Grace and truth become, they happen, because of Jesus. Of his fullness have we all received. Grace upon grace. God’s intention for us is not that we run on empty, that we plod along on our own. God’s intention for us is that from Christ’s fullness, we all receive grace upon grace. Are you, am I running on empty, of are we receiving from Christ’s fullness. Are we running on rules and regulations? Are we running of or own piddling little efforts? Or are we receiving “Grace upon Grace”. Let’s put ourselves where we can receive.
What do we need to do? As I thought and prayed about this I sensed God’s answer is “nothing – but a very specific kind of nothing...”
Nothing to deserve it. We don’t earn this but receive forgiveness, power, faith, gifts, answers to prayer, as grace.
Nothing to distract from it. We need to waste time with God, give him our presence, and by spending time with him to filter out the other voices.
Nothing to displace it: we don’t displace God’s gifts and grace with things we can easily do for ourselves; with religious activism; or with various idols, false gods.
The fullness of God dwells in Christ. And we are complete in him. Grace upon grace.
© Gilmour Lilly, December 2017
