What is the meaning of John 1:17? for the Law was given through Moses God’s gift of the Law at Sinai (Exodus 19:3-6) was a defining moment for Israel: • It revealed His holy standards—“The Law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good” (Romans 7:12). • It exposed humanity’s sin—“Through the Law we become conscious of sin” (Romans 3:20). • It served as a guardian until Christ—“So the Law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). Moses, the faithful servant (Hebrews 3:5), delivered what God required, but the Law could only diagnose the problem, not cure it. grace and truth came through Jesus Christ Where Moses stood on the mountain receiving commands, Jesus stepped down from heaven bringing what the Law could never supply: • Grace—unearned favor. “From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace” (John 1:16). • Truth—the complete, faithful revelation of God. Jesus declares, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). • Both grace and truth are embodied in His person (John 1:14) and poured out at the cross, where “the free gift is not like the trespass” (Romans 5:15-17). In Christ, God moves from requirement to rescue, from demand to deliverance. the contrast and harmony between Law and grace While John 1:17 sets Law over against grace, Scripture shows they work together: • The Law points to our need; grace meets that need (Romans 5:20-21). • The Law condemns; grace justifies (Galatians 2:16). • The Law was written on tablets of stone; grace writes truth on hearts by the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:6). Yet Jesus does not abolish the Law; He fulfills it (Matthew 5:17), satisfying every righteous demand so that a new covenant can be established (Hebrews 8:6-13). living in the age of grace and truth Because grace and truth have come, believers now: • Stand free from the Law’s penalty—“You are not under law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). • Walk by the Spirit, not by rule-keeping (Galatians 5:1, 16). • Look into “the perfect law that gives freedom” and act on it (James 1:25). • Fix hope on future grace while living holy lives in the present (1 Peter 1:13-16). summary John 1:17 contrasts two mighty acts of God. Through Moses came the Law—good, righteous, yet powerless to save. Through Jesus Christ came grace and truth—God’s decisive remedy for sin and His fullest self-revelation. The Law shows why we need a Savior; grace and truth provide Him. Because Christ has fulfilled the Law and opened the floodgates of grace, every believer can live in freedom, anchored in truth, and overflowing with gratitude to the One who gives both. |
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