John 1:15-18

How glorious to be back in John’s Gospel! I’ve had two nights of five uninterrupted hours of sleep, and I’m feeling human again! I’ll be finished with the antibiotics on Friday, and expect to lose the numbness on the right side of my face sometime down the road! :) At least two more dentist visits and I should be set! Thank you for your prayers and your sweet emails of encouragement!

In today’s verses from John’s gospel, John continues to describe the Word who became flesh. First, in verse 15, he speaks of the testimony of John the Baptist about Jesus:

John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”


You may remember that John the Baptist was the son of the Jewish priest, Zechariah and Elizabeth, who was the cousin of Mary (see Luke 1). Therefore John was Jesus’ cousin, who was born six months before Jesus. So when John the Baptist proclaimed that Jesus was “before” him, he speaks to the eternal nature and the superiority of Jesus.

Then, the Apostle John returns to his own testimony of what Christ has done for us:

From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known. (John 1:16-18)
The King James Version states it this way:

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.


The idea is that through Christ we have received grace upon grace, unending grace, or, as Jon Courson describes it, “continual grace, inexhaustible grace.” Romans 5:20 assures us that “where sin increased, grace increased all the more.” We cannot “out sin” His ability to forgive and restore.  Unless we completely reject His Gift.  You can choose to be under the law or under grace. I’m taking grace! Thank you, LORD, for You are not only the source of grace and truth, you ARE Grace and Truth!

Jesus, is the Word. He is the One and Only Son of God, and is the only One who makes God known. When John wrote this to Gentiles who were steeped in Greek philosophy, they did not believe that God could be personally known. But John wants us to know that the Word, the Creator of the universe, WANTS to be known - and Jesus is the One who reveals the Father. If you want to know the Father, you must know the Son. There is no one else who can reveal Him to men.

I’m excited to get into the heart of this gospel, because the introduction has assured me that I need to know the Word. Tomorrow we’ll get to look at John the Baptist as he prepares the way for the Savior.

Please continue to pray for Judi, who is scheduled to have her kidney removed tomorrow!!  Thank you!!!