Glory, Grace, and Truth

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known (John 1:14-18).

The Holy Spirit reveals much truth here as He declares that in Jesus Christ the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. With those words the Teacher inspired John to reveal the divinity of Christ. He was God coming to the world He created. He was coming to dwell among us. The Greek word translated dwelt here is skēnoō and it means to encamp, occupy, reside, tabernacle, or tent. God had tabernacled with the Israelites, His Old Testament children of promise as they journeyed through inhospitable lands among hostile people on their way to Canaan, their land of promise… “And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Exodus 25:8). (You can read about the wilderness tabernacle and Israel’s journey to the land of promise in The Schoolmaster’s Study Series Book II, Exodus: Journey from Captivity to Glory). Now God was coming to tabernacle with the Israelites again, but they did not receive Him… “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11). But the Lord promises to tabernacle with those who did receive Him (See yesterday's chapter, For Those Who Get It). He promises to accompany Christ followers, His New Testament children of promise as we journey through this temporal world toward Heaven, our land of promise… “Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise” (Galatians 4:28). The Teacher goes even deeper here and reveals three great reasons why the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The Spirit teaches that Christ came into our world to reveal in and through Christ followers God’s glory, grace, and truth.

The Spirit inspired Moses to record that when God took up residence in the wilderness tabernacle He filled the tent with His glory… “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34-35). The Spirit inspired John to record the miracles of Jesus and to show that whenever Jesus acted or spoke to meet the needs of people He revealed the glory of God and it led to belief… “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him” (John 2:11). Jesus passed His glory on to His followers… “The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one” (John 17:22). Jesus exhorted His followers to share God’s glory by continuing His works and serving others… “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

The Spirit also teaches that Jesus Christ was full of God’s grace and that Christ followers receive grace from Him. The Greek word translated grace is charis and it means benefit, favor, or gift. Again the Spirit teaches that Jesus was not only full of grace but that He passed His grace on to His followers… “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace”. The Spirit inspired Luke to record how God’s grace is released in miracles and signs when Christ followers preach the gospel and serve others… “So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands” (Acts 14:3).

Finally, the Spirit teaches that Jesus was full of God’s truth and that Christ followers receive truth from Him. Because He was God, Jesus identified Himself as truth personified… “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him” (John 14:6-7). Christ followers are following and leading others to His truth whenever we continue His work by serving others… “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

As we grow up into Christ and He tabernacles within us, whenever we serve others in our words and deeds we share His soul-saving gospel and we show the world God’s…

Glory, Grace, and Truth.