John 1:14-18 – The overflowing grace of Christ

In John 1: 15, we are let into a little more of the ministry of John the Baptist. This brief peep into his life and ministry tells us how humble he was. He had such a clear understanding of his purpose as the forerunner of Christ. He knew that he was not here to compete with Him but to point others to Him. John the Baptist had no illusion about his own position. Though he had his own followings, yet he recognized who he really was in relation to the Master. He recognized that he was raised to play a different role in God’s divine plan. His priority was to exalt Christ and to make Him known. This he did so without regrets. Christ must be given the priority. So he said, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” John the Baptist came to make known the abundant grace found in Christ. Let us be like him and live to make Christ our priority in life.  

When Jesus appeared on earth, clothed in flesh and dwelt in the midst of humanity, He became exactly like us human beings, whom He had created. However, He did not stop being God’s Eternal Word. More importantly, He did not stop being God. He simply took on a new form of life. He did not become an entirely new being. He is still God but now in human flesh. John, the beloved, together with the other disciples, saw His glory – His divine essence, the essence that belongs to the only begotten Son of the Father. What’s brilliant is that Jesus Christ the Son, though in human flesh, was full of grace and truth. Meaning he was gracious in words and actions. Besides, He was also full of truth or divine realities. Christ became like us to live among us. Even today we still can feel His presence. The issue is: do we love and treasure His presence?

The emphasis of these verses concern the source of GRACE.  We must know that grace is found in Jesus. And from His fullness we have received grace upon grace. What we need to know is that God’s grace through Christ will keep coming out on all who believe Him. It is poured out on us, one after another. Every time we have appropriated a moment of His grace in our life and allowed it to take its effect, more grace will come. And when it is again fully appropriated, a new set of grace will come. This trend repeats itself continuously. They keep coming unendingly. His grace is inexhaustible. It’s like water that flows from a fountain. It never stops. Drop upon drop just keeps on springing up and rains on us. God’s grace has no limit. His love has no measure. His power has no boundary known unto man. And out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He gives and gives, over and over, again and again.

What’s wonderful is that we can experience God and His grace through Christ. John the beloved tells us that no one has ever seen the Father. But Jesus, who has and is on the Father’s side, has come to make Him known. He has come to explain Him to us. So when we see Christ we see the Father. When we experience Christ’s greatness, we experience the Father’s greatness. His love gives us a taste of the Father’s love. When we encounter the grace of Christ, we know we have encountered the grace of God. May our knowledge of God enlarge as we know Christ more!