6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
6 comments:
I like how John lived for a greater purpose than himself. This idea about live for greater cause was probably around before John but John spent his whole life knowing he was second fiddle without any real proof. I feel like John was sitting in the same boat as many of us, in that, for much of his ministry he was living by faith and didn't physically walk with Jesus. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think John was ever specifically empowered by the holy spirit like the later apostles were? To me he was the first Christian pastor. Thoughts?
John was an interesting person in terms of how we consider him. In some respects he was the last old testament prophet -- coming before Jesus. But as Adam stated, he was kind of like the first Christian pastor -- in that he led people to Jesus.
He was a wild man. And though it doesn't really say that he was empowered by the Holy Spirit the way that the disciples were after the resurrection I would say that he definitely had access to some God juice.
I do think that he did have to live out much of his ministry not seeing or knowing Jesus. And he probably felt like he got a bit of the raw end of the deal because he was imprisoned and killed when Jesus really starting rocking in his ministry.
To change subjects for a second, (and please feel free to comment on John too) but I am intrigued by the verse that says:
"Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given."
I feel like I almost understand this -- anyone wanna take a shot a clarifying?
Sara, that's another one of those mind-bending verses that John is so good at. I wonder if, given the verse that follows, it means to say that the law given through Moses was a kind of grace or a precursor of grace, that was replaced later by the fuller grace of Jesus. The law was man's only approach to God, the only way of beginning to know him, but in Jesus the grace of God is made manifest in all its fulness.
I dunno, just a guess based on the context.
I agree with Leslie.
The law as a form of grace is an interesting concept. I wouldn't imagine those living under the law to view it as Grace, rather as a burden.
It was a set of rules to follow to be "right" with God. Though I wonder, if rules were the only means to have a relationship with God, maybe they would feel like grace to those who really seek after God. That by following the heart of the law, they find peace with God and with the world.
Then Christ comes and brings a deeper grace that doesn't depend on our actions but rather a love that meets us where we are, in our brokenness.
Though, I wonder, as I write this, how many Christians view the grace of Christ as a burden. Church they have to go to week after week, acts of service that they have to do.
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