John 1:17 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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John 1:17

Comments

It is by Christ’s mighty accomplishment that this grace is available to us, an accomplishment far greater than that of Moses through whom the law was given. The law could be given by one who was only a man, because all that was required was its publication - the Ten Commandments and the Old Testament ceremonial. Moses was a great man, a wonderful man, and the meekest of all men until the coming of the God-man, but he was still a man, fallible and sinful, and he had his weaknesses. He was capable of great impatience and he was capable of having his faith fail at times and waver. But if all you are called to do is to publish the law and to print it, a man can do that. But to actually procure grace had to wait until Jesus Christ, because no man could do that. Moses could not do that. Only the God-man, second person of the Trinity, incarnate in human flesh and human form could actually secure the grace by living a perfect life under the most terrible provocation, and by suffering and dying on Calvary to make an atonement for sin for all who would be saved. He had to be man in order to suffer as we should suffer, but he had to be God to enable him to go through it, and sustain him and to live that perfect life of righteousness.Furthermore, Christ is the truth in that he fulfilled the types and the shadows. He is the real thing. The sacrifices, which would depict the great sacrifice to come, they were pictures and prophecies and forecasts, foretelling, illustrations, graphics. The reality was Christ on Calvary.

Application

We must cultivate utmost dependence upon Christ in everything we do, we depend upon him. And let there be some, hopefully much, grace and truth flowing from us too towards others. Grace and truth. That is Christ. May it be reflected in us: always gracious, always courteous, always ready to forgive, always compassionate; and truth: always genuine, always true, always faithful. Grace and truth.

Questions

Does this verse mean that there was no grace in the Old Testament? John is talking not so much about the contrast between law and grace, and if you overemphasise that you give the impression that the Old Testament was all law and only the New Testament is grace, and that in the Old Testament they did not have any grace. But it would be wrong to give that impression because they did have grace in the Old Testament. All the grace and mercy that was shown by God to repentant sinners throughout the Old Testament awaited the coming of Christ. People could be forgiven throughout the Old Testament, but the great transaction that would purchase their salvation waited for Christ himself.

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John 1:17 Commentary and Bible Study