Thursday, April 30

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020

"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.

"(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.'") Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 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." (John 1:14-18)

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." (Ephesians 4:15)


The great introduction to John points to the Majesty of Jesus Christ, God's chosen revelation and the Savior for those who would trust in Him. John 1:12 explains that those who have "receive[d] him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."

I would like to focus on the one part of His revelation: His coming "full of grace and truth." Later on, in the paragraph below, John notes in contrasting tones: "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." While God gave Moses the law -- please take account of the verse's passive tense -- Jesus Himself brought grace and truth in His Person. Moses carried out a system and helped to establish the Old Covenant, but Jesus brought forth the New Covenant from Himself. God had now invited people into a relationship with Him, guaranteed by the shed blood of His Son.

We can just stand in awe of Christ's embodiment of grace and truth. Generally speaking, we struggle to balance grace and truth -- and their close cousins, mercy and justice. We tend to concentrate too heavily on one or the other. Due to our relationship with Christ, who Himself embodied them, we may "grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." To do that, as Paul writes in Ephesians 4:15, we must speak the truth in love.

Practically speaking, what does that mean? It requires infusing both elements into our conversation. We express the truth lovingly: remembering the relationship and person behind our comments. Yet, we seek grace with truth: remembering the importance of honoring God by honoring the truth.

Which of these two elements do you find to come more easily to you?


Lord God, thank You for sending Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth. Help us to honor You by living and speaking the truth in love. Allow our conversations to be seasoned with salt and edifying for others. In Jesus's Name, amen.


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