Christmas: The Revelation of God in Christ - John 1:14-18

 Christmas: The Revelation of God in Christ!

John 1:14-18

Introduction: “Here is something marvelous: the Son of God descended from heaven in such a way that, without leaving heaven, he willed to be borne in the virgin’s womb, to go about the earth, and to hang upon the cross; yet he continuously filled the world even as he had done from the beginning!” (John Calvin). 

Let it sink in for a moment, the God who is, the Great I AM, the One who is so immense as to fill the universe, so awesome as to speak all that exists into being, so powerful as to hold it all together, willfully, purposefully, took the form of a human, and lived in this fallen world among men. He then, though innocent, went to the Cross and died as our substitute, to rescue us from the penalty of sin. In an Advent devotional, in an entry written by Kelly Kapic, she reflected on this awesome truth:

“So, is Jesus… [h]uman or divine? Yes! Both are true in one person, this one baby boy. We can imagine God bringing salvation, or we can picture a heroic human doing revolutionary things. But a single person who at the same time is both fully God and fully human, without compromising the integrity of either? This is truly a beautiful paradox—a paradox at the heart of human salvation” (The Promised One, p.58-59).

We know the stories surrounding His birth so well. It is interesting that John does not tell us about Jesus being born in Bethlehem. In fact, in the only place Bethlehem is mentioned in John, it is when some are objecting, saying this Galilean could not be the Messiah. We read in John 7:41-43, 

41 Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee?  42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"  43 So there was a division among the people over him.

John the Evangelist (let’s call him that to distinguish the Gospel writer from John the Baptist!) never tells us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, even though he records this objection. Why? I think this is another example of John presupposing his readers have heard or read the stories of his birth from Matthew and Luke! There is no need to explain, he assumes we know the story of Mary and Joseph, the Virgin birth, and the babe in the manger. John’s purpose is to supplement what came before, to give more detail, and perhaps be more explicit about what God was doing, what he intended to accomplish, in sending His One and only Son into the world. He is inviting us to pause enough to consider who He is, what He did, and why He did it.

       We have taken this Prologue of John over four weeks, but consider how it begins and ends: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…” (v.1), and “…the only God, who is at the Father’s side, He has made Him known…” (v.18). Remember too what lies at the middle of these verses, “to those who did receive Him, who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God…” (12). Consider how that fits with what John, toward the end of this Gospel, tells us is his purpose in writing, “…these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name…” (20:31). He wants us to believe, correctly, who Jesus is, and through faith in Him to experience life, the abundant life for which we were created! And so…

The BIG Idea: God the Son drew near to us in the Incarnation, revealing God to us, and graciously providing the Way to true life. We’ll take this paragraph in three steps,

1) The Incarnation: The Eternal Son took a human nature and drew near, revealing His glory (14-15); 2) The Motivation: Grace! God’s unmerited favor, Grace upon grace (16-17); and finally 3) The Revelation: He has made God known (18).

I. The Incarnation: The Eternal Son took a human nature and drew near to us, revealing His glory (14-15). Let’s look first at verse 14 again,

14 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.

The Word was made flesh (14). Some Bibles, such as the ESV, set off 14-18 as a separate paragraph, so we’ll touch briefly on this verse again. Last week, the big idea we focused on in this verse was that the Eternal Word, God the Son, has graciously become human and drawn near to us, revealing His glory in the Gospel. That truth is stated elsewhere in the New Testament, for example in Colossians 1:15, “He is the image of the invisible God, and in 2:9, “…in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”

That same idea is fleshed out (no pun intended) in these verses, especially emphasizing the theme of “grace” and revelation. (I mentioned last week that the word “grace” only appears four times in John, all in this short section. Once in verse 14, paired with “truth,” and then again in v.16 in the phrase “grace upon grace,” and a final time, paired again with “truth” in v.17). Whereas the opening verses of the Prologue made a strong, intentional allusion to Genesis, this little paragraph especially evokes Exodus, and God’s revelation to Moses and the nation. Now the One of whom the Scriptures spoke has come. 

Next, the Evangelist returns to the witness he had mentioned back in vv. 6-7, and to whom he will return later in the chapter, John the Baptist,

15 ( 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.'")

The Witness of John (15). I left the parentheses in the quotation of v.15, as this is how it appears in the ESV. The editors are giving us their assessment that this is a parenthetical statement by John. If you read verse 14 and go directly to v.16, you will see that it does flow smoothly, he then continues talking about grace. So why does John the writer return here to mention John the Baptist? 

       In verse 6 we were told that John “came as a witness to testify,” and here in v.15 we are given a preliminary example of John’s testimony: he affirms the pre-existence and superiority of Jesus, “He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.” Actually, John the Baptist is quoting what he had been testifying about Jesus: He is the one about whom John had been speaking, the One for whom He was preparing the way, essentially, “This is the Promised One that I told you was coming, He is here!” John the Evangelist will repeatedly use forms of the words for “witness” and “testimony,” legal terminology, in this Gospel. 

       The case is being laid out that Jesus is the Messiah, and this Gospel is like an “amicus brief” setting forth testimony and evidence. So, the miracle stories John will include are “signs,” evidence in the case for Christ. The works and words of Jesus are irrefutable. Though condemned by men, the injustice of their condemnation, and the righteousness of Jesus, is made clear. Yet God had a plan, and He “…so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). The Big Idea here is that, *God the Son drew near to us in the Incarnation, revealing God to us, and graciously providing the Way to true life.

II. The Motivation: Why did He do it? Grace! God’s unmerited favor. All who have received Him by faith are the ultimate recipients of grace, grace upon grace! (16-17).  

16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.  17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Back in v.14 John told us that the Word incarnate was “full of grace and truth.”  John here is pick up on that word, saying, “From His fullness… grace upon grace” (cf. Exod 33:13). This phrase may echo Exodus 33:13, the NKJ translates,

“Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”

“If I have found grace… that I may find grace…” Grace upon grace! It is in this context that Moses asks God to show him His glory, and God appears to him in theophany. From the abundant grace and truth of the incarnate Word, we have received grace upon grace. This would seem to connect with 1:12, “as many as received Him.” Those who receive Him, receive the blessings that flow from him, they experience grace, they know the Truth. 

So then, what is intended by the phrase “grace upon grace”? The NIV translates, “one blessing after another.” That is certainly true. As believers in Christ, we know His mercies are new every morning, and we certainly experience repeatedly the blessings of our new life in Christ! But that doesn’t seem to be the Evangelist’s meaning here in John 1:17. The context is comparing the revelation of God to and through Moses, and the final and full revelation of God in Christ. Jesus isn’t the replacement of what God said through Moses, He is the fulfillment. He is the One anticipated by Moses and ultimately all of the Scriptures. Later in John Jesus will say, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.  47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?" (John 5:46-47).

I’ll make the case as we continue in John that he is affirming continuity with the Law given through Moses in the sense that Jesus fulfills the Scriptures, He does not do away with them.  The phrase “grace upon grace,” as the Evangelist uses it then is essentially saying that just as God revealed His grace through Moses in the Law, the Law was a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ (cf. Gal 3:24); now, in Christ, He is revealing “grace” in its fulness. He is the One of whom Moses (and the prophets) spoke. This is similar to what the writer to the Hebrews says in his opening verse, “In different times and different ways in times past God spoke to the fathers through the prophets, in these last days He has spoken in the Son” (Heb 1:1). 

       John begins his Gospel by pointing us back to Genesis and Exodus, after this he’ll refer to Isaiah and to the Psalms. He is telling us that all of Scripture pointed to, anticipated, and finds it’s fulfillment in Christ. The same God who said “…‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). He is not saying that Jesus brought “grace” to replace the Law, but that the Law graciously pointed forward to the One who would come in the fulness of time, bringing the full revelation of the grace and truth of God. The Big Idea is that *God the Son drew near to us in the Incarnation, revealing Himself to us, and graciously providing the Way to true life.

III. The Revelation: He is the unique revelation of God, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s right hand, has made Him known” (18).

18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

       The idea here is that no one can see God in His fullness, in all of his glory. Isaiah had a vision of God sitting on His throne, surrounded by the worshipping Seraphim, and was “undone,” even though he only got a glimpse. Moses was placed by God in the cleft of the rock, and then got a glimpse of God’s glory as he passed by. How can mere men see God, the awesome Creator and Sustainer of the universe? “The Word was God… the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us…”  As Paul said to the Philippians, 

“…though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God, a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men…” (Phil 2:6-7). 

This context anticipates the famous exchange later in the Gospel of John, between Jesus, and Philip, no doubt representing the other disciples as well…

6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."  8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."  9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

Philip’s request here reminds me of Moses’ request of God in Exodus 33:18, “Please, show me your glory.” In that context the LORD said to Moses,

18 Moses said, "Please show me your glory."  19 And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name 'The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.  20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live."  21 And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock,  22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.  23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen… (Exodus 33:18-23).

In the light of that context, look again at what the Evangelist John writes here, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” How can finite, fallen humans, hope to see God, who is everywhere and all-powerful? How could we look upon His holiness? God the Son, bound to His eternal deity, a sinless human nature. The Only Son, at the Father’s right hand has made Him known. The word translated by the phrase, “has made Him known,” often has the sense of “explain” or “interpret.” (We get our English words exegete and exegesis from the same root). In the gospels, this word only appears one other time, in the Gospel of Luke, after Jesus had appear to the two on the road to Emaus, they reported back to the others, “Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread…” (Lk 24:35). Jesus had taught them, and then, as He broke bread, they recognized Him, the action opened their eyes to see and understand who it was that was with them! Here in our context in John 1:18 we are told that in Jesus, the God-Man, we can know and recognize the invisible God. Philip asked, show us the Father… Moses asked, show me your glory… We have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 

What is God saying to me in this passage? *God the Son drew near to us in the Incarnation, revealing Himself to us, and graciously providing the Way to true life.

What would God have me to do in response? How can the message of Christmas apply to us? How then should we live?

1) Please enjoy the season, but remember the Gift of Christmas, God spared not the Son, but delivered Him up for us all… Or, as John says in his first epistle, “This is how God showed His love among us, He sent His One and Only Son into the world, that we might live through Him!” (I Jn 4:9).

2) Do seek to know Jesus as He truly is, as He has revealed Himself. He is the God-Man! Look at His miracles, hear His teaching, consider the privilege of knowing Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. But remember too that He is the Great I AM, the Eternal Son of God, co-equal in the Godhead with the Father and the Spirit. And so, though His human body is finite and material, His deity means He is with us… ALWAYS… We can live conscious of that truth, knowing that every breath, every step, every decision is made Coram Deo, before the face of God.

3) Be sure to include reading of Scriptures in your Advent celebration. The stories of His birth in Luke and Matthew, and perhaps include this Prologue to John. As this Gospel goes on, John will draw special attention to faith, to believing God, taking Him at His Word. Near the end he will say, “…these things were written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life in His name.” The God who is has spoken. He sent the Word made flesh. He has given the Word written. “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent…” (John 17:3). AMEN.