Passage: John 1:15-18

The Big Idea

Jesus brought a massive change to the world: a new order built entirely on grace. The Law came through Moses and demanded perfection. Grace and truth came through Jesus and give us everything we need. Out of His fullness we receive grace upon grace, and the Son who is closest to the Father’s heart has made Him known.

A New Order

Forget any talk of a “new world order.” John is about to explain the massive change Jesus brought into the world, and it’s all built on something called grace. The New Grace Order.

The Text (John 1:15-18)

John the Baptist testified about Jesus, crying out that this was the One he’d been talking about: the One who comes after him ranks far above him, because He existed before him. Out of His fullness we have all received grace upon grace. 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 at the Father’s side, has made Him known.

The big picture:

John the Baptist points to Jesus.
Moses = Law.
Jesus = grace and truth.
The unseen Father and the Son who reveals Him.

John Announces the New Order (John 1:15)

John points to Jesus and lifts Him up.

Jesus is the Messiah. He comes after John, He outranks John, and He existed before John. He’s the Giver of grace.
Jesus is God. He existed before John, even though He was born after him.

God had promised to send a special messenger right before His Son. Isaiah described a voice crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make a straight highway for our God. Every valley will be raised, every mountain and hill brought low, the crooked made straight and the rough places smooth. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together (Isaiah 40:3-5).

In that prophecy we see the New Grace Order taking shape:

A path. A way. (Jesus said, “I am the way.”)
Valleys lifted high and mountains brought low.
Crooked places made straight, rough places smooth.
The hidden glory of God revealed for everyone to see.

Everything you think you know is about to change.

“I know the way. I’ve been religious all my life. Isn’t the way to please God by keeping the Ten Commandments?”

Not so fast. There’s a new way.

God flips everything upside down with Jesus. He lifts up the humble. He gives strength to the weak. He gives victory to those who give up and surrender. The New Covenant of grace makes no sense to someone rigidly attached to law and religion. Religious people have a very hard time with Jesus. They don’t even like John very much.

Grace Upon Grace (John 1:16)

Out of His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.

Look back at verse 14: He’s full of grace and truth. The New Grace Order is all about Jesus giving us more grace. How much? More! He gives more grace; God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).

Give and receive. That’s the new language of grace.

He gives more grace than we need.
He never gets tired of giving grace.
He never runs out.

This is the whole plan. There’s no Plan B, and no mixing the two covenants. It’s simply grace upon grace: wave after wave, one gift on top of another. This new grace-life is designed to be received day after day, moment by moment, as a free gift. Never earned. Never deserved.

So what is grace?

Grace is God’s free provision for us through His Son. It shows up as we humbly trust in the person and work of Jesus, giving us all we need, all we long for, and all we’re commanded to walk in and become. And it’s all given despite our inadequacy, even though we could never deserve it, never earn it, and never produce it on our own.

Law Through Moses, Grace Through Jesus (John 1:17)

The Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

The Bible teaches that grace replaces law as the way we relate to God. Was Jesus greater than Moses? That’s how much greater grace is than law.

The Law is good. God gave it through Moses to reveal His character to His people.
But it isn’t a way to be saved.
It’s no help. It demands perfection but offers no help when we fail. Only condemnation. Law can’t save anyone or change anyone.
Only grace can.

What is the message of the Law? Be holy. Be loving. Be perfect.

Be holy

God told Moses to tell all Israel: be holy, because I, the Lord your God, am holy (Leviticus 19:1-2). Peter repeats it: as the One who called you is holy, be holy in all you do (1 Peter 1:15-16).

How holy? As holy as God. No flexibility. No mercy.

Be loving

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). And love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).

When asked which commandment was greatest, Jesus agreed: love God with everything you are, and love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two (Matthew 22:36-40).

How loving? As loving as God. Jesus agrees with the Law perfectly, and that is not good news for us.

Be perfect

Jesus takes it even further: be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).

How perfect? As perfect as God.

The Law is not your friend. Jesus is. He came to deliver us from the Law’s condemnation. He lifts us up in truth and grace, washing us clean and uniting us with Himself forever.

The Son Reveals the Father (John 1:18)

No one has ever seen God. But the one and only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.

No human has seen God in His full divine glory. God told Moses that no one could see His face and live (Exodus 33:20).
But the Son reveals God to everyone who seeks Him.

When Philip asked Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus answered: Philip, have I been with you this long and you still don’t know Me? Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father (John 14:8-9).

John will go to great lengths, over and over, to prove this. Jesus is one with the Father. He is God. And He’ll reveal God to anyone who seeks Him.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened. Everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds (Luke 11:9-10).

Have you sought the Lord?

A Simple Way to Live It (Without Striving)

Look back: say what’s true. “Jesus, You’ve saved me. Thank You that I’m forgiven and accepted.”
Live now: think and act like it. Let grace shape how you respond today. Receive with humility, and walk by faith.

Grace Takeaway

The New Grace Order has arrived. Grace replaces law. Love replaces duty. Moses could only give the demand; Jesus gives the supply, grace upon grace, and He shows us the Father’s heart.

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