As we are ending this Christmas Journey 2024, I am so enthralled once again by God’s grace. I am captivated by God’s willingness – even what we might regard as eagerness to shed His love and grace upon an undeserving creation. His grace changes everything!
We are reminded each Christmas Season that God the Word became flesh and came to earth as a baby completely dependent upon a young Jewish maiden and her carpenter husband. John, in his opening chapter, presents a divine genealogy. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” [John 1:1, HCSB]
John reminds us that Christ Jesus, the Word, took up residence in our human flesh. John saw His glory, he witnessed His miracles, he heard His words. “The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [John 1:14 HCSB]
The part of verse 14 that always makes me catch my breath is that last phrase, however. This Jesus was “full of grace and truth.”
Full. It means abounding in, complete, completely occupied with. It is the Greek Word pleres, from which we get our English word plethora.
Jesus did not just have a little grace and truth, or even a moderate amount of grace and truth. Grace and truth were complete, abounding in Him. When He walked among us, He displayed grace and truth to all. Whether they accepted what He brought was their choice, but if they walked away from Him without, it was not because there was a lack in Him.
As we embrace Him and strive to be Christ-like, His grace and truth takes up residence in us. Wonder of Wonders!
