John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse highlights a crucial distinction: the law was "given," implying it was an external imposition, while grace and truth "came into being," suggesting they are intrinsic, life-giving realities flowing directly from Christ. This subtle shift in verbs reveals that what Christ brings isn't just a set of rules, but a new, vibrant existence.
John the Baptist's testimony continues, highlighting Jesus' preeminence by contrasting His coming with the Law given through Moses. This verse explains that while Moses delivered the Law, which revealed God's commands and human sin, Jesus brought a new reality: God's unmerited favor and perfect truth. This divine grace and truth, which fulfill the Law's purpose and are found in their fullness in Christ, are presented as a richer, more complete gift than what was previously given.
Did you catch that subtle but powerful shift in verbs? 'Given' versus 'came.' It reveals something profound about how God relates to us through Moses and through Jesus.
This verse draws a sharp contrast between the Law and what Jesus brings.
The Law: A Divine Gift, Externally Given
The law was 'given through Moses.' This highlights that Moses was a mediator, a conduit for God's commands. The law was an external code, a set of rules and requirements delivered to the people. While it was a gift from God, its nature was to reveal what was required and to expose sin.
Grace and Truth: Unfolding from Within
But 'grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.' The verb 'came' (or 'came into being') suggests a more organic unfolding, an internal reality emanating from Jesus Himself. Grace is God's unmerited favor and power, and truth is His essential reality and faithfulness. These weren't just external commands; they were divine attributes embodied and made accessible in the person of Jesus.
Moses is a towering figure in Israel's history, but John places him in direct comparison with Jesus. What does this reveal about their roles?
This verse isn't diminishing Moses or the Law. Instead, it elevates Jesus by highlighting the difference between being a mediator of a covenant and being the very source of its blessings.
Moses: The Faithful Messenger
Moses was an incredibly faithful servant of God, entrusted with delivering the Law to Israel. He was the human agent through whom God's commands were communicated. Think of him as a vital messenger carrying a crucial, divinely-given message.
Jesus: The Embodiment of Grace and Truth
Jesus, however, is more than a messenger. He is the embodiment of grace and truth. The grace and truth that the Law pointed towards, and that were partially revealed in the Old Testament, find their full expression and origin in Jesus Christ. He doesn't just deliver grace and truth; He grace and truth. This means His presence brings the reality that the Law foreshadowed.
Understand the original words
nomos · Greek Noun
The divine instruction and commandments given by God to Israel through Moses; it functioned to reveal God's holiness and humanity's sinfulness, pointing toward the need for a Savior.
alētheia · Greek Noun
The faithful, reliable, and authentic reality of God; it refers to the perfect correspondence between God's promises and their fulfillment in Christ.
Christos · Greek Proper Noun
The eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, who took on human flesh to accomplish salvation for humanity.
This verse highlights a pivotal shift in God's relationship with humanity, moving from a Law-based covenant mediated by Moses to a new covenant of grace and truth embodied in Jesus Christ.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through Moses, culminating in the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai.
c. 1446 BC
Giving of the Law at Sinai
God gives the Ten Commandments and other laws to Moses on Mount Sinai, establishing the covenant relationship between God and Israel.
c. 486-465 BC
Reign of Xerxes I
Xerxes I reigns as king of the Achaemenid Empire. This period follows the Babylonian exile and precedes the period of Ezra and Nehemiah.
c. 458 BC
Ezra's Reforms
Ezra the scribe leads a group of Jewish exiles from Babylon back to Jerusalem, re-establishing the Law and religious reforms.
c. 445 BC
Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem's Walls
This verse highlights God's announcement of His character as 'merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.' This ancient declaration of God's nature foreshadows the 'grace and truth' that John says fully came through Jesus.
Jeremiah 31:33This prophecy speaks of a new covenant where God's law will be written on His people's hearts, not on stone tablets. This deeply resonates with John 1:17's contrast, as the Law given through Moses was external, while the grace and truth through Christ bring an internal transformation.
Romans 10:4Paul explicitly states that 'Christ is the end of the law.' This passage directly supports John's point by presenting Christ as the fulfillment and culmination of the Mosaic Law, bringing the reality that the Law only pointed towards.
Hebrews 8:6This verse contrasts the old covenant, established on better promises, with the new covenant that Jesus mediates. It reinforces the idea that Jesus brings a superior reality ('grace and truth') compared to the Law mediated by Moses.
2 Corinthians 3:7-8Paul describes the Law given through Moses as a ministry of death, whose glory was fading. This powerfully contrasts with the enduring and life-giving 'grace and truth' that John says came through Jesus Christ.
ellicottJohn 1:17: "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."
(17) The word “for” connects this verse by way of explanation with what has gone before. The Old Testament thought of grace and truth has been already present in John 1:14 . The fulness of these divine attributes has been beheld in the glory of the Word. The revelation of them, that is, the removing of the veil which hides the knowable, has been made dependent on the use of the already known. But this is the…
vincentJohn 1:17: "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."
For (ὅτι)Because. Giving the ground of the statement that Christians received new and richer gifts of grace: the ground being that the law of Moses was a limited and narrow enactment, while Jesus Christ imparted the fullness of grace and truth which was in Him (John 1:14). Compare Romans 4:15; Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:10.Was given (ἐδόθη)A special gift serving a special and preparatory purpose with refere…
The verse highlights a crucial distinction: the law was "given," implying it was an external imposition, while grace and truth "came into being," suggesting they are intrinsic, life-giving realities flowing directly from Christ. This subtle shift in verbs reveals that what Christ brings isn't just a set of rules, but a new, vibrant existence.
John the Baptist's testimony continues, highlighting Jesus' preeminence by contrasting His coming with the Law given through Moses. This verse explains that while Moses delivered the Law, which revealed God's commands and human sin, Jesus brought a new reality: God's unmerited favor and perfect truth. This divine grace and truth, which fulfill the Law's purpose and are found in their fullness in Christ, are presented as a richer, more complete gift than what was previously given.
John the Baptist's testimony continues, highlighting Jesus' preeminence by contrasting His coming with the Law given through Moses. This verse explains that while Moses delivered the Law, which revealed God's commands and human sin, Jesus brought a new reality: God's unmerited favor and perfect truth. This divine grace and truth, which fulfill the Law's purpose and are found in their fullness in Christ, are presented as a richer, more complete gift than what was previously given.
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Why does John contrast the Law given by Moses with the grace and truth that came through Jesus? It's about the completeness of God's self-revelation.
The statement sets up a profound contrast in the completeness and nature of God's revelation through these two figures.
The Law: Imperfect and Preparatory
The Law, while holy and from God, was limited. It served a crucial preparatory purpose, exposing sin and pointing towards a need for something more. It was a 'shadow' of good things to come, as the book of Hebrews puts it. It revealed God's standard but couldn't provide the power to meet it or fully reconcile humanity to Him.
Jesus: The Fullness of Revelation
Grace and truth, on the other hand, represent the ultimate, perfect revelation of God. Grace speaks of God's boundless, unmerited favor toward humanity, and truth speaks of the reality and faithfulness of God's saving plan. These aspects were not fully realized or experienced under the Law in the same way they are in Christ. Jesus brings the substance; He fulfills the types and shadows, offering complete forgiveness and a restored relationship with God.
Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I, returns to Jerusalem to oversee the rebuilding of the city walls amidst opposition.
c. 4 BC - c. AD 30/33— this verse
Life of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ lives, teaches, performs miracles, dies, and is resurrected, fulfilling the Law and bringing grace and truth.
c. AD 60-62
Writing of John's Gospel
The Gospel of John is written, likely in Ephesus, presenting Jesus as the divine Word made flesh and highlighting the contrast between the Law given through Moses and the grace and truth that came through Jesus.
"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." — The verse highlights a crucial distinction: the law was "given," implying it was an external imposition, while grace and truth "came into being," suggesting they are intrinsic, life-giving realities…
