12 - Appendix 3: The Invisible ‘But' of John 1:17

God gave Israel the law through Moses (John 7:19); and we know why: ‘The law entered that the offence might abound’ (Rom. 5:20). He also gave Israel the law to predict and foreshadow the coming of Christ and the new covenant (Deut. 18:15-18; Col. 2:16-17; Heb. 3:5; 8:5; 10:1). Then, in the fullness of time, God sent his Son into the world, born under the law (Mark 1:15; Gal. 4:4), in order to redeem those under the law; that is, to redeem the elect, adopt them as his sons and give them his Spirit as a witness (Gal. 4:5-6). In short: God sent grace into the world by his Son, Jesus Christ (John 1:14; Tit. 2:11-14). And we know why: ‘But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord’ (Rom. 5:20-21).