Beholding Grace and Truth

Full of Grace and Truth. There are two way in which they have been interpreted for us. One is to say that they speak of the nature… the attributes of Christ. Grace (a liberal outpouring of his intrinsic goodness and truth a unwavering, undiminished standing of his perfection) this is what the disciples saw in him. Another idea is that grace and truth speaks to what we see flowing from him to us. Grace from him for the removal of all our sins, grace in the place of laws and rules which condemn us and don't save us. Truth came to us from Him as well. The truth is that which went beyond rituals and regulations to real life and real salvation and true relationship with God. The context we are told stands with this second idea because in verses 16 and 17 we read 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Do you see the difference here. One says the words speak of the beauty we see in the Lord Jesus and the other says the words speak of the salvation that comes to us from him. So which is it? To find that answer we have to see what the disciples saw…we have to look at Jesus.