What does John 1:16 mean?
The ultimate expression of God's love for mankind is grace. Grace is best described as being given what you do not deserve. This is different from mercy, which means not getting what you do deserve, such as punishment. The Greek phrasing could be translated as "grace upon grace," or "grace in place of grace." This implies a constant, overflowing gift.As believers, we are constantly being inundated with the grace of God, because of Jesus Christ. This begins with God reaching out to us to provide salvation. John 3:16 specifies that God acted out His love for us by sending His Son to keep us from dying in our own sins. Beyond that, He continually makes us more and more like Him (Romans 8:29; Colossians 3:10). This is part of the right which was mentioned in John 1:12. As children of God, we are not only rescued, but we're also honored and changed. No matter how much we need, God keeps making us increasingly like Him (Philippians 1:6).
John 1:1–18 is a poetic introduction of Jesus Christ. Jesus is referred to using the Greek word logos, meaning "the Word." This passage clearly describes Jesus as God, and co-creator with God the Father. These verses summarize Jesus' ministry and mission on Earth. The passage also explains how John the Baptist—a different John from the author of this gospel—was sent ahead of Christ to prepare for His arrival.
The first chapter of John introduces Jesus as "the Word," from the Greek logos. This chapter clearly describes Jesus as God. After this prologue, the chapter describes Jesus recruiting the first of His disciples, as well as a conversation between John the Baptist and the Pharisees. There are seven names or titles for Christ in this chapter, including "the Son of God," "the Word," and "the King of Israel."
