John 1:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

NIV: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

NASB: For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

CSB: for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

NLT: For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.

KJV: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

NKJV: For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Verse 17 explains an important difference between the ministries of Moses and Jesus. Moses' ministry brought knowledge of the law. But the law could only show us how sinful and broken we were (Romans 3:20). Rather than just bringing us truth, Jesus also brought us grace. Instead of simply telling us that we were broken, Christ gave us a way to fix what was wrong. This is an important, common theme of the Bible. Human efforts will always fall short, and everyone is corrupted with sin (Romans 3:23). Instead of leaving us to face that uncomfortable truth alone, Jesus provided a way for us to experience forgiveness. Merely doing good deeds can never save us, only God's grace, through faith, can do that. This is further symbolized in miracles. Moses' first miracle was turning water into blood, which is symbolic of judgment (Exodus 7:20). Later, only those homes which had the blood of a lamb on their doors were "passed over" by God's wrath (Exodus 12:26–28). Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine—symbolic of blood—as a gracious gift (John 2:7–11). Only those who accept Christ's sacrifice of blood are spared from the judgment we all deserve (1 John 1:7).

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 identical to God, and co-creator with God. 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 identical to 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 for Christ in this chapter, including “The Son of God,” “The Word,” and “The King of Israel.”

The first chapter of the gospel of John equates Christ with God, and introduces John the Baptist. The Baptist specifically points to Jesus as the Promised One. Jesus collects the first five of His disciples. In this chapter, Jesus is given seven descriptive names, including “The Word,” “The Son of God,” and “The King of Israel.” This chapter sets the stage for the rest of the gospel, by giving the reader a sense of who Jesus truly is, and why He has come. The rest of the gospel is an exploration of the claims made in this initial passage.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.