Grace and Thruth Came by Jesus Christ
W. Jay. John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. I. HOW THEY CAME. 1. Let us begin with truth. Truth came by Jesus Christ. (1) The truth of performance in distinction from engagement. You read of the promise made unto the fathers. It was first announced in Paradise, and was renewed from time to time. That promise has been fulfilled by Jesus Christ. (2) The truth of reality in distinction from prefiguration. The Law was a shadow of good things to come. We are in possession of the truth, of Which the paschal lamb, the manna, the rock, the altar, the mercy-seat, etc., were the shadows. (3) The truth of certainty in distinction to error and falsehood. What is heathenism? An assemblage of false gods, temples, sacrifices, hopes, fears: "turned the truth of God into a lie." What is Mohammedanism? A vast improvement on heathenism. Mohammed was a man of great talent; but that his communications from God, that his puerile and depraved notions were Divinely inspired, is a lie. What is Popery? Take her traditions, rites of saints, miracles, infallibility — what are these but lying wonders? What is justification by works? What is antinomianism, but a lie? But the gospel is the truth, and we can point to its incontestible evidences. (4) The truth of importance in distinction from all other truth. Things may be equally true, and yet not equally valuable. There is physical, historical, and moral truth; but I lay my hand on the Bible and say, "This is life eternal."(5) This is truth the most honourable to God, suited to man, most influential, most beneficent; and we do not wonder at Paul saying, "I count all things but loss," for the excellency of it. 2. Grace came by Jesus Christ. (1) Because He revealed it (ver. 18). "Never man spoke as this man." "Grace was poured into His lips," therefore "the common people heard Him gladly."(2) Because He is the effect of it. "God so loved," etc. (3) Because He is the medium of it. Everything worthy of the name flows from His mediation — "promises which are yea and amen through Him"; redemption, which is through His blood. (4) Because He is the exemplifier of it. Look at His Old Testament emblems, and those in the New: a lamb is the image of His Person, a dove of His Spirit. Righteousness and joy and peace is the character of His kingdom. II. WHAT ARE WE TO DO WITH THEM NOW THEY ARE COME. We must have something to do with them, or they will have something to do with us. Having come in contact with the gospel you cannot shake it off. It will either be a savour of life or a savour of death. 1. We are to receive them. Not grace without truth or truth without grace. The gospel is truth, and therefore to be received with the firmness of conviction and assent; grace, therefore to be received with cordiality, gratitude, and joy. 2. To exemplify them. Under the agency of the Spirit we are softened from our natural hardness to receive Divine impression, and fashioned into the very character of the gospel so that we realize it, embody it, and render it visible, so that we adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour by showing what it is. Whatever the gospel is we are required to copy it — if light, we are to be illuminated; if salt, we are to be seasoned; if love, we are to be lovely; if holiness, we are to be holy. There are some who are all truth who are not all that grace requires. The perfection of the Christian arises from the harmony and proportion of these excellencies. In your zeal for orthodoxy you must not renounce charity and candour. 3. To extend and diffuse them. Though grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, there are millions who have never heard of the Saviour. But are they to remain ignorant always? (W. Jay.) Parallel Verses KJV: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. WEB: For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.