If you've taken a look at the little business I help run with my friend Kara, you might have seen the stickers we have released so far. Specifically, you have likely seen the sticker "Grace Upon Grace" we designed based on John 1:16-
Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fulness....
This verse holds such promise and such power for those who trust in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
Today, I wanted to take a closer look at exactly what this verse is talking about, in context of more of John, a bit of the Old Testament (OT) and to help you understand just why exactly Christmas should be such a celebration for our hearts as believers.
Lets start by reading a bit more of John.
John 1:10-17 CSB
He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’”) Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Only through Christ do we receive grace and truth, though the world will try to convince us otherwise. But, what exactly is this grace that we were so undeserving of? Lets take a quick jaunt back to the OT and I'll hopefully remind you of some of the "requirements" to live as God's chosen people and some of the realities of being part of that people:
Sacrifices
Food laws
Born of the proper lineage (aka you had to be a Jew to belong)
Harsh punishments if you break the laws
Lack of connection to God directly, only the priests had access to the Holy Places.
Lots and LOTS of rules and laws (hello Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy and more...)
The laws came through Moses as an act of grace to ensure the people were protected and set apart for God, so that God would not be forgotten and His chosen people could still have relationship with Him, but it sure came at a high cost to the people and they failed time and time and time again at keeping those laws and rules. God, rightly so as a just and truthful God, was annoyed, sad and even downright angry with these people who failed so epically at keeping a right relationship with Him. They simply couldn't do it. And that brings us to Jesus. While Moses, the deliverer of the Israelites out of slavery, brought strict laws for the people, Jesus brought grace and truth. While Moses rescued the people temporary from their affliction only to step into lives filled with rules and sorrow, Jesus offers true lasting eternal rescue from our afflictions. Jesus' grace and truth brings hope that we will never again have to strive in our own power to keep relationship with God, which is impossible to do. Through Jesus, we have right relationship with the Father, because through Christ, we have received the right to be children of God. As His children, we have freedom to come to Him through Christ. We have freedom to live lives glorifying to Him, and to live with true joy as we no longer are a people striving for grace but are a people who have received grace freely.
And this, this is why we should celebrate Christmas. That God sent Jesus, his own Son, into the world not to condemn it, but to save it. No matter what is going on in your life this season, or what sorrows you are facing, I hope that this truth can encourage you and bring your hearts reason to truly celebrate this Christmas. Christmas deserves celebration not for the family who will gather with us, not for the amazing food or the presents, but simply because Christmas means Jesus came to earth and we were given "grace upon grace".
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