John’s Gospel begins with a majestic description of Jesus: the WORD (Greek, “logos” = the reason, the story, the logic) of God expressed in human form, Jesus is the GLORIOUS (Greek “doxan” = weighty, important, of infinite value; bright; majestic) reflection of His Father’s character. FULL (Greek, “plērēs” = filled up, permeated with; complete; mature) of grace and truth, Jesus is the most accurate glimpse of God we’ve got—and the most reliable source for what we truly need.

And what is it we need from Jesus? There is more than one way to answer that question, but the word that jumps off the page in this passage is “grace.”

“Grace upon grace:” what good news! By its very nature, “grace” is not something we earn, work for, or necessarily deserve. It is simply a gift. “Full of grace and truth,” Jesus has plenty of grace to share with anyone (and everyone) who acknowledges their need.

“Grace upon grace,” John says: more than enough to fill our empty lives…to bridge the gap between us and God…to nurture the image of Christ within us so that our lives bear fruit that honor Him.