To answer your good question, let’s begin by reading John 1:14-17, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”   Along with that, let’s go back and read John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

There can be no doubt as to who the Word is.  He was in the beginning.  He was with God and is God, Himself.  And He was ‘made flesh, and dwelt among us.’  The Word is the Lord Jesus Christ, the living Word of God.  We read in 1 John 4:2, “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.”  To confirm the truth that the Lord Jesus is indeed God, let’s consider 1 Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”

It was John the Baptist that bore witness of the person of Christ.  Let’s read ahead a little and consider John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”  John’s work was foretold in Malachi 3:1, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me…”

Let’s read again John 1:16, “And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.”  What is this fullness speaking of?  Verse 14 tells us that the Lord was ‘full of grace and truth.’  WE (as believers on the Lord Jesus Christ) receive supply for all our needs out of the ‘fullness’ of Christ.  We also read of Christ in Colossians 2:9-10, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.”  Amazing thought!  Christ, who is full of grace and truth, is also indwelt with the ‘fulness of the Godhead’, meaning the Father and the Spirit also took up their abode in Him.  WE receive the benefit of that!  We are complete in Him!  The word ‘fulness’ literally means to be full.  The word ‘complete’ means to be ‘made full’.  In Christ, we have all we will ever need.  Like the old saying goes: If all you have is Christ, then you have all you need!

We have also (according to John 1:16) received ‘grace for grace’.  The meaning of this, while pretty simple, is incredibly powerful.  Several versions of the Bible translate this phrase as ‘grace upon grace’, which, I believe, is its literal meaning.  It means that we have received ‘abundant grace’ for all our needs in our Christian walk.  The Apostle James had this to say in James 4:6, “But he giveth more grace….”  What exactly is grace?  It is GOD’S UNMERITED FAVOR upon those who deserve the opposite.  How we should thank the Lord daily for His grace!  GRACE for our every need; GRACE to walk in fellowship with Him; GRACE to overcome all obstacles that would hinder our faithful walk; GRACE to learn and live for Him; and when the time comes…GRACE to die!

It was the grace of God that allowed us to be saved, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”  (Ephesians 2:8)  It is the ‘abundant grace’ of God that sustains and strengthens us as we live for Him.  As another has described God’s grace: it is God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.  Let’s end this meditation by reading 1 Corinthians 1:4, “I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ.  (202.2)