Full of Grace and Truth: The Astonishing Reality of John 1:14

John 1:14 (ESV)
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

This is one of the most astonishing statements in the entire Bible. I don’t mean crazy in a bad way—I mean crazy in an unbelievably great way. God became man. He walked the earth He created and allowed us to see His glory.

Up until this point in history, God had revealed Himself in limited ways—speaking directly to a select few, like Abraham, Moses, and the prophets. Even fewer had ever seen Him in any tangible form. But now, in a moment that changed everything, the God of the universe chose to enter human history in a way no one expected.

How Would God Approach This Broken World?

At the time of Jesus’ arrival, the world was rife with war, oppression, and selfish ambition. Everyone was striving to position themselves above others. Humanity had gone astray, like lost sheep wandering without direction (Isaiah 53:6). If God were to come among us, how would He respond to such a world? Would He arrive with wrath, ready to destroy the wicked? Would He overthrow oppressive governments with overwhelming power?

John gives us the answer: He came in grace and truth.

Grace. Let that sink in for a moment.

He didn’t come to condemn the world, though we certainly deserved it. He didn’t come to bring judgment but to offer salvation. He came to extend grace—undeserved, unearned, and freely given. This is the heart of the gospel. God is on a rescue mission, not a mission of destruction. He entered our world not to crush sinners but to save them.

Jesus Turned Our Ideas of God Upside Down

The people of Jesus’ time had a rigid, rule-based understanding of morality, shaped by human traditions rather than God’s heart. But Jesus shattered their expectations. He didn’t break His Father’s law, but He did break the man-made rules that people had built around it. He prioritized mercy over sacrifice, just as God had declared through the prophets long before (Hosea 6:6).

Jesus made people His focus. Love was His anthem. The broken were His audience.

He touched the untouchables.
He loved the unlovable.
He brought light to the darkest places.

This is the Jesus we follow.

What If We Truly Reflected Christ?

Sometimes I wonder—if we, as the Church, truly followed Jesus in both grace and truth, how would the world perceive us? Would they see us as judgmental and hypocritical, or would they recognize the radical love of Christ in us?

Yes, they might think we were extreme. Throughout history, the world has often viewed Christ’s followers as radical. But radical love—the kind that seeks out the lost, lifts up the broken, and gives without expecting in return—is something even skeptics can respect.

Mahatma Gandhi once famously said, “I like your Christ; I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” While the authenticity of this quote is debated, the sentiment rings true. Too often, people are drawn to Jesus but turned away by the actions of His followers.

I pray that this would not be said of us. I pray that when the world looks at us, they see the grace and love of Jesus reflected in our lives. May we be a people known not for condemnation, but for the radical, redeeming love of Christ.