Grace and Truth

John 1:17
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
KJV

All of human history looked toward, and now looks backward to the earthly arrival of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And prior to his arrival, there was no more perfect and comprehensive moral code in the history of mankind than the law that was given by Moses. Yet, in spite of its many virtues, the law of Moses could never give (nor effectively demonstrate) what Christ alone could: Grace and Truth. For the grace of God’s Spirit (granted to Christ without measure) not only empowered the Son of God to fulfill the law, but would also be granted to all who would believe in the One God sent to do likewise. And in possessing and giving the requisite grace to fulfill the law, Christ effectively fulfilled the Truth of the law (in the spirit, not simply the letter). (For Christ would not simply teach and demonstrate the fulfillment of the law, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,”) He would instruct, model and grant grace to know (and do) the Truth of this law: (No man should even allow his eyes to lust after another woman.) For Truth (Godly truth) is something much higher (and deeper) than laws, rites and rituals, which only foreshadow, typify or provide natural expressions for spiritual truth. And Godly spiritual truths are God’s Truth embodied (and perfected) in Jesus Christ, and we can never hope to live according to God’s Truth without first receiving the Grace of Jesus Christ to do so:

“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 1:14