The phrase “grace upon grace” in John 1:16 is rich with meaning and insight into the nature of God’s grace towards us. To properly understand this verse, we must look at it in its full context:
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. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:14-17 ESV)
John 1:14 establishes that Jesus, as the incarnate Word, is the source of grace and truth for us. Then verse 16 states that “from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” The key phrase is “grace upon grace” (Greek: charin anti charitos). This can convey two complementary meanings:
- Grace in place of grace. The grace we receive from Christ replaces the grace that was available in the Old Testament era. The Mosaic law represented a certain measure of grace and truth (John 1:17), but now a greater grace is available through Jesus.
- Grace on top of grace. Jesus doesn’t just replace the grace we knew before – he augments it with yet more grace. It is an abundance, a surplus of grace beyond what we could have imagined. Grace piled on top of grace.
The context of John 1 supports both meanings. Verse 16 clearly presents a contrast between the eras of Moses and Jesus. The grace available now through Christ far surpasses what came through the law. Yet verse 16 also speaks of Christ’s “fullness” from which we have all received grace. This implies that the grace we receive through Jesus builds upon all that came before. Grace did not begin with the incarnation, but the incarnation took grace to new heights.
So in summary, “grace upon grace” conveys:
- Discontinuity with the Mosaic era – the grace of Christ supersedes the law
- Continuity with the prior work of God – this new grace builds on all that came before
- Abundance/superabundance – Christ lavishes grace upon grace upon us
This profound phrase succinctly captures the culmination of God’s redemptive work in Jesus Christ. Though humans were sinful and rebellious, God still showed us grace. The law helped discipline Israel, but could not solve the problem of sin. So at just the right time, Christ came as the ultimate revelation of God’s grace (John 1:17). He did not just replace the law, but fulfilled it (Matthew 5:17). Now, through faith in Christ, we can receive grace without measure – “one blessing after another” (NLT), “grace in abundance” (CSB), “one gracious blessing after another” (NIV).
The source of this superabundant grace
John highlights Jesus Christ as the source of this superabundant grace. It is only “from his fullness” that we have received such blessings (John 1:16). Paul refers to the same truth – “God’s inexpressible gift” of salvation comes through Jesus Christ our Lord (2 Corinthians 9:15). He is “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14) – the very embodiment and fulfillment of God’s covenant faithfulness. And this matchless grace is now available to sinners like us because of Christ’s sacrificial death on our behalf.
Earlier in John 1, the apostle beholds the glory of this grace: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth…No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son…has made him known” (John 1:14, 18). The incomparable glory of the Son reveals the grace and truth of the Father. We behold the light of God’s redeeming love most clearly in the face of Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:6).
The recipients of this superabundant grace
John specifies that this new abundance of grace is available to all – “from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16). The “we” undoubtedly refers first to John and the other eyewitnesses of Christ’s ministry. But it also includes all who put their faith in Jesus, including all of us who read this gospel today. Christ did not come to limit access to God’s grace, but to multiply it. He flung open the doors of blessing wider than ever before, welcoming all who trust in him.
Paul often emphasizes the boundless reach of God’s grace in Christ. Consider just a few examples:
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. (Titus 2:11)
God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. (Hebrews 6:18)
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all…that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
The good news is that no one is excluded from receiving this grace. Even though our sin cuts us off from God, his grace reaches out through Christ to bring us near. As Jesus assured Nicodemus, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). This offer of grace extends to all people – no exceptions.
The benefits of this superabundant grace
God’s lavish grace is not merely theoretical – it brings profound benefits into our lives. John highlights some of these blessings in the surrounding context:
- New birth into God’s family. To all who believe, he gives “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12-13).
- Intimate fellowship with Christ. We receive “grace in place of grace” because the incarnate Jesus is now accessible to us in a way no old covenant believer could imagine. We can enjoy personal communion with the living God himself.
- Transformation into Christ’s image. As we behold his glory, we “receive one gracious blessing after another” and are gradually conformed to his likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18).
- The Spirit’s empowering presence. Christ immerses believers in the Holy Spirit, who provides guidance, gifting, and inner renewal (John 1:32-34).
- Confidence before God. Though we are still sinners, God’s grace enables us to approach him boldly through Christ, our great high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16).
- Motivation for holiness. We seek to live uprightly out of love for the God who gave his all to save us (Titus 2:11-14).
This sampling demonstrates just how wide-ranging the effects of grace can be. From regeneration to sanctification, from justification to adoption, the grace that comes through Christ utterly transforms its recipients. We who were once dead in sin are made alive to enjoy intimate communion with the living God himself!
Our proper response to this superabundant grace
How should we respond when we grasp the vast riches of grace available in Jesus Christ? John indicates several appropriate responses:
- Believe in Jesus as the source of grace. “To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Faith is what connects us to this supply of divine grace.
- Find satisfaction in Christ alone. Because his grace is enough to meet every need, we must look to no other savior. As John the Baptist declared, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).
- Worship Christ as supreme. The prologue extols Jesus as the eternal Word, the Creator, the Light of the World, the one and only Son from the Father. He alone deserves our highest praise.
- Thank God for this gift. Our only right response to underserved favor is heartfelt gratitude. Christ’s sacrifice should lead us to lives of thanksgiving.
- Extend grace to others. As recipients of such pure grace, we are called to reflect God’s generosity to others, even our enemies (see Matthew 5:43-48).
John’s Gospel as a whole expands on what it means to properly respond to God’s gift of grace in Christ. But these action steps provide a helpful starting point. Right doctrine should lead to right living. As Paul urges, “Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him” (Colossians 2:6). Our lives should overflow with the praise, trust, obedience, and love that such amazing grace compels.
The superiority of this grace in Christ
Why does John make such a point to emphasize the vastness of grace available in Christ? Surely God’s people knew much of his grace prior to the coming of Jesus. What makes this grace so superior?
John highlights a few key distinctions between the grace that came through Christ and the grace people had previously known:
- Fullness. God’s people had experienced measures of grace across the centuries. But Christ brings “grace in all its fullness” (NLT). All that preceded was partial and preliminary.
- Reality. The grace available under the law was largely symbolic, pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ (see Hebrews 10:1-4). God “has now revealed to us his mysterious will through the Spirit” (Ephesians 1:9). What was foreshadowed has now been unveiled in flesh and blood.
- Permanence. Institutions like the law and the priesthood were temporary, but “the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25). God’s past acts of grace were flickering candles; Christ is the dawning of an eternal day.
- Intimacy. The law pronounced judgment (John 1:17); Christ comes with “grace and truth” (John 1:14). God draws nearer to us than ever before. Now we can know him as “our Father” (John 20:17).
- Availability. The law made grace contingent on obedience and hard to access. But Christ fulfills the law (Matthew 5:17), bestows the Spirit, and invites all to come. Now even Gentiles can partake freely (Galatians 3:14).
In these diverse ways, the incarnation inaugurates a new epoch of redemptive history. The good news is that we live on this side of the divide! We have the priceless privilege of experiencing the grace Christ unleashed into the world. Indeed, we “have all received from his fullness one gracious blessing after another.”
The culmination of grace in eternal life
This superabundance of grace finds its ultimate culmination in the gift of eternal life. John’s Gospel repeatedly comes back to this promise. Jesus describes himself as the source of “living water” that forever quenches spiritual thirst (John 4:14). He is the bread of life who satisfies our hunger for good (John 6:35). He gives eternal life to all his sheep who hear his voice (John 10:27-28). And he declares unambiguously, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25).
Grace is not merely a past act, but an ongoing relationship. Our fellowship with Christ, rooted in grace, stretches into eternity. One foretaste of this everlasting grace is the gift of the Spirit, our permanent guarantee and seal of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14). But as great as the Spirit’s ministry is, it pales in comparison with the unending ecstasy of seeing Christ face to face. For the great joy set before him, Christ endured the cross and scorned its shame (Hebrews 12:2). The outcome of his triumph is our everlasting participation in the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), an immortality clothed with inexpressible joy.
John Newton penned these famous words in his iconic hymn “Amazing Grace”:
When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’ve first begun.
This is the ultimate end of “grace upon grace” – an infinity of grace in intimate fellowship with the Eternal One. As John concludes, “We have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). May we join John in beholding that glory here and now.
