The greatest act of God’s grace in human history was the gift of God’s only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Apostle John introduced Christ to the world, he said, “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).
In this series on the attributes of God, we have looked at this important verse on other occasions, but we have never focused on this specific phrase, “full of grace.”
Our Lord Jesus, God’s Word in the flesh, is described as “full of grace.” John further described Him in this manner: “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” (John 1:16–17).
Recently, we considered God’s grace in the Law and how that the giving of the Law was, in one sense, an act of grace. God revealed Himself in the Law to His people and spoke to them, describing His character and attributes. But this revelation was not yet the “fulness” that was promised. Christ was that fullness of God’s grace!
Possessing all the fullness of the Godhead, our Lord Jesus, like His Father, possesses the eternal and unchangeable attribute of grace. He stooped very low from Heaven to earth and was born into our sinful world in order to give us a salvation that we do not deserve. This is grace!
Throughout the Gospel record, we see constant testimony of the grace of Christ—that He indeed is as the apostle described Him: “full of grace.” Jesus Christ is gracious in all His words and in all His works.
Jesus is gracious in all His words
In the fourth chapter of Luke’s record, our Lord Jesus made a visit to His hometown of Nazareth. Jesus read from Isaiah 61 how the Messiah would “preach the good tidings to the meek,” “bind up the brokenhearted,” and “proclaim liberty to the captives” (verse 1). After reading the passage from Isaiah, Christ said boldly, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (Luke 4:21).
As the multitude listened to His words, they “wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth” (Luke 4:22). Wherever Jesus went—in Galilee, in the Decapolis, in Judea, in Perea, and even in Jerusalem—His words produced the same wonder.
On one occasion in Jerusalem, officers were sent to arrest Jesus. They reported back empty-handed, saying, “Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46). The words of Jesus were different from the words of mortal man because the words of our Lord were “full of grace.”
Are your words filled with grace? Do you speak often or only about yourself? Are your words cutting remarks and critical comments or are they life-giving and kind? Is your speech encouraging, instructional, or mindfully intentional? Do you speak words that will edify the hearer? May God give us the grace to speak as our Lord spoke, with words “full of grace.”
Jesus is gracious in all His works
Not only is Jesus gracious in His words, He is also gracious in His works. He did not do miracles for people who deserved them. Jesus did miracles from His own grace—Divine favor bestowed freely upon undeserving sinners.
According to Luke 2:52, when Jesus was a boy of twelve years old, He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” The word rendered here as favour is the same word rendered as gracious in Luke 4:22. Christ was favored by both God and men.
A kind of popularity exists that is won by selfish pride. There is another kind of favor that is won by humble grace. Our Lord Jesus was thronged by the multitudes in Galilee because He was “full of grace.” His deeds were deeds of kindness. His favor was bestowed equally upon the leper, the blind man, the penitent sinner, as well as the Roman centurion. Christ did not do what He did to buy favor or popularity in return. His grace was extended freely, willingly, and without any selfish motive.
Are your deeds ones of grace? Are you constantly seeking to serve yourself, or are you seeking to serve those around you? How often, if ever, do you notice the widow and her distress? Do you extend a kind hand to the child who needs help, instruction, or just simple affirmation? Do you willingly go out of your way to do a kind deed for a neighbor who could never repay you?
We should do good deeds not in order to earn favor with God, but rather because God has given favor freely to us. He is gracious to us, so we ought to be gracious to others. Our Lord Jesus has set a pattern; we would do well to follow in His steps, seeking daily to be “full of grace” in our words and in our works.
