An Overflowing Cup Of Grace And Truth

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. (‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬ ESV)

There are two specific things that Jesus is full of that we have all received. These two things are grace and truth. The verse above verse 16 says:

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 ‭1‬:‭14‬ ESV)

And the verse below verse 16 says:

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (‭John‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬ ESV)

A Full Measure Of Grace

We have probably all heard the definition of grace that it is undeserved and unearned favor. This is true. But grace is much more than that. It is graciousness, blessing, pleasure, gratification, joyfulness, kindness, and benefit. Think of the most gracious person you know. It will be a person who always seems to give of themselves. They sacrifice their time, their resources, and their energies all for the sake of benefiting others. You love to be around this kind of person because they never ever want anything in return. You never feel like you have to owe them, because they simply overflow with joyful graciousness and generosity. Now times that by a bazillion and one and you may begin to get the idea of how gracious God is. All that he has is given to us in Jesus. He could not possibly be more gracious to us than what he has already given. If we think that he owes us something better, something different than what he has given; we are wrong. We don’t have the full spectrum of knowledge to understand what he knows. If we could see what God sees, we would know that the thing we crave (that we feel he has withheld) would not in fact be gracious to us at all. We have received a full measure of grace.

A Full Measure Of Truth

The second things that Jesus is completely full of is truth. He is the true interpreter of reality, the true understander of life, the true speaker of knowledge, the true prophet of wisdom, the true lover of men, the true witness from heaven, the true representation of God, the true causer of creation, the true sustainer of life, the true way of salvation, and the true comfort for the weary saint. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He is completely full of truth.

We Have Received Grace Upon Grace

Jesus’ cup of grace and his cup of truth are overflowing cups. They are not cups that deplete when they are sipped off of. These cups are not cups that get their contents from other sources. Rather they are the source and spring from which all grace and all truth comes from.

When we enter the banquet hall of the kingdom of Jesus, we enter into the presence of the one who is full of graciousness and truth. He appoints the door to be open to us, for he is both the door and the keeper of the door. He sets the table before us, pulls out our chair, serves the meal, and blesses the food. He sets a goblet before us that is full of grace and truth. He bids us only to eat, drink, and be merry. No matter how much we drink, he will always come back around the table to fill our cup. He is never taxed and never bothered by those of us who are constantly in need to grace and truth. This is our Jesus; this is our God. He is full of grace and truth, and from his fullness, we have all received grace upon grace.