OVERFLOWING GRACE 8-min read
READ: JOHN 1:14-18
14And 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. 15(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.’”) 16For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. JOHN 1:14–18
What an amazing statement the apostle John gave about Christ’s incarnation. Through the revelation of the Holy Spirit, John allowed us to peek into the multi-faceted nature and work of Christ. He pointed out that Jesus Christ is the embodiment of grace and truth, using the word “fullness” to describe how great this grace is. Grace, in this context, means God’s favor and disposition to bless us. Jesus is the full picture of God’s grace, which was extended towards us.
What this means to us is that in Christ, God’s grace is always overflowing, waiting for us to grab hold of it. In fact, Jesus’ fullness means that God’s grace can never run out. Every day, from the riches of God’s grace, we receive grace upon grace upon grace—and this just keeps going. We have a daily supply of His love, mercy, and grace in Christ.
Paul also contrasted the law that was given through Moses with the grace and truth we have in Christ. While we may not like the law because we know we cannot fully obey it and will have to pay the penalty it requires, law and grace are not actually contradictory. They are not opposing principles; they supplement one another. What the law demands, grace and truth in Christ supply. When Jesus Christ appeared, He declared that He did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it. What we could not do by following the law, He accomplished for us with grace and truth.
Today, you may be in need of God’s favor because of the challenges you’re facing. You can draw from the eternal source of grace, Jesus. If you are overwhelmed with the demands of life, He will supply you with grace to live beyond your circumstances. In Him, you can find grace and mercy in your time of need.
REFLECT
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Are you living by the law or by God’s grace? Instead of trying to earn grace by doing good works, how can you rely completely on His grace? By faith, are you convinced that the fullness of God’s grace will never run out?
When we feel exhausted and empty, God’s grace fills our every need and satisfies us. How can you extend His grace to those around you today?
What are some of life’s demands that make you feel empty, weary, and discouraged? How has God given you grace upon grace for each challenge? Read John 1:14–18 again and write down your personal faith declaration based on this passage.
PRAY
Father, I am grateful for the sacrifice that Jesus made—that He became flesh and dwelt among us. Through His life, we were able to witness Your glory, full of grace and truth. Despite the overwhelming challenges and demands of life, I am sure that You will supply love, mercy, and grace upon grace every day. And with that, my soul is satisfied. As I read Your word, may You continue to make Yourself known to me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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BIYAYANG NAG-UUMAPAW 8-min read
BASAHIN: JUAN 1:14–18
14Nagkatawang-tao ang Salita at namuhay na kasama natin. Nakita namin ang kadakilaan niya bilang kaisa-isang Anak ng Ama. Puspos siya ng biyaya at pawang katotohanan ang mga sinasabi niya. 15Nagpatotoo si Juan tungkol sa kanya at ito ang kanyang sinabi: “Siya ang tinutukoy ko nang sabihin kong, ‘May isang darating na kasunod ko, mas dakila siya kaysa sa akin, dahil nariyan na siya bago pa ako ipanganak.’” 16Sa kasaganaan ng kanyang biyaya ay tumanggap tayong lahat ng sunud-sunod na pagpapala. 17Ibinigay sa atin ng Diyos ang Kautusan sa pamamagitan ni Moises, ngunit ang biyaya at katotohanan ay napasaatin sa pamamagitan ni Jesu-Cristo. 18Wala pang nakakita sa Diyos Ama kahit kailan, ngunit ipinakilala siya sa atin ng kanyang Bugtong na Anak, na Diyos din nga at kapiling ng Ama. JUAN 1:14–18
Isang nakamamanghang pahayag ang ibinigay ni apostol Juan tungkol sa pagkakatawang-tao ni Jesus. Sa pamamagitan ng paghahayag ng Banal na Espiritu, pinahintulutan tayo ni Juan na masilip ang iba’t ibang larawan ng katangian at gawain ni Cristo. Ipinakita niya na si Jesu-Cristo ang kumakatawan sa biyaya at katotohanan, at ginamit niya ang salitang “kasaganaan” upang ilarawan kung gaano kadakila ang biyayang ito. Ang salitang “biyaya,” sa kontekstong ito, ay tumutukoy sa kagustuhan ng Diyos na pagpalain tayo. Si Jesus ang ganap na larawan ng biyaya ng Diyos, na ibinibigay Niya sa atin.
Para sa atin, nangangahulugan ito na kay Cristo, ang biyaya ng Diyos ay laging nag-uumapaw at naghihintay na ito’y panghawakan natin. Sa katunayan, ang kasaganaan ni Cristo ay nangangahulugan na hindi kailanman mauubos ang biyaya ng Diyos. Mula sa masaganang biyaya ng Diyos, maya’t maya tayong nakakatanggap ng biyaya araw-araw—at patuloy itong nagaganap. Araw-araw ay matatanggap natin ang pagmamahal, awa, at biyaya ng Diyos sa pamamagitan ni Cristo.
Ipinaliwanag din ni Pablo ang kaibahan ng kautusan na ibinigay kay Moises sa biyaya at katotohanan na mayroon tayo kay Cristo. Bagama’t hindi natin nagugustuhan ang kautusan dahil alam natin na hindi natin ito ganap na masusunod at kakailanganin pa nating mabayaran ang hinihingi nitong kabayaran, ang kautusan at biyaya ng Diyos ay hindi naman magkasalungat. Hindi sila nagsasalungat na mga prinsipyo; nagbibigay sila ng karagdagan sa isa’t isa. Ang hinihingi ng kautusan ay ibinibigay naman ng biyaya at katotohanan kay Cristo. Nang dumating si Cristo, inihayag Niya na hindi Siya naparito upang wakasan ang kautusan kundi upang bigyan ito ng katuparan. Kung ano ang hindi natin magagawa sa pamamagitan ng pagsunod sa kautusan, ginawa ni Jesus para sa atin sa pamamagitan ng biyaya at katotohanan.
Ngayon, maaaring kinakailangan mo ng tulong dahil sa mga pagsubok na kinakaharap mo. Maaari kang lumapit kay Jesus, ang pinagmumulan ng ating walang hanggang biyaya. Kung tila hindi mo na kinakaya ang mga pinagdaraanan mo sa buhay, bibigyan ka Niya ng biyaya upang mapagtagumpayan ang mga kinakaharap mong sitwasyon. Kay Jesus, matatanggap mo ang biyaya at habag sa oras ng iyong pangangailangan.
PAGSASAPAMUHAY
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Namumuhay ka ba ayon sa kautusan o ayon sa biyaya ng Diyos? Sa halip na piliting paghirapan na matanggap ang Kanyang biyaya sa pamamagitan ng paggawa ng mabubuting bagay, paano mo magagawang ganapna umasa sa Kanyang biyaya? Sa pamamagitan ng pananampalataya, nakatitiyak ka ba na ang kasaganaan ng biyaya ng Diyos sa buhay mo ay hindi mauubos?
Kung nararamdaman natin na tila hindi na natin kaya, ang biyaya ng Diyos ang pupuno sa lahat ng ating pangangailangan at magbibigay sa atin ng kasiyahan. Paano mo maibabahagi ang Kanyang biyaya sa mga tao sa iyong paligid?
Ano ang ilan sa mga kinakaharap mo sa buhay na nagiging sanhi kung bakit ka nanghihina, napapagod, o nawawalan ng pag-asa? Paano ka patuloy na makatatanggap ng biyaya ng Diyos upang harapin ang mga pagsubok na ito? Basahin ang Juan 1:14–18 at isulat ang iyong personal na deklarasyon ng pananampalataya ayon sa pahayag na ito.
IPANALANGIN
Ama, nagpapasalamat po ako sa sakripisyo na ginawa ni Jesus—na Siya ay nagkatawang-tao at namuhay kasama namin. Sa pamamagitan ng Kanyang buhay, nakita namin ang Iyong kaluwalhatian na puno ng biyaya at katotohanan. Sa kabila ng nag-uumapaw na mga pagsubok at pangangailangan sa buhay, nakatitiyak ako na ibibigay Mo ang pagmamahal, habag, at kakayahan na kinakailangan ko araw-araw. At dahil dito, ang aking kaluluwa ay nasisiyahan. Sa pagbabasa ko ng Iyong salita, nawa’y patuloy Kitang makilala. Sa pangalan ni Jesus, amen.
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GRACE THAT OVERFLOWS 8-min read
READ: JOHN 1:14–18 (ESV)
14And 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. 15(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.’”) 16For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. JOHN 1:14–18 (ESV)
Have you ever wondered if a waterfall will ever run out of water? Is it like a faucet that you can turn off when you don’t need water anymore? The apostle John uses the word fullness to explain God’s grace. It means that God is more than happy and eager to bless us, like how a river can’t help but overflow into a beautiful waterfall.
Through Jesus, God’s grace is always overflowing, never running out! He’s just waiting for us to catch it. If you had a pail, could you catch the whole waterfall? It’s impossible. In the same way, every day we receive grace from Jesus’ fullness, and it will never run out.
What if there was an empty lake and someone asked you to fill it with a bucket? You may work and work, but it is impossible to fill without a good source, like that waterfall we spoke of. We often try to “fill lakes” with our own strength. We try to obey God’s commands by ourselves, or face challenges with our own strength. But this won’t work. The only way to truly obey God and face challenges successfully is through the overflowing source of the grace of God.
Today, you may be in need of God’s favor because of the challenges you’re facing. Remember that the supply of God’s grace is greater than any waterfall. You can draw from a never-ending source of grace—Jesus! If things become overwhelming, His grace will enable you to live through the difficult times. In Him, you can always find mercy and grace!
We have a daily supply of God’s love, mercy, and grace in Christ.
REFLECT
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When we face challenges, we tend to rely on ourselves and our works to overcome them. What are the usual challenges you face?
What things do you usually rely on to meet these challenges? On the other hand, how does God’s grace help you overcome the same challenges?
PRAY
Father, thank You for the sacrifice that Jesus made—that He became flesh, lived on earth, and gave His life for us. Thank You for your supply of grace for me that never runs dry. Even with the challenges in life, I am sure that You will supply love, mercy, and grace for me every day, like an overflowing waterfall. With this, my soul is satisfied. As I read Your word, please continue to show Yourself to me. In Jesus’ name, amen.