John 1:16 … Grace upon Grace upon Grace (12/12/16)
“From His fullness we have all received, Grace upon Grace.”
~ unknown (John 1:16)
First & foremost, the illumination of this extremely in-Sight-full verse must begin with its encompassing chapter. For indeed, despite conservative Christians’ beliefs to the contrary, the author of John 1 is not talking about Jesus Christ in its passages, but is rather referencing “the Logos” (Greek for “the Word” – see Strong’s #3056), which was and still remains the Divine Spark that resides within all sentient beings (which would help explain Jesus’ self-deprecating humility of Mark 10:18, his claim that “I am in you” in John 14:20, and his seemingly outlandish belief that we too – all of us – will do “greater things” in John 14:12).
And indeed this Truth is readily available when we re-read the entire passage in accordance with what was actually written, a re-read that sounds like this:
“In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with God, and the Logos was God. It was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through the Logos, and without it not one thing came into being. What has come into being through the Logos was life, and the life was the light of all people … This true light, which lights up everyone, was coming into the world … Indeed, from the Logos’ fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” (John 1:1-16 ).
Secondly, the phrase “grace upon grace” bears deeper examination as well, for not only does it allude to the “Trinity of Grace” with which all sentient beings have been blessed (namely, the Grace of conscious self-awareness, the Grace of an internal moral compass, and the Grace of the free will required to enliven the latter using the former), but also alludes to the concept of “adjusted karma” – the seeming fact that we all receive half of the pain our selfish actions deserve and three times the Joy that our Good Deeds merit …
Thirdly & finally, it is worth noting that the “fullness” mentioned here – the essence of this “Grace upon Grace” with which we have all been blessed – is nothing more than pure & perfect LOVE — Love, the unconditional version thereof — Love, the self-sacrificial manifestation thereof — Love, the deed — Love , the action — Love, the verb.
Amen … Let all recognize that it is so.
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