Grace in the Gospels

We make the freely given promise of G-d the foundation of faith because upon it faith properly rests... Faith properly begins with the promise, rests in it, and ends in it. (Calvin, Inst. 3.2.29)

Back in September I began a word study of grace in the NT. And, well, it's been 4 months; I should probably start sharing my thoughts.

We think of grace as commonplace in the Bible, but the word grace appears only four times in the gospels, three of those instances coming in the opening chapter of John. Here are my original thoughts on each, as I recorded them months ago.

Luke 2:40: And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom and the grace of G-d was upon him.

Context: Joseph and Mary have returned with a young Jesus to Nazareth. It is strange, a bit foreign, to think of Jesus as a boy; an infant in a manger - yes, but a child - no. I cannot wrap my brain around that simple an image of my savior. And it is stranger still to think of grace upon him, for isn't He Grace? It is love that bid Him to the cross, to bring glory to the Father. But surely it is because He is Grace that He came at all.

John 1:14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Thoughts: This is John's description of the deity of Christ, but I am still caught and breathless by the thought that Jesus is grace.

John 1:16&17: From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Thoughts: Once again, this shows grace as Christs' essence, acted by and through His love on the cross, to bring us hope, salvation, redemption; complete and absolute glory to the Father.

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Afterthoughts:

Jesus himself never addresses grace; he need not. It is His very core, not just an attribute of his being, but His essence and purpose, too.

Tangent: John is by far my favorite gospel, and possibly my favorite NT book.