The Incarnation of Christ

John 1:15–18
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Christ who is God, came to earth as man. Yet in doing so, He did not merely “appear” like a man; He became one (v. 14). When it says “we have seen” it implies that the author was an eyewitness. John the Baptist gave a continuing testimony concerning Jesus (v. 15). The Christian life is the constant reception of one evidence of God’s grace replacing another (v. 16).

John the Baptist had the privilege of introducing Jesus to the nation of Israel. He also had the task of preparing the Jewish nation to receive their Messiah. He was bold in calling them to repent of their sins and to prove that they had by living a changed life. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (v. 17). The law was truth but it was truth without grace. We are saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9), and we also live by grace (I Cor. 15:10). Finally, Jesus Christ reveals God to us (v. 18).

It was the fact that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God that aroused the Jews to persecute Him (10:30-36). Note the seven persons in John’s Gospel who called Christ the Son of God: John the Baptist (1:34); Nathanael (1:49); Peter (6:69); the healed blind man (9:35-38); Martha (11:27); Thomas (20:28); and the Apostle John (20:30-31).

Application

John the Baptist was bold in his witness for Christ as he asked the people to repent of their sin and prove they had by living a changed life. I need to be bold in my preaching and witnessing for Christ.