John’s gospel opens up with two key words about Jesus’ character. It says he was “filled with grace and truth.” The grace of Jesus is the favor that he bestows upon all people irrespective of status or position, whether sinner or saint. We all need Jesus’ grace, and this is a hallmark of Christian doctrine and teaching. But Jesus’ “truth” is an important corollary to his grace. Jesus’ grace is not “cheap grace,” to use Bonhoeffer’s term. The grace of Jesus stands in the penetrating light of truth, and it is this truth that exposes just how costly it is.
