God chose His only begotten Son as the channel for His grace and truth, for John witnesses that "grace and truth came by Jesus Christ!" The Law was given by Moses-but that was all that Moses could do. He could only "command" righteousness. In contrast, only Jesus Christ produces righteousness. All that Moses could do was to forbid us to sin. In contrast, Jesus Christ came to save us from sin. Moses could not save anyone-but Jesus Christ is both Savior and Lord. Grace came through Jesus Christ before Mary wept in the manger stall in Bethlehem. It was the grace of God in Christ that saved the human race from extinction when our first parents sinned in the Garden. It is plain in history that God forgave Israel time and time again. It was the grace of God in Christ prior to the Incarnation that made God say: "I have risen early in the morning and stretched out my hands to you!"
