<p>1:17 <em>For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ</em>- The Lord is here presented as the mediator of a different covenant, with far superior blessing mediated. The contrast is between the law being &quot;given&quot;, and the gift / grace of the Spirit 'coming'. We have not been given a set of commandments and left to get on with it. Grace and truth have come to us, and we saw on :16 that these things have entered within our very hearts. There are many Christians today who have received nothing from their religion but a set of commandments 'given' to them; they need to open themselves to allow the coming of grace into their hearts, the gift of the Spirit. We have just read that it was the personality of the Lord Jesus which was full of grace and truth (:14). But His personality, His Spirit, enters 'comes' to us. For through the Comforter, the promised Holy Spirit which &quot;shall be within you&quot;, He 'comes' to us, in the fullness of His personality and character (Jn. 14:18). John's later greeting to his converts &quot;Grace be with you... in truth&quot; (2 Jn. 3) was therefore no mere standard introduction to a letter; he believed that grace and truth really could enter them in abundance, and he wished this for them.</p>