Greek Key Terms:
Context: "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." John contrasts the two covenants while honoring both. Moses was the instrument ("through," διά) of law-giving; Christ is the source and substance of grace and truth. This is not abolition but escalation—Moses prepared for what Christ brings.
OT-to-OT Development:
Connections:
Christological Connection: John 1:17 establishes the governing contrast of John's Gospel: Moses mediated law, but Christ brings grace and truth. The phrase "grace and truth" (χάρις καὶ ἀλήθεια) translates the Hebrew חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת from Exodus 34:6—God's self-revelation to Moses. What Moses glimpsed partially at Sinai is now embodied fully in Christ. The law was not bad but preparatory; it revealed sin but could not save. Christ brings what the law pointed toward: covenant faithfulness (חֶסֶד) now accessible through incarnate grace, and divine reliability (אֱמֶת) now revealed as ultimate truth in the Word made flesh. Moses gave the shadow; Christ is the substance.
Connection Method(s): Typology (Providential, Forward-Looking), Contrast — Moses as covenant mediator typologically anticipates Christ who embodies the grace and truth Moses only glimpsed at Sinai, while the law-grace contrast demonstrates escalation from preparatory shadow to incarnate substance.
Trajectory: Moses
Trajectory Table: 104 - Moses (The Prophet Like Unto Me)