Albert Barnes Commentary John 1:17

"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." — John 1:17 (ASV)

The law was given—This refers to the Old Testament system, the institutions under which the Jews lived.

By Moses—This means by Moses, as the servant of God. He was the great legislator of the Jews, by whom, under God, their system of governance was formed. The law worketh wrath (Romans 4:15); it was attended with many burdensome rites and ceremonies (Acts 15:10); it was preparatory to another state of things. The gospel succeeded that and took its place, and thus showed the greatness of the gospel system, as well as its grace and truth.

Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ—A system of religion full of divine favor, and the “true” system, was revealed by him. The old system was one of “law,” “shadows,” and “burdensome rites”; “this” was full of mercy to mankind and was true in all things. We may learn from these verses:

That all our mercies come from Jesus Christ.

“All true believers receive from Christ’s fullness; the best and greatest saints cannot live without him, and the humblest and weakest may live by him. This excludes proud boasting that we have nothing but ‘we have received it,’ and silences perplexing fears that we lack nothing that we may not also ‘receive it.’”