1:17

the Law . . . the undeserved kindness and the truth: In the Christian Greek Scriptures, the Law given through Moses is often contrasted with “undeserved kindness.” (Ro 3:21-24; 5:20, 21; 6:14; Ga 2:21; 5:4; Heb 10:28, 29) The Mosaic Law served as a “guardian leading to Christ” and contained shadows, or prophetic pictures, that were fulfilled in him. (Ga 3:23-25; Col 2:16, 17; Heb 10:1) Among other things, the Law gave humans “the accurate knowledge of sin.” (Ro 3:20) With this accurate knowledge came the realization that “the wages sin pays is death” and that “every transgression and disobedient act received a punishment in harmony with justice.” (Ro 6:23; Heb 2:2) Here John implies a contrast between “the Law” and “the undeserved kindness and the truth” that came . . . through Jesus Christ. Jesus brought to reality the things foreshadowed by the Law, including sacrifices for forgiveness and atonement. (Le 4:20, 26) He also revealed that God would extend toward sinful humans His “undeserved kindness,” or “kind gift,” as the Greek term khaʹris is sometimes rendered, by giving his Son as a sin-atoning sacrifice. (Col 1:14; 1Jo 4:10, ftn.; see study note on Ro 6:23 and Glossary, “Undeserved kindness.”) Jesus revealed a new “truth”​—that this sacrifice would set humans free from sin and death.​—Joh 8:32; see study note on Joh 1:14.