I've been reading David Petersen's book of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany sermons as devotional material and I was especially moved by this paragraph:
John gives us a hint as to what the character of that grace is: it is grace upon grace. John shows us this when Jesus makes water into wind and gives them not only the best wine but more wine than they could drink. Grace upon grace, extravagant, wasteful. He shows us this again as Jesus multiplies the loaves and there is too much left over, when the miraculous catch of fish is too big to haul in, when He saves and forgives the woman caught in adultery, and in many other instances. But, of course, the clearest showing of the extravagant, even reckless, grace of God in Jesus Christ is when He is lifted up from the earth and draws us to Himself. Grace upon grace, bestowed on those who don't deserve it, who could have never earned it or found it or figured it out. Grace undeserved, unexpected, upon grace: glorious, free and perfect forgiving love.
This is why Jesus was born, why He came into the world, in this truth, for the sake of grace. Grace upon grace: that is how it is with the Lord.
From "God With Us - Advent, Christmas and Epiphany Sermons" page 79
