1 John 1:1-4, “That
which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word
of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and
proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made
manifest to us--that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so
that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the
Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that
our joy may be complete.”
That a man
named Jesus once lived on this earth is a matter of record acknowledged even by
most secular historians. Years are even
numbered according to the “Year of Our Lord” (i.e. A.D. = Anno Domini = “Year
of Our Lord”). Who is Jesus? Why did He come? How can we know? The Apostle John was an eyewitness of Jesus
and wrote about what he saw and heard.
He wrote this
epistle in part to refute some heretical teaching. False teachers were distorting the truth
concerning Christ’s person and work. They
claimed to have an exclusive and advanced understanding knowledge of the
truth. They professed faith in Jesus,
but denied that He had actually come in the flesh (Cf. 1 John 2:22; 4:2). They likewise denied the physical reality of
HIs sufferings. So John wrote to refute
their heresies.
John was an
eyewitness to the truth about Jesus.
Three times in three verses he spoke to that which he had “seen and
heard” (Cf. 1 John 1:1-3). To use the
Apostle Peter’s language, he wasn’t following “cleverly devised myths” in what
he was speaking about, he was an eyewitness to the truth (Cf. 2 Peter
1:16). What did he see and hear? He saw the incarnate Word, the “only Son from
the Father,” dwelling among men (Cf. John 1:14). He saw the Divine Son having come in human
flesh. He beheld His glory (Cf. John
1:14).
John saw the
eternal life made manifest. John saw
that in Jesus. Eternal life is not
merely life unending, it is defined in terms of relationship with God. John elsewhere wrote, “And this is eternal
life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have
sent” (John 17:4). Jesus came for the
express purpose of providing eternal life to the spiritually dead (Cf.
Ephesians 2:1). John’s gospel and
epistles are replete with references to the life made manifest and availed to
us by Jesus through his death and resurrection.
-
“In him was life” (John 1:4).
- “He has granted the Son also to have life in himself” (John 5:26).
- “I am the bread of life” (the terms “life” or “living” are used some 18X in this chapter” (John 6:35).
- “Whoever believers in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (John 7:38).
- “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
- “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25).
- “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
- “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12).
- “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades” (Revelation 1:17-18).
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