Mensa Otabil - The Testimony of John
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Welcome to a brand new week, and today we start a new study from the book of First John. The book of First John is very important to the New Testament because it was written at a time when many people had come to the Christian faith, and after hearing so much about Jesus, people were wondering whether Jesus was real and if he existed. The stories about him were quite outstanding. John, who was present at the time of Jesus and is now an old man but alive, speaks to the early Christians about why they believe Jesus was who he claimed to be.
He starts in First John, chapter 1, verse 1: «That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of Life.» John states that Jesus was from the beginning, and there are two ideas from that. First, it establishes the deity of Christ; he was at the beginning of creation. Secondly, it also refers to the beginning of his earthly ministry. «That which was from the beginning,» and John presents Jesus Christ as the Word of Life.
The Word of Life is a concept, but then John begins to illustrate it wasn’t just a concept, because he discusses four things that happened to the Word of Life. First, he says we heard him, so he was the Word of Life. We heard Jesus Christ in the public square; we heard him teaching, we heard him speaking. Our ears heard him, and we also listened to him using words-words to perform signs and wonders. He could use words to stop a storm, to heal the sick, and to raise the dead. We heard it.
Secondly, he says we saw it. The disciples of Jesus Christ saw him. They didn’t just hear him; they saw him. He wasn’t just a phantom or an idea; he was a reality. They witnessed him walking on water and feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread. They saw him and the works he was doing. Thirdly, he states we paid attention to him. We looked upon him. The early Christians didn’t just look at Jesus and say, «Oh, yeah, he’s the Messiah.» No, they examined him; they cross-examined what he said with the Scriptures. They tried to find out if this is what the Old Testament prophets were talking about. So, everywhere he went, they examined him. They listened to his voice, they watched his actions, and they tried to determine if this was truly who he said he was.
Lastly, John says we touched him. What John conveys is that what we came to believe was a process of examination. We heard, we saw, we critically analyzed, and we touched. We touched his body when he was alive; we touched his body when he was dead; we touched his body when he was resurrected, and we were convinced without any shadow of doubt that this is the Messiah; this is Christ the Lord. That is how the early disciples of Jesus came to faith, and that is what they began to preach. Our faith also stands on these grounds. We believe in an authentic Jesus: a real Jesus who was alive, who died, who physically resurrected, ascended, and is coming again. «That which was from the beginning» is what we have also come to believe in.
So, if you are a Christian, you have a firm assurance that your faith is founded on solid, provable evidence-historical and real, and spiritual at the same time. Well, that’s how we begin our study of First John. We will be continuing tomorrow. Let’s share a word of prayer. Say with me: Heavenly Father, draw me close to yourself. Help me to have a deep and authentic encounter with you. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.