“AN UNQUESTIONABLE TRUTH”

2 “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—“

1 John 1:2

The first four verses of 1 John 1 are a mini-treatise slash personal testimony of the Apostle John concerning his real-life experience with the Lord Jesus. Again, the purpose of the writing of this book was to refute the false teachers who infiltrated the early church, teaching that Christ was not real. Though John was perhaps in the autumn of life as he wrote this epistle, his memory was still razor-sharp, and could clearly remember what he experienced during the years he was with the Lord.

In today’s verse, we can see at least six realities. First, John calls Jesus “the life” who appeared to John and others, especially the Lord’s chosen disciples.

Second, John uses the pronoun “we” to state that it was not only he who saw the Incarnation of Christ. Scripture confirms that there were many eyewitnesses to Christ’s life, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension. 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 is a solid reference to eyewitnesses to the risen Christ.

Third, John confirms that these things actually took place. He personally witnessed the Lord’s life, death, and resurrection. He is a reliable witness because he corroborates the statements of other witnesses.

Fourth, because of his relationship and experience with the Lord Jesus, John affirms that Christ is eternal life Himself. He witnessed Lazarus brought back to life as well as the Resurrection of the Lord three days after His death.

Fifth, John testifies that Jesus was with the Father even before He took on human flesh. This preexistence before His human birth is proof of His deity (John 1:1; John 17:5; Colossians 1:17). No human being can claim to have existed before their actual birth; Jesus did and more than amply proved it.

Last, John reiterates that Jesus came in real human form. As we can see, John repeats his statement to emphasize the authority of his personal experience as an eyewitness to Jesus’ life. This writing style of repetition reminds his readers that his testimony is a direct response to the false teachers’ assumptions. His statement is far more reliable because he personally saw the Lord Jesus, whereas the false teachers had never seen or known Him.

This verse alone is a potent source of encouragement for us, especially during this time when numerous false teachers reject the truth about our Lord’s Person. We can be confident in our faith, knowing that an actual eyewitness like John wrote his statement to prove that the Jesus whom we put our trust in actually walked this earth. This is an unquestionable truth. But John isn’t finished yet.

Pursue the Savior today!