MONDAY
This Advent season we are walking through 1 John 1:1-4.
1 John 1:1–4 1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life— 2 that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us — 3 what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may have fellowship along with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
The big idea of this passage is found in verse 2, “that life was revealed.” The life doesn’t just refer to the incarnate Christ but to the meaning of the incarnate Christ as well—the gospel. This gospel was God’s plan of redemption from the beginning (v. 1). It is the Word of life (v. 1). It is the eternal life that was with the Father (v. 2).
This gospel, as we talked about last week, appeared in the physical world in the incarnation of Jesus. The apostles experienced Jesus in the physical world. They saw him, they heard him, they touched him. Therefore, they are reliable sources, quality witnesses to declare the truth of this gospel in the midst of competing ideas about it.
Not only are they credible witnesses to declare what they have seen in the incarnate Christ, but they are credible witnesses to declare what is perceived (i.e. the theological truths) in the gospel. They declare what they have seen and perceived.
With this context in mind, this week we are going to focus on the second part of verse 3, which is highlighted above.
Additional Content
Reflection
Read the passage slowly again and reflect on what we have already talked about the last couple of weeks.