1 John 1:1: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.”

The apostle John wrote this little letter towards the end of his life. He wanted to communicate some simple and profound truths about his dear friend, Jesus. He shares how he walked and talked with Jesus. He saw Jesus heal people of disease and illness. He heard Jesus’ teaching. John watched Jesus die, and then he saw the risen Christ. He was also there when Jesus ascended into heaven. What a great witness about Jesus. 

We are blessed that he took the time to write his eyewitness account of Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection. We call that the Gospel of John. In this letter, though, John highlights certain truths about Jesus being light, love, and life. Life here is the word zōē, which means healthiness, happiness, exuberance, energy, and vitality. Isn’t that the life we all long for? 

Life is found in Jesus. 

It has been said that “Christianity stands or falls on the person and work of Jesus Christ. It succeeds or fails on whether or not a true and genuine incarnation actually took place in space and time.”^[1] John is telling us this actually happened!

The options as to who Jesus is and what Jesus did can be reduced to four:

1. He could have been a liar—someone who simply was not who he claimed to be and knew it. 
2. He could have been a lunatic—someone who thought he was somebody, but in fact he was not. 
3. He could have been a legend—someone who was not who others later imagined him to be. 
4. Or could have been the Lord—He is who He said He is, and His birth, life, death, and resurrection prove it to be true.

It’s up to you to decide which one you believe.

If you decide that Jesus is Lord, I encourage you to find a faith family where you can explore what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

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^[1] Christ-Centered Exposition; 1 John.

Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash