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 upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life.
Well a pleasant Sunday morning to you my Friends in Christ! I hope that all who celebrate the Sabbath today will go to church and fellowship with others, and those who celebrated it on Friday and Saturday went to church and did the same, because it’s one of the Lord’s most important dictates. It’s a day meant not only to worship and glorify Him, but also to renew and strengthen our faith, our spiritual beings, through mutual encouragement and education. Today we’ll continue looking at 1 John 1:1, where the beloved disciple introduces his testimony re the reality of Christ. And no Friends, He wasn’t in the virtual realm of reality, where we spend so much time today that many of us forget what true reality is all about. And what’s it all about? It’s obviously about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who came in the real flesh and blood realm. He was the real thing; the real McCoy. We’ve already dealt with a couple aspects of the Bit; ‘That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes…’ ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.’ (John 1:1) The Word and God are inseparable. He spoke the world into existence, hence the overwhelming importance of the Word; reading, speaking, hearing and living it, cause then we come into contact, into a serious, most worthwhile and rewarding relationship with the Most High God Jehovah, Creator of the universe and all therein. ‘And the Word was made flesh and came and dwelt among us…’ emphasizes that God came to earth as a real man; was born, suffered the usual human travails, died, and was buried. Then comes the only difference; He rose again. That’s because he was God incarnate. An ordinary man couldn’t have done that. John and the other disciples saw all of this, hence their confident declaration; ‘which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon…’ And here, Peter, the Rock, the foundation on which Christ built His Church weighs in with his own arguments. ‘For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we make known unto you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.’ (2 Pet. 1:16-18) He’s talking there about the transfiguration of Jesus on the mount where an inner change took place in Him, to which Bruh Paul likens our spiritual rebirth: ‘And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom.12:2) So Friends we see that even Jesus had to go through some kind of inner change before He was fully ready to embark on his earthly ministry. And Peter, James and John all witnessed this transformation; ‘which we have looked upon,’ so it wasn’t a vision or a dream, but the real thing, and according to Mosaic Law they serve as ample witnesses. Now they not only saw Jesus in the flesh and touched Him before He died on the cross, but also claim ‘and our hands have handled,’ Him after He rose from the dead. Yes my people, they both saw and touched Jesus in the flesh when He appeared to eleven of the disciples in Jerusalem after His resurrection. ‘And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted (frightened), and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts (doubts) arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered (marvelled), he said unto them, Have ye here any meat (food) And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb. And he took it and did eat before them.’ (Luke 24:36-43) Ah mih Friends, what a reunion that must have been eh? After been so scared, disheartened and discouraged by their leader’s horrific death, they must certainly have thought that they’d died and gone to heaven when he reappeared, (smile) not to mention scared. But that’s the way our Lord and Saviour operates, in the supernatural. If He claims to be God, a living one too, He can’t simply behave like ordinary men, and there are enough aspects of His earthly life to prove that He was whom He said; God in the form of man. Oh Friends, time and space constraints are forcing us to stop here for today, but there’s more to come tomorrow, providing the Good Lord gives the a-okay. I’ve got to chuckle yes, cause when I first began writing on this verse I never expected it to take three days, but such is the wisdom, width and depth of the Word, that I keep finding stuff to enhance it. So with all of that in mind, let’s keep on doing what we’re supposed to be doing: LOVING our God, SPREADING His Word, and LIVING that Word by Faith. Much LOVE!…only believe…that’s the first step…only believe…
Well a pleasant Sunday morning to you my Friends in Christ! I hope that all who celebrate the Sabbath today will go to church and fellowship with others, and those who celebrated it on Friday and Saturday went to church and did the same, because it’s one of the Lord’s most important dictates. It’s a day meant not only to worship and glorify Him, but also to renew and strengthen our faith, our spiritual beings, through mutual encouragement and education. Today we’ll continue looking at 1 John 1:1, where the beloved disciple introduces his testimony re the reality of Christ. And no Friends, He wasn’t in the virtual realm of reality, where we spend so much time today that many of us forget what true reality is all about. And what’s it all about? It’s obviously about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who came in the real flesh and blood realm. He was the real thing; the real McCoy. We’ve already dealt with a couple aspects of the Bit; ‘That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes…’ ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.’ (John 1:1) The Word and God are inseparable. He spoke the world into existence, hence the overwhelming importance of the Word; reading, speaking, hearing and living it, cause then we come into contact, into a serious, most worthwhile and rewarding relationship with the Most High God Jehovah, Creator of the universe and all therein. ‘And the Word was made flesh and came and dwelt among us…’ emphasizes that God came to earth as a real man; was born, suffered the usual human travails, died, and was buried. Then comes the only difference; He rose again. That’s because he was God incarnate. An ordinary man couldn’t have done that. John and the other disciples saw all of this, hence their confident declaration; ‘which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon…’ And here, Peter, the Rock, the foundation on which Christ built His Church weighs in with his own arguments. ‘For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we make known unto you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.’ (2 Pet. 1:16-18) He’s talking there about the transfiguration of Jesus on the mount where an inner change took place in Him, to which Bruh Paul likens our spiritual rebirth: ‘And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.’ (Rom.12:2) So Friends we see that even Jesus had to go through some kind of inner change before He was fully ready to embark on his earthly ministry. And Peter, James and John all witnessed this transformation; ‘which we have looked upon,’ so it wasn’t a vision or a dream, but the real thing, and according to Mosaic Law they serve as ample witnesses. Now they not only saw Jesus in the flesh and touched Him before He died on the cross, but also claim ‘and our hands have handled,’ Him after He rose from the dead. Yes my people, they both saw and touched Jesus in the flesh when He appeared to eleven of the disciples in Jerusalem after His resurrection. ‘And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted (frightened), and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts (doubts) arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered (marvelled), he said unto them, Have ye here any meat (food) And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honeycomb. And he took it and did eat before them.’ (Luke 24:36-43) Ah mih Friends, what a reunion that must have been eh? After been so scared, disheartened and discouraged by their leader’s horrific death, they must certainly have thought that they’d died and gone to heaven when he reappeared, (smile) not to mention scared. But that’s the way our Lord and Saviour operates, in the supernatural. If He claims to be God, a living one too, He can’t simply behave like ordinary men, and there are enough aspects of His earthly life to prove that He was whom He said; God in the form of man. Oh Friends, time and space constraints are forcing us to stop here for today, but there’s more to come tomorrow, providing the Good Lord gives the a-okay. I’ve got to chuckle yes, cause when I first began writing on this verse I never expected it to take three days, but such is the wisdom, width and depth of the Word, that I keep finding stuff to enhance it. So with all of that in mind, let’s keep on doing what we’re supposed to be doing: LOVING our God, SPREADING His Word, and LIVING that Word by Faith. Much LOVE!…only believe…that’s the first step…only believe…
SCRIP-BITS 