Part 1: Who Is Jesus?
To grow spiritually it is important to know who Jesus is. He’s certainly complex, but there is a passage of Scripture that helps us understand him better: 1st John 1:1-4. I’m going to explain this passage phrase by phrase over the next three days. The key to understanding who Jesus is, is to understand each phrase in each of the verses. As you understand each phrase, the meaning of the verses will come alive for you.
1st 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.”
Think of this verse as having five parts. The key to understanding it is to understand each part and how each part contributes to the whole understanding of who Jesus is.
That which was from the beginning
John is writing about something which was from the beginning. This raises a question. What beginning is he talking about? Today had a beginning. Yesterday had a beginning. But John is talking about the big beginning…the beginning of time. But that raises another question. What has existed since the beginning of time?
Which we have heard
Now this gets a little strange at first glance. John is writing these words in about 90 A.D. He is flesh and blood…a real human being. He has ears to hear with. So John is saying he has heard with his ears that which was from the beginning. Not only has he heard that which was from the beginning, but those he is with have heard that which was from the beginning. This makes them earwitnesses. So how do people living in about 90 A.D. hear with their ears that which was from the beginning? We’ve got another question on our hands…let’s keep going.
Which we have seen with our eyes
So John is saying we (those he is with) have not only heard that which was from the beginning. They have also seen that which was from the beginning. Not just a picture of it…but the actual it. With their own two eyes. So how can they see that which was from the beginning? To see it, it must be physically before them. How is that possible?
Which we have looked at and our hands have touched
Wow…John and his cohorts have not only heard it, not only seen it, but actually touched it with their own two hands. How can that which was from the beginning be touched? To give you an idea how profound this is, let me ask you a question. What is the oldest thing you have seen and touched? I am going to guess it is dirt. The oldest thing you have seen and touched is dirt. Go outside, reach down and grab a handful of dirt. That dirt in your hand is as old as the earth. When the earth was created that dirt was created. But as old as that dirt in your hand is…it is not as old as that which was from the beginning. There was something before the earth. This thing is that which is from the beginning. How is it that John could hear, see, and touch that which is older than the earth? Fortunately, John continues to write and shares with us what he is talking about in part 5 of the verse.
This we proclaim concerning the Word of Life
Ah…now we understand. The Word of Life is Jesus. This is a massive play on words incredibly deep and profound. Jesus is a life. He is alive. So that which was from the beginning is alive. This life is the Word of Life. So that which was from the beginning speaks words that give life. So Jesus is alive and speaks words that give life.
John is saying we have seen Jesus…we have heard Jesus…we have touched Jesus. Jesus is that which was from the beginning. Have you seen Jesus? No. The oldest thing you have seen is dirt. Have you touched Jesus? No. The oldest thing you have touched is dirt. Have you heard Jesus…think carefully before you answer this one. Yes or no? The answer is yes. You have heard Jesus because you have his recorded words in the Bible. Today you can hear Jesus through his recorded words. That’s amazing! Today you can hear the words of the one who was from the beginning. The one who is older than dirt.
Think about how important the words of Jesus are to your spiritual growth. They are not simply words. They are the words of the one who was from the beginning. They are the words from the one who is older than the dirt, the earth, than space and time.
One way I remind myself of the importance of the words of Jesus is to read a red letter Bible. That’s a Bible where the words of Jesus are in red instead of black. Technically the words of Jesus are no more important than the other words in the Bible. They are all inspired. Yet somehow reading red words creates the sense they are more important. At the very least, reading a red letter Bible lets me very quickly pick out the words of Jesus from the rest of the Bible.
In 1st John 1:2, John will go even further, unpacking a little more what he is writing about Jesus and what it means. In Part 2, we’ll explore this verse.
