Wednesday, August 7, 2024

PT-2 "The Word of Life is Historical" (1 John 1:1b-2a)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 08-07-2024

 

My Worship Time                                                   Focus:  PT-2 “The Word of Life is Historical”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                    Reference:  1 John 1:1b-2a

 

            Message of the verses:  “what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—and the life was manifested,”

 

            We begin this evening’s SD by looking at the third way John had actually perceived the Word of Life with his senses, as we looked at the first two in the last SD.

 

            Third is reinforcing the truth that he had actually seen Jesus, John added the term looked at.  MacArthur adds “That word involves more than a mere glance or quick look; instead, it denotes a long, searching gaze (cf. 4:14; Matt. 11:7; Luke 23:55).  It is the same verb (theaomai) that the New King James Version translates ‘behold’ in John 1:14.  Beyond the works that Jesus performed, John and the other apostles watched Him intently for several years and saw the stunning and unmistakable realities of who He is (cf. Matt. 13:16-17)—the Lord and God, Messiah and Savior (Luke 2:25-32; John 1:29, 41), with supernatural power over demons, disease, nature and death (Matt. 4:23-24; 8:28-32; Mark 1:23-27; Luke 5:4-6; 7:12-15; John 2:6-10; 4:46-53; 5:5-9; 9:1-7; 11:38-45), and the authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:5; 9; Luke 7:48) and grant eternal life (Luke 19:10; John 11:24-27).  As intimate and constant eyewitnesses to His earthly ministry they had ample proof that Jesus Christ was God in human flesh (John 14:8-11).”

 

            Now we want to look at the fourth, which is John telling his readers that he had touched with his hands the Word of Life.  Now Let us better understand the word that is rendered touched (pselalphao) and this means “to feel after,” or “grope” (like a blind man has to do on many occasions.  Let us now look at Luke 24:39 which is the same word, “"See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.’”  Now we know that the disciples would have touched Jesus all the time in the daily course of their companionship with Him.  John even described himself as one who leaned on Jesus’ chest as seen John 13:23, 25; 21:10.  Now the Lord had encouraged Thomas to touch Him on that postresurrection occasion as seen in John 20:27 “Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.’” 

 

            MacArthur concludes:  “With the incarnation of Jesus Christ the life was manifested.  The verb translated was manifested (phaneroo) means ‘to reveal,’ or to make visible what was hidden.’  God did not reveal Himself in human flesh until Christ’s earthly ministry when the divine or eternal life became visible to mankind.  As Jesus said, ‘For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself’ (John 5:26; cf. 1:1-4; 5:39-40; 11:25-26 ; 1 John 5:12).  The Father and the Son have the same divine life, and both can grant eternal life (John 6:37-40).”

 

8/7/2024 11:31 PM

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