“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life– the Life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us.”
– 1 John 1:1-2
What kind of holy God would make Himself known to sinful man in such a deeply personal way? Why would He choose to leave behind the perfections of Glory and enter into our world of suffering? Why would a God Who knew no sin, shame, or frailty clothe Himself with flesh and blood? His act of incarnation was, and forevermore will be, the most perfect expression of love.
John begins his pastoral letter to the churches by declaring the eternal nature of Jesus Christ in the glory of the Gospel:
“That which was from the beginning…”
Hear His holiness resound through these six words! At the core of the Gospel is the fact that Christ Jesus, the God- Man, is eternal and divine. He is the One Who Was, Who Is, and Who is to come (Revelation 1:8); the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is completely Self-Existent–in need of nothing and no one. He does not depend upon anything apart from Himself. This is the doctrine of aseity; God is the uncaused cause.
“This ‘uncaused cause’ must have the power of being within itself—it must exist in and of itself. This cause must be eternal, for that which does not exist cannot later bring itself into existence. Moreover, this cause must be personal for an impersonal one could not create personal beings. Only a personal, self-existent God can answer the question: “Why is there something rather than nothing?” http://God’s Self-Existence | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Ligonier.org
Christ is Life! Life exists only in and through Him; Apart from Him, there is no life. He spoke in the beginning, and life poured out from Him. Plants, animals, birds, the fish in the sea, mountains, rivers, hills, valleys – everything, burst forth at His life-giving command! His voice formed the planets and the stars, set the sun and moon in place, and called out galaxies too vast to comprehend. Throughout the creation account in Genesis 1, we repeatedly read the phrase “and God said…”, and then something miraculous came to be!
In 1 John 1:1, the word “was” is translated from the Greek word “eimi” which means: to be, to exist, to be present, and it is translated as, “It is I; I was; I have been; I will be”.
“That which was from the beginning…”
The One Who is the Great I AM – Who existed before all time and will continue to exist ater time has run its course – the Spirit and Word of Life – revealed Himself through the Person and Work of Jesus Christ in a personal way that could be understood, experienced, felt, and deeply known – all because of love.
“…which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life–
the Life was made manifest…”
God delights in revealing Himself. He has been pulling back the curtain on His glory and Person since He established the world within its confines of time and space. He created all things for the purpose of displaying His Divine power and His attributes (Romans 1:20). Creation shouts an undeniable anthem of praise to God the Creator and leaves humankind accountable to this revelation (Psalm 19). Every person must respond to God’s invitation to know Him– either in faith, or by rejection, but there must be a response.
The Creator God lovingly crated mankind after His own image and placed within every human being an eternal soul with a deep longing–an ache to be in fellowship forever with the One Who loves us like no other. Eternity contains unmatched purpose because it reflects the unchanging, infinite nature of God. Ecclesiastes 3:11,
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into man’s heart,
yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”
We were made for the incomprehensible, eternal pleasure of being with the Lord; however, even though we long for Him, there is nothing in us that will naturally seek Him. Because of our sin, we are unable to grasp our eternal, relational purpose. So, we pursue substitutes for that which will bring real, eternal, soul satisfaction–a love relationship with the Savior.
We seek fulfillment and purpose in things apart from Christ. While many of them may be considered noble, or even commendable, they do not bring life apart from the Lord of Life. The only thing that will truly satisfy is to live for the One Who died for you.
We often hear, “Living my best life…” or a marketing invitation like, “Do you want to live your best life?” Do not be deceived, friend: living or pursuing your best life now, means you are missing eternity, and therefore, missing Jesus. If your best is not ahead of you, in eternal glory with Christ, then your life will never be satisfied this side of the grave. That God-given longing in your soul for eternity with Christ will never be filled apart from Him. You were made for Him and you will only experience abundant joy when your life is lived in the shadow of the cross – illumined by the Light of eternal love. This is not to say we shouldn’t take care of our bodies, or be intentional about our choices, or how we spend our time; indeed- we should, because we are made in His image, but the pursuit of temporary pleasures will leave us empty in the end. Our bodies will die one day, and we will leave behind all we have worked to achieve. This world and everything in it will be destroyed. But God declares to us His eternal Life so that we can know Him Who is Eternal and experience Him Who gives abundant Life:
“The life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us…”
– 1 John 1:2
God sent forth His only Son, creating a flesh and blood body for Him to inhabit. The Invisible became visible. The Intangible became tangible. He loved beyond the limits of our understanding. He walked this earth. He conveyed His heart. He spoke the words of Truth and of Life. He felt what we feel and experienced what we experience. He healed. He raised from the dead. He lifted from the dust. He called. He broke bread, and poured out wine as a picture of His purpose: to be broken and poured out for you and for me upon the cross of Calvary.
At the core of the Gospel is this: The Eternal, Self-Existing, Creator, God of Life, put on temporary flesh and blood to communicate to His sin-condemned and hell-bound enemies how far He would go to rescue us and to reconcile us to Himself. He spared nothing. The Gospel is all about Him! It is all about His love and justice; His mercy and forgiveness. It is about His holiness and compassion. It is His invitation to know Him– to walk with Him as a Friend. The Gospel is not about our love for Christ; It is about Christ’s love for us. Nor is it about what we can do for Him; It is about what He has already done for us. He alone is the Hero of the story!
“We love Him, because He first loved us.”
– 1 John 4:19
The life we live here on earth is temporary; it is over in the blink of an eye. It was never intended to be all that we live for. Each of us will die, but God has given us the gift of this lifetime in order that we can know Him and love Him. How gracious of God to give us a temporary measure to build eternal treasure!
The Gospel is the most important, personal, and powerful invitation you and I will ever receive. It is an invitation to know intimately and experience deeply, the One Eternal, Living God. So, I invite you into His story: Rest in the shadow of the cross. See His outstretched arms and the blood He shed to cover you. Receive the forgiveness He offers. Think long and deep about His love and ask Him for the power to grasp it in increasing measure. Live every moment for the One Who died for you. He spared nothing to bring us near to His heart and now His love compels a response.
Responding “yes” to the Gospel motivates a life of worship and wonder and leaves behind ripples of grace that echo into eternity.
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