Pocket Sized Thoughts – 1 John – Part 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.” (1:1)

It is thought that the apostle John wrote his letters and his gospel toward the end of his life. He had certainly seen plenty in his life from his young days of following the Lord, to seeing the church grow (as recorded in the book of Acts), to his imprisonment on the isle of Patmos. He was the only apostle to live to old age, the others having been martyred. Now, in his older years, he writes as a ‘father’ to his ‘little children’, the church, from a heart of wonderful, caring love. He reminds them of matters of eternal significance, such as fellowship, forgiveness of sins, the life of Christ in us, as well as one of his most enduring themes, that is, the theme of love. He does not write any of this from a mere academic, or theoretical point of view. He writes from a position of reality and personal experience. In 1:1 he talks of things which he has seen, heard and handled. These are not fleeting experiences because he also uses the word to ‘look upon’, which means to steadily gaze at and consider until the significance of what is being looked at is understood and fully realised. In this context, the things that John speaks of are not just the privileges of one who had personally walked with the Lord Jesus while He was on earth, but are the reality of things which are available to every true believer in Christ. This is eternal life made real and all who truly believe can know the reality of it.

PRAYER :- “Lord, thank you that your life is not limited just to those who knew you on earth, but can be known by all who love and follow you now.”