John proclaimed the good news of the Word of life, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. The Word, the divine Logos, spoken by the Father, containing himself all that the Father had to say, the fullness of the Father's self-understanding, did not remain aloof from us. It might have seemed that there was no way for God to so condescend as to actually communicate the content of this message to us or to genuinely reveal himself to us. After all, we know that God's ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts (see Isaiah 55:8). But this chasm between ourselves and him would not be an obstacle to him. He built a bridge in the human nature of Jesus Christ whereby he could communicate with us, in order to communicate himself, the depths of his heart, to us.
What was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we looked upon
and touched with our hands
concerns the Word of life —
That which was so abstract and universal as to elude even great philosophers and theologians became concrete, tangible, and specific. The wisdom of God spoke with a human voice and articulated with human gestures. The revelation of the Father had arms with which to embrace and heal, and feet with which to walk first the path he would later ask us to follow.
for the life was made visible;
we have seen it and testify to it
The fact of the physicality of Jesus was an assurance that none of the poets or philosophers could assert in the truth claims that they made. John shared the conviction of this fact with with Peter who was also an eyewitness:
For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty (see Second Peter 1:16).
What Jesus said and taught was proven by what he did. Jesus was a living witness to the heart of the Father not simply because of persuasive words, but by the way in which the Father himself acted in the life of Jesus to validate those words. This happened in the healings and the miracles Jesus performed. Hence he said, "even though you do not believe me, believe the works" (see John 10:38). No doubt the Transfiguration that Peter and John witnessed was a particularly poignant proof that the Father's favor and approval rested on Jesus. But the thing that finally convicted John, Peter, and the others beyond all doubt was the resurrection. Witnessing the one who had died come to them alive again was proof beyond all doubt that Jesus was who he said he was. The resurrection left an indelible mark on all who witnessed it, a mark that transformed them to become themselves witnesses and heralds.
But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” (see Acts 4:19).
John was very clear about his goal in writing. He wanted us to believe what he believed so that we could experience what he experienced, "so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ". He said something similar at the end of his Gospel, saying he had "written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (see John 20:31).
The Word so desired to be communicated to our hearts that it leapt down from heaven, endured all possible opposition, and yet was vindicated on the third day. To receive the communication of this word to our hearts is at the core of what it means to have eternal life, which means it is something we can begin to taste even here and now by faith. May Saint John the Evangelist pray for us that we can come to the same assurance of our faith that was so obviously present in him.
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
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