1 John 1:1
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 author of this letter is the apostle John, and he begins by reminding his readers that the testimony he gives concerning Jesus is a very personal one. His senses of hearing, sight, and touch all confirm the truth of Jesus’ existence and deity.

His introduction echoes the opening verse of the gospel of John (which he also wrote) and both are mindful of the first verse of the entire Bible. John is telling us in each case that the incarnation of Christ is an event that is just as significant – if not more so – than the creation of the universe itself.

And notice how John describes Christ. Before ever using his name or pointing to his work, John says that the Christ simply “was from the beginning.” Many try to dismiss the teaching of the trinity as the invention of church leaders much later in history, but here is yet another example from the apostles that they understood the eternality of Christ. The Messiah has always been and will always be. His incarnate time on earth may have only lasted thirty or so years, but there has never been a time when the Christ did not exist.

John had the privilege of literally walking with Jesus Christ for three years. He heard the sermons, saw the miracles, witnessed the crucifixion, and placed his hands in the scars that marked the body of his resurrected Lord. The apostle establishes himself as a credible witness to Jesus, and all that follows in this letter is in agreement with the Christ.

However, as we will see in the weeks ahead, John’s credibility does not come only from his sensory experience with Christ (for even Judas Iscariot had that) but with his God-given revelation of Christ. It is this recognition of Jesus as God’s anointed one that compelled the apostles to preach sermons, write letters, lead fellowships, and even give their lives in martyrdom. It isn’t mere knowledge of Christ, or even association with Christ, but an intimacy with Christ that begins with the revelation that he is “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” [Matthew 16:16]