The Word of Life - Part Two

The Word of Life

 Part Two

I John 1:1

            In part one; the way in which God gives us eternal life was stated, and that is his shining in our hearts the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, (II Corinthians 4:6). “In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). Our Lord Jesus is a vital, vivifying, and enlivening light and therefore is capable of being the source of life to others (Matthew Poole). Our Lord is the fountain or origin of life; “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will,” (John 5:21); “For as the Father has life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man,” (John 5:26) and our Lord said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John 11:25, 26); and again “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me,” (John 14:6). Also it is written; “And this is the record, (see verse ten) that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son,” (I John 5:11).

            Now since the word, may signify the gospel; as in I John 2:5; and Philippians 2:16: we may understand how God doth shine in our hearts the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ; through the preaching of the gospel. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent?” (Romans 10:13-15). So that our Savior Jesus Christ, “hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” (II Timothy 1:10), that is, for the Children of God.

            John begins his first general epistle with “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:” Now “the Word of life” which is that infinite, eternal, perfect Spirit, was manifested; and took to himself a body that was prepared for him, (Hebrews 10:5). The Son of God in his essential essence is perfect, pure, and eternal Spirit; as omnipotent God; he took the body of flesh into union with His Eternal Person and became the only visible Jehovah; as such he might be heard with natural ears, seen with natural eyes, handled by the Apostles; in order that they might give their positive testimony of the perfections of His Person. In that body Christ Jesus lived, died, and rose again from the dead, as the propitiation (satisfaction to God’s law and justice) for the sin of the elect.  Every opportunity was given the Apostles to thoroughly examine the risen Lord, they saw Him, heard Him, looked upon Him with their faculties and reason in order to prove to themselves that what they saw, heard, and felt was not a dilution, but the very same Person that they had witnessed hanging on the tree. The risen Lord invited them to examine the wounds in his hands and feet, (Luke 24:39; John 20:25).

            All this was done so that we may know that Christ is indeed risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of them that slept. The acceptance of the first fruit is the pledge of the resurrection and acceptance of all who are Christ’s. In his death Christ Jesus put away the sin of all His chosen people, in His resurrection He demonstrated the fact that our sins are no more. As it is written of Christ “Who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:25).

A.J.Ison