Verse 1: What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—
John’s use of the phrase from the beginning is conspicuously a reference to the opening phrase of his gospel account: “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). The prepositions he uses—in and from—are immensely distinct. In the beginning (John 1:1) refers back into eternity, before Jesus Christ came in the flesh. John is affirming that Jesus Christ is the Word and that He existed eternally before creation in unity with the Godhead as 100% Deity. In our passage, from the beginning refers to an initial point of time—the Incarnation. This is when Jesus Christ took on humanity becoming the unique person of the universe—the God-Man. And the word was emphasizes the fact that He always existed prior to His Incarnation.
“What” is a neuter noun inferring to the detailed evidences “concerning the Word of Life,” Jesus Christ, rather than about Him personally. John proceeds to enumerate and substantiate his empirical testimony of the reality of Jesus Christ in the flesh, each of these evidences are introduced by the word “what”—heard, seen, looked and touched.
But before looking at these evidences, it is necessary to understand that there are various assumptions of who exactly is John referring to by the word “we.” The Greek scholar Daniel Wallace indicates that:
In many situations in the NT, especially in the epistles, the use of we is not always clear. Does the author mean to include his associates (or co-authors), or his audience, or is this simply an editorial way of referring to himself?1
Considering the time of John’s writing—the late 1st Century A.D.—he may not have been referring exclusively to himself. Instead it may be assumed that he was referring to his fellow apostles and to members of the audience to whom he is writing.
By most accounts, John was the last living of the 12 apostles, so he may be referencing their combined testimony of the evidences of Jesus the Messiah. But he may also be including those who were alive during Christ’s life that heard, saw, looked and touched the Word of Life. This is not an improbable idea, for the Apostle Paul mentioned just 30 years prior that after the Lord’s resurrection, He appeared not only to the Apostles:
After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:6)
So it stands to reason that if John is still alive 60 years after the Lord’s resurrection that many of the five hundred which Paul mentioned could still be living at the time of his writing. These are John’s unimpeachable witnesses to the following evidences he provides of the authenticity of Jesus Christ.
The Evidences
From the beginning of the Incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, John enumerates four evidences of this unique Person of the universe as attested by many.
First, “what we have heard.” The gospel accounts record numerous instances of Our Lord’s teachings that were heard by the Apostles, disciples and the multitudes—the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-9); the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24-25) and the 30 parables He taught. John noted 7 “I Am” statements of who Jesus claimed to be: the Bread of Life (John 6:35); the Light of the World (John 8:12); the Door of the Sheep (John 10:7); the Good Shepherd (John 10:11); the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25); the Way, the Truth, the Life (John 14:6); the True Vine (John 15:1).
Second, “what we have seen with our eyes.” Not just the seeing of Him personally, but His miraculous acts of healing and forgiveness, 35 of which are disclosed in the 4 gospel accounts. These were the evidences of His Divine Personage—being the unique Son of God.
Of these first two evidences, Peter and John early in their ministry declared to the Sanhedrin that “we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).
Third, “what we have looked at.” In John 1:14 he exclaimed that “we saw2 (looked at, beheld) His glory.” This most definitely refers to “His glory” revealed at the Transfiguration, recorded in Luke 9:28-36; Mark 9:2-13. Peter, James and John saw “His glory” along with Moses and Elijah. And they heard the voice of God the Father claiming “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” (Luke 9:35). This is alluding to the Shekinah glory—the Lord presence in Solomon’s Temple (1 Kings 8:10-11). This glory now indwells every believer in the Body of Jesus Christ (John 17:22; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:18).
Fourth, “what we...touched with our hands.” This Greek word for 'touch' is used only 4 times in the New Testament. But in this instance, John is recollecting the post-resurrection appearance of Our Lord recorded in Luke 24:36-43. The Apostles had been startled by His sudden presence “in their midst.” They thought they were seeing a spirit, but Our Lord encouraged them to “touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones.”
Concerning the Word of Life
John mentions these evidences to authenticate the reality of Jesus Christ as the Incarnate Son of God. Who as the unique person of the universe, John correctly characterizes as the Word of Life.
The Greek for ‘word’ is logos, meaning the content or reasoning behind a word, spoken or written. When used in the phrase word of God, it implies the Divine thoughts, wisdom and declarations of God revealed to mankind throughout the Scriptures.
The phrase word of God (Luke 8:21; Acts 4:31, 6:2, 7; 8:14) is often exchanged for simply the word (Luke 8:15; Acts 4:29, 6:4, 8:4) and therefore it is obviously implying Divine thought, truth and wisdom of God. So, when John declares that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Word (John 1:1), he is concluding that He is the embodiment of the Divine thought, truth and wisdom. And specifically in our passage, when John characterizes Him as the Word of Life he is further equating Him as the mediator of the Father’s divine plan of salvation for all mankind (1 Timothy 2:5)—the manifestation of “Eternal Life, which was with the Father” (1 John 1:2; cf. John 17:3).
A Closing Thought
This life which is eternal “denotes salvation and deliverance, based on Christ’s atonement.”3 If the reader has not secured this life which Christ provided, you can obtain it for yourself today. The Apostle Paul emphasized: “Behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2b). You only need to “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
[1] Wallace, D. B. (1996). Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics—Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament. Zondervan Publishing House and Galaxie Software, p. 393.
[2] The same Greek word used by John in this passage.
[3] Ryrie, C. C. (1995). Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Bible, 1995 update (Expanded ed.). Chicago: Moody Press, p. 1679 note.
© 2024 David M. Rossi
