Jesus of Nazareth is not only the Messiah, he is the Word of God and the Spirit of God (See 2 Corinthians 3:17). We cannot separate God from his Word and from his Spirit. Therefore, whenever we are in the presence of the Word of God and the Spirit of God we are in the presence of God! Being both the Word of God and The Spirit of God Jesus was far greater than a man. In spite of this, Jesus came into the world as a man.
Through the prophet Isaiah God has told us that “as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9) Thus to make the highest revelation understandable to man, God sent the Messiah in human form. Though the Messiah did exist, “in the form of God, [he] counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being found in fashion as a man.” (Philippians 2:6-7) Because the Messiah came as a man the reality of his being and of his message could be confirmed with methods which are familiar to man.
It is the confirmation of the Messiah’s reality which the Apostle John shares with us in the opening verses of his small revelation called the 1st Epistle of John. He wrote, “That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life (and the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us); that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ:” (I John 1:1-3)
So, the certainty of the revelation through Jesus is established through hearing, through seeing, through beholding and through handling. First of all, John saw the original manifestation of God’s highest revelation. Eyewitness testimony is of the highest value. Peter tells us concerning the apostolic testimony that, “we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16) Subsequently nothing changing it, annulling it or superseding it has ever appeared. There was never any inconsistency between what was heard and what was seen. All types of testimony gave a harmonious witness.
It is through the power of the testimony of the chosen eyewitnesses whose record has come to us that it has been said of us, “whom not having seen ye love; on whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9) Truly, “blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
Not only did John have the opportunity to see the Christ but he had the opportunity to behold him. That means he had opportunity for minute scrutiny. Even under prolonged, careful scrutiny the reality remained what it had always appeared to be. It was not a case of the appearances being one thing and the reality being something else.
“Beholding means “an intense and earnest gaze, as when we behold one whom we have desired to see, or when one goes out purposely to look on an object. The evidences of the incarnation of the [Messiah] had been subjected to such an intense and earnest gaze.” (Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament Explanatory and Practical – James, Peter, John, and Jude (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1951), p. 279.)
Sometimes aural and visual impressions may be inadequate. Therefore, hearing, seeing and beholding were augmented by ‘handling.’ The apostle Thomas said, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25) Thomas must have thought his companions’ testimony which had been based only on sight had somehow been mistaken. However, Thomas found that all sources of information agreed that this unique revelation was absolutely true.
Each of the senses makes its own special contribution to certain testimony. Touch alone would not be entirely adequate as a basis for testimony concerning the Word of Life. However, combined with hearing, seeing and beholding, the sensation of touch forms a most certain basis for testimony. Touch could confirm the very point in question about the resurrection of Jesus. That question is, was his bodily appearance real? Jesus had told his apostles, “See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye behold me having.” (Luke 24:39)
A resume of the types of information accessible through the various methods of sensory perception which John enumerates should be assuring:
By hearing one could perceive (1) the reality and meaning of Jesus’ teaching, both public and personal. (2) One could perceive the depth of his expositions and reasoning. (3) Also one could perceive the unfathomable brilliance with which he answered those who opposed him. (4) We could understand that his dialogs and conversations represented a wisdom from above. (5) One could weigh his probing questions such as, The Christ, whose Son is he? (6) One could feel the power of his rebukes. (7) By hearing his exhortations one would have been moved by their power. (8) One would be deterred from evil by his prohibitions (8) and be challenged by his commands. (9) One would have been touched by his pleas. (10) By hearing pronouncements one would have been enlightened. (11) One would have been drawn close to God by hearing his prayers.
By seeing one could perceive (1) His manner of life. (2) His compassion – his tears. (3) His anger – in the face of hypocrisy. (4) His fatigue. (5) His poverty. (6) His miracles. (7) His prayer life.
By beholding one could perceive more than the big picture. He could also grasp the minutia and the detail. For instance, Jesus not only healed the leper, everyone could see that, but he stretched forth his hand and touched him. (See Mark 1:40-45)
By handling one could perceive (1) The reality of his vibrant resurrection body. (2) The reality of his sleeping in the boat when his disciples shook him awake. (3) The reality of his presence in their midst. There was no illusion. (4) The reality of his wounds when he was crucified. (5) Touch also confirmed the reality of the condition of those whom Christ healed by his miracles. Those conditions included: The shrunken and withered limbs of the cripples, the missing limbs of the maimed, the empty eye sockets of the blind, the heat of fevered bodies, the weak or erratic heart beats from the damaged hearts of the sick.
“(and the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us)” (1 John 1:2)
The necessity of this life being manifested was that previously it “was with the Father.” The term ‘Father’ is used for God Almighty because he has given life to everyone. He is not talking about the life which manifests itself when a child is born. That life is not ‘eternal life.’ There always was eternal life but it was previously only “with the Father.” We would have had no way of knowing it or knowing about it had it not been manifested. That life always existed but had not always been manifest. Each of us should seek that “eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested” through Jesus.