Let us turn then once again to
God's word and the opening verses of the first epistle general
of John. The first epistle general of
John chapter 1 and reading verses 1 and 2, 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, for the life was manifested and we have
seen it and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life
which was with the Father and was manifested unto us. And the theme that I want to
attempt to address tonight is that that is particularly spoken
of here in the opening verse, this experimental knowledge of
the Lord Jesus Christ that John of course was very familiar 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 words of life. First of all, to say something
with regards to the person that John He is speaking of, and it
is John of course who gives this peculiar name to the Lord Jesus
Christ. He refers to Him as the Word. And here we have it, the Word
of Life. Reminds us of the opening verses
of that Gospel, by the same Apostle, in the beginning was the Word. and the Word was with God and
the Word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. He is the eternal Word of God
and that name of course amongst other things reminds us that
He is that One who is the final revelation of God. if we think of the word as that
that communicates to us the knowledge of something. Now God hath in
these last days spoken unto us by his son. He is the word of
God but he is also of course the eternal son of God. We can think of that mystery.
We know that there are those two great mysteries revealed
to us in the scripture. that first and greatest of all
mysteries, which is God himself. And when we consider that doctrine
of God, the doctrine of the Trinity, what a mystery it is. We know
that God is one, hero Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord,
and yet the true God is three persons, Father, Son and Holy
Ghost not three Gods but three persons undivided three persons
undivisible in one holy Godhood but then there is another mystery
the mystery of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ the mystery
of the words made flesh In the Lord Jesus Christ we have one
person and yet in the one person of the Saviour there are those
two natures, two distinct natures. He is God and He is man but He
is one person and there is no mixing or mingling of the natures. The natures are quite distinct.
He is divine. and yet at the same time he is
also human and yet he is one Lord Jesus Christ and now we
see that in the early church there were those who were assaulting
that very doctrine, that mystery of the incarnation and John has
to address those who would deny these truths there were some
who would deny the truth of his deity and so in this epistle
he addresses them in chapter 2 and verse 22 he says who is
a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ he is antichrist
that denieth the father and the son whosoever denieth the son
the same hath not the father but he that acknowledgeth the
Son hath the Father also. To deny that the Son is eternal
God is the same as denying that the Father is eternal God. If there is an eternal Father
then there must also be an eternal Son. Again in the second epistle
And verse 9 John says, "...whosoever transgresseth and abideth not
in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God." Who observed the strength of
the language, "...whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine
of Christ, hath not God." He that abideth in the doctrine
of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. the eternal sonship
of the Lord Jesus Christ is a vital doctrine and to deny that truth
is to deny God himself and yet as I said there were those in
the early church who were assaulting this very doctrine and so it
has been through the centuries indeed if we go back to the 19th
century there were those amongst strict Baptists who denied the
eternal sonship of the Lord Jesus Christ. And now J.C. Philpott
was raised up to answer that awful denial, that terrible heresy,
the denial of Christ's eternal Sonship. He is the eternal Son
of God. He is God of God, begotten, not
made. of one substance with the Father
but then also of course at the same time he is truly a man. Two natures as we said, the divine
nature but also the human nature in the one person of the Lord
Jesus Christ and there were some you see who denied the reality
of his human nature and John has to answer these. Here in
chapter 4 and verse 3 it says, Every spirit that confesseth
not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God. And this is that spirit of Antichrist,
whereof ye have heard that he should come, and even now already
is it in the world. Oh the person then of the Lord
Jesus Christ. This is the person that we must
know. if we would have a true saving knowledge of God. Well,
let us consider these opening words here in this verse, this
opening verse of this first epistle. That which was from the beginning,
John says. What is he speaking of as from
the beginning? He is speaking of the word of
life. That which was from the beginning,
and he uses the word beginning here in an absolute sense. He is speaking of that that was
before time at the beginning. He is speaking of that which
reaches into eternity. Remember the words of the Lord
Jesus as he reveals himself in the opening chapter of the book
of the Revelation. I am Alpha and Omega, he says. The beginning and the end. Which is and which was and which
is to come, the Almighty. He is the beginning. He is the
alpha. The first letter of the Greek
alphabet. He is the end, the omega. The
last letter of that alphabet. He is that one who is ever always
the same. He is Jesus Christ, the same
yesterday and today and forever. When we read here of the beginning,
that which was from the beginning, are we not reminded that this
is Jehovah God? What did God say to Moses when
he revealed himself at the burning bush in Exodus chapter 3? I am
that I am. That which was from the beginning.
This is God. This is the unchanging God that
the apostle is speaking of as he commences this particular
epistle. And it is in the Lord Jesus Christ
of course that we have this revelation of the great I am. He is Jehovah,
Jesus. What does he say in the 8th chapter
of John and verse 24, a remarkable statement. If ye believe not
that I am he, ye shall perish in your sin. And you will see,
he there is italicised in other words, he literally says if you
believe not that I am, if you believe not that I am, you shall
perish. in your sins he goes on to say
at the end of that very same age chapter of John before Abraham
was I am and as we were saying this morning the Jews understood
this the charge that they laid against him when they came to seek his destruction, his
death was blasphemy That's what they charged him
with. We have a law, they said to Pilate. And by our law he
ought to die, because he made himself the son of God. It was ever so from the beginning,
remember the miracle that he performs in the fifth chapter
of John. And he said, I must die. And how offended the Pharisees
are that he should do this kind and gracious work on the Sabbath
day, so what do they do? They seek to kill him. The Jews
sought the more to kill him, we read, because he not only
had broken the Sabbath day, but said that God was his father
making himself equal with God. As they would time and again
seek to put him to death, they would stone him, remember, In John chapter 10 we see how
they were determined to stone him but they could not, his time
was not yet come. Had they had the opportunity
they would have done it. John 10.33 the Jews answered
him saying for a good work we stone thee not but for blasphemy
and because of thou being a man make us thyself God. He is God. That which was from
the beginning. He is that one who is the great
I am. And in the opening part of John
18, remember when they come to arrest him there in the garden
of Gethsemane. He stands forth and says to them,
I am. And they fall back. They cannot lay a finger upon
him. They had no power to arrest him. No man could take his life
from him. He was the one who had power
and authority to lay down his life. This was the commandment
that he had received of the father. He gives himself to die. His
death is a voluntary sacrifice. This is the one of whom John
is speaking then. The eternal God. the eternal
Son of the Eternal Father, the Word made flesh, that which was
from the beginning, he says, the Word of Life. Look at how he continues in this
parenthesis that forms the second verse. You'll observe that the
second verse is bracketed, it's a parenthesis. he is introducing
this to explain what he has been saying in those opening words
he tells us for the life that is the word of life was manifested
and we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you that
eternal life which was with the father and was manifested unto
us the guy in 3L the language is so deliberate He uses the
definite article. He says, THE LIFE. For THE LIFE was manifested and
we have seen it and bear witness and shown to you that eternal
life. Christ is the life. He is the source of all life. He is the fountain of life. And
He is that when we think of the works of God in creation. John says that, does he not,
in the opening verses of his Gospel. He speaks of the Word
made flesh, does he not, but he tells us all things were made
by Him. And without Him was not anything
made that was made. In Him was light and the life
was the light of men. He is the Creator. He is the
Creator God, the Lord Jesus Christ. By the word of the Lord were
the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of
His mouth. Oh there in Psalm 33, do we not
see a reference to God the Son, the Eternal Word, and God, the
Holy Spirit, the breath of His mouth. The great work of creation, of
course, is a work of all the Gods, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. There was that council of the
Trinity, was there not, with regards to the creation of man,
let us make man in our image after our likeness. The Lord Jesus Christ then is
that one who is the source and fountain of our natural life. But he is also the author and
giver of spiritual life. What do we read of here? Eternal
life. For the life was manifested and
we have seen it. and their witness and show unto
you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested
unto us. This is the life that the Lord
Jesus Christ has come to communicate to the sinful sons of men. And
how does he communicate that eternal life? By becoming a man. by dying as a substitute in the
room instead of sinful man. That's how he communicates life.
It's remarkable, is it not? But that's what he does. He comes
as the last Adam. The sin of the first Adam, the
fall of our parents there in the Garden of Eden, it brought
death. but here he is the second man the Lord from heaven the
last Adam and he is manifested to bring life where there was
all the death of sin what a revelation it is what a manifestation it
is of God the opening verses that we have in the epistles
of the Hebrews remember in verse 3 of that opening chapter
he is spoken of who being the brightness of his glory, the
brightness of God's glory and the express image of his person
and upholding all things by the word of his power when he had
by himself purged our sin sat down on the right hand of the
Majesty on high. For how this eternal life is
manifested you see. It is manifested in His incarnation,
His coming into the world, but it is also manifested in His
dying. When He had by Himself purged
our sins, it's as He dies as a substitute in the room instead
of His people. when the fullness of the time
has come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under
the law, to redeem them that were under the law. That's why
he cried. That was a blessed end that he
had in view. There must be that communication
of new life, of spiritual life, of eternal life, to those who
were dead in trespasses and sins. And that life comes through the
dying of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the revelation. The life,
the life was manifested and we have seen it, says John, and
bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with
the Father and was manifested unto us. No man has seen God
at any time. The only begotten Son which is
in the bosom of the Father He has declared it. There is declaration then, as
we said. This is the name that is given
to Him, He is the Word. The Word of Life, in the beginning,
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. and the word says John was made
flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory
as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth what do we know friends of this
gracious revelation of God this manifestation of eternal life
laid up in the person and work of the Lord Jesus. As John goes
on to say there in that opening chapter of the Gospel, of His
fullness, of all we receive and graceful grace. All that fullness
of salvation, all that fullness of life, eternal life, spiritual
life, it's all laid up in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now what is
John writing of here? is writing of the knowledge of
these things, an experimental knowledge of these things. The
person of the Lord Jesus Christ, these two natures, both divine
and human, God and man in one person, this is not some abstract
doctrine, some philosophical concept. Remember how Paul speaks
of the importance of the simplicity that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is his great concern when
he writes to the church at Corrie. In 2 Corinthians chapter 11 and
verse 3 he says, I fear lest by any means as the serpent beguile
thee through his subtlety so your mind should be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ the doctrine is profound when
we think of that mystery of the incarnation and yet if a person is to be saved they
must be converted says Christ and become as little children
so though in many ways to us profound there is this paradox
that it is also a simplicity you remember how John Newton
brings it out in that hymn what think you of Christ is the test
to try both your state and your skin you cannot be right in the
rest unless you think rightly of him and the second verse 1149
he says this some take him a creature to be a man or an angel at most,
sure these have not feelings like me, nor know themselves
wretched and lost, so guilted, so helpless am I, I durst not
confide in his blood, nor on his protection rely, unless I
were sure he is God. O friends, here is that blessed
simplicity of experience, is it not? When we are made to know
what we are and to feel what we are as sinners, what is the
point of trusting in him unless we are sure he is God the doctrine
is profound yet but here is one who is God who is able to decide
able to decide from the uttermost to the uttermost and yet here
is one who is truly a man touched with the feeling of all our infirmities
tempted in all points like as we are yet without seeing it is profoundly simple really
this doctrine that John is setting before us and emphasizing the
importance that we have an experience of these things this is life
eternally since as he records that remarkable prayer of the
Lord Jesus Christ in John chapter 17 the Lord's high priestly prayer
and how does Christ pray this is life eternal that they might
know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent I
give unto them says God eternal life and they shall never perish
no man is able to pluck them out of my hand my father which
gave them these greater than all no man can pluck them out
of my father's and the life was manifested and we have seen it
and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was
with the father and was manifested unto us. Let us observe how John
speaks of the senses with regards to this knowledge of the Lord
Jesus Christ. There are four aspects to it
as it's said before us here in the opening verse of the epistle. That which was from the beginning,
he says, which we have... How do we come to a knowledge
that siding knowledge, that experience of the person of the Lord Jesus
Christ, of the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, how do we come
to it? By hearing. That which was from the beginning
says John, which we have heard. Now John heard it. He was one of that favoured company,
was he not? The Lord called him from being
a fisherman He followed the Lord Jesus Christ, he heard his preaching,
he sat at his feet, he heard him. But friends, for anyone
to be saved they must also hear him. You must hear him, I must
hear him. O shall they believe in him of
whom they have not heard, asks Paul in Romans 10 and verse 14 the word of Christ, people must
hear of it. But you know there in that verse
Romans 10.14 it can be argued that the little word of is quite
superfluous. That a more literal rendering
of what is there in the Greek would be this, how shall they
believe in him whom they have not heard? Not so much hearing
of him, but hearing him. How shall they believe except
they hear Him. Have you heard Him? Have you
heard Him? The Ephesians heard Him. Ephesus
in Asia Minor or Turkey as we call it now. They heard Him. What does Paul say, Ephesians
4, ye have not so learned Christ? If so, they that ye have heard
Him and being taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. They heard him. He taught them
and yet he never went to Ephesus. How was it that they heard him?
Through preaching. Or do you hear him? Does he speak
to you in the preaching? Isn't that a remarkable thing
with regards to preaching? It's not that we come to hear
a preacher. It's not that we come to hear
the words of a man. We want to hear the word of God.
We want to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's the
mark of those who are his sheep. My sheep, he says, hear my voice. Do you hear his voice? Have you
ever heard his voice? My sheep hear my voice and I
know them and they follow me, he says, and I give unto them
eternal life and they shall never perish. There is then that sense
of hearing. There is an experience, you see,
a spiritual experience in the soul of the sinner when he hears
Christ, Christ calling the gospel. and how he is made willing then
in the day of Christ's power. Of all power he says, all authority
is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Oh, what a call is
that, what a voice is that, where the word of a king is at his
power. Have you heard that, the voice
of the Lord Jesus Christ? That which was from the beginning
says John, which we have hurt again you see in verse 3 that
which we have hurt declare we unto you that ye also may have
fellowship with us it wasn't just for the apostles no it's
for those that the apostles are writing to and this general epistle
of John is it not for us? that which we have heard, he
says, declare we unto you that ye also may have fellowship with
us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his
Son, Jesus Christ. All friends to hear that voice,
the voice of the Beloved. But then also we have the sense
of sights mentioned look at verse 1 he says which we have seen
with our eyes which we have looked upon always there not a certain
emphasis not just seeing but looking and that look is indicative of
a certain intensity of looking a careful examining again we
see the The repetition at the beginning of verse 2, the life
was manifest, East John said, and we have seen it. Again in verse 3, that which
we have seen and heard declare we unto you that ye also may
have fellowship with us. It is not enough, is it, to hear
Christ? Have you seen Him? we have seen him not with the
natural eye but seen him with the eye of faith what a thing
to behold and now he is pleased you see to show himself why did
the Lord grant to his church that holy ordinance the Lord's
Supper Do we not dare have that privilege
of seeing Him? This is my body, you see, broken
for you. This cup is the New Testament
in my blood. How the Lord, you see, comes
and shows Himself. But are we those who as we come
to that holy ordinance have that desire that we might discern
discerning the body and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
what we're about. That's why it's such a solemn
thing to eat or to drink unworthily. A man is guilty of the body and
blood of Christ it seems. Who are we those friends who
see? Are we looking for Him? Looking
unto Jesus. The author and finisher of our
lives. some say, if only I had faith
how can I obtain faith? where can I find faith? looking
on to Jesus that's where we have to look for it do you know the
strength of the verb there in Hebrews 12 it's looking away
from every other object that's the force of the language it's
looking only unto Jesus. That lovely title that Isaac
Ambrose gave to his work, Looking Unto Jesus. Looking only unto
Jesus. Do we see Him? Do we desire to
see Him? When Paul writes to the Galatians,
he can say this, before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently
set forth crucified among you. Why do we know these experiences? What is it that we are about? Is it just the coming together
and reading the scriptures? Hearing the scriptures read?
Hearing the preaching? Is it just all in the letter
of these things? Or is there something of the
power of these things communicated to our soul? This is what John
is concerned for with regards to these that he is addressing. It is manifested he says. The
life was manifested and we have seen it and bear witness and
show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and
was manifested unto us. Well where there is a manifestation
is there not the seed of these things? you desire to see by
the eye of faith the Lord Jesus Christ but John says more he
goes on to speak of handling 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 words of
life Oh what a precious truth it is to handle the whole cross. Now John of course did know that
great favour and blessing. He was familiar with the Lord
Jesus. He was the beloved disciple. He was the one who was leaning
upon the Lord's bosom at the supper. How familiar he was,
how he did in reality handle the Lord Jesus Christ but remember
when Christ rose again from the dead and showed himself to his
disciples he called upon them, did he not? to handle him there
in the last chapter of Luke those gracious words that he
speaks to them verse 39 he says behold my hands and my feet that
it is I myself handle me and say for a spirit hath not flesh
and bones as you see me have and when he had thus spoken he
showed them his hands and his feet and while they yet believe
not for joy and wondered he said unto them have you here any meat? and they gave him a piece of
a broiled fish and a honeycomb and he took it and he ate before
them we don't read that they handled him but he shows them
the reality of his resurrection body in that he partakes of food
he deliberately asks for food and he partakes of food this
was no spirit this is a real body oh it's a glorified body
the doors were shut and yet he could appear in their midst oh
friends do we desire that that same Lord Jesus Christ might
yet come to us and that we might know the reality of his presence
and as it were be those who are favoured to handle him because
we feel the reality of these things That's what it is, it's
the reality of these things that John is speaking of. He had such an experience himself
and he desires that others too might hear and say and handle
the word of life that was manifested. But then finally we come to this,
there must be confession. There must be confession of it. That which we have seen and heard,
declare we unto you, says John inversely. This declaration,
is it not confession? He declares it. The Lord himself says this, verily,
verily, we speak that we do know and testify that we have seen
all friends if we have seen him and known him we must speak of
him we cannot but speak of him that was the experience of the
disciples was he not we cannot but speak the things which we
have seen and heard if these things are real to us We won't
be mum, we'll declare these things. We'll tell others of these things.
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead
thou shalt be saved. That's what he said. For with
the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation. And this is Why we recognise
the significance and the importance of that public profession of
faith in the waters of baptism. This is what the Lord himself
has commanded, is it not? Going into all the world. And what are they to do? They
are to teach all nations. Now to preach. At the end of
Mark it's preaching the Gospel unto every creature. But now,
at the end of Matthew, it's a fuller statement. Go ye therefore and
teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo, I am with
you always. even unto the end of the world.
Amen. And in that baptising there is
that public profession, that confession of the Lord Jesus
Christ, that identifying with Him, that buried with Him in
the waters of baptism and raised again in that newness of life. That which we have seen and heard
declare we unto you. All friends here must believe
in that bold confession of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are
those who have that real knowledge of him, that experimental knowledge
of him, those who have heard his voice, those who have seen
him and handled him, those who know that they have a religion
that's real That's what we desire, I trust it is, that that's real. The faith that is wrought of
God, a faith of God's operation in our hearts. Where do we look
for such a faith as that? We look to Jesus. 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 words of life. The Lord grant his blessing
on his word. I was in here December 667 758. Immortal honours rest on Jesus'
head, my God, my portion and my living bread. In him I live,
upon him cast my care. He saved from death, destruction
and despair. Number 667. ye more to learn on Jesus' head. My God, my portion, and my living
bread. In Him I live, upon Him cast
my care. He saves from death, destruction,
and despair. He is my refuge in each deep
distress The Lord my strength and glorious righteousness Through
floods and flames He leads me safely on And daily makes His
sovereign goodness known. My every need He richly will
supply Nor will His mercy ever let me die In Him that dwells And much less grace has made
thy treasure mine. Oh, that my soul could love and
praise Him more His beauty's grace, His majesty adore Live
near His heart upon His bosom lean. Obey His voice and hold
His will esteem. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you
all. Amen.