Seeing Jesus the God-man
Seeing Jesus ● Tests of Obedience, Love, Faith ● Tests for Deceivers ● Assurance of Eternal Life (Edition 02)
Seeing Jesus the God-man
Pondering Portraits
During your usual Bible reading or prayer time, settle in your favorite, comfortable chair with a safely positioned beverage and imagine two empty picture frames within your reach.
This is intended to be a thought provoking exercise, so I hope you will follow along with me!
Take one virtual frame and hold it in front of you. Use your hand to represent the frame if necessary. This is a portrait of Jesus. Allow your mind to fill the frame, study it intently, then sit the frame down nearby.
Are you comfortable with what you see? Is the portrait vivid in your imagination or does it lack detail and expression? We all have a portrait of Him in our mind’s eye from our life experience.
Now turn your attention to the remaining, empty picture frame. That would be your other hand! Take this virtual frame and also hold it in front of you. This is your self portrait. Some of us might imagine a more glamorous portrait than reality presents, but no matter, study what you see in your mind’s eye.
Again, are you comfortable with what you see? How is your self-awareness in the areas of personal sin, obedience to Jesus’ words, and walking by faith in God? Because we know ourselves more intimately than any spouse, family, or friend, do you think you are able to place this portrait next to the portrait of Jesus? Regardless, place the virtual picture frame next to the portrait of Jesus.
Imagine now the likenesses in the two empty frames become animated and see each other. Will you break the silence first? Or will you shrink back in shame?
And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 John 2:28). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
In his First Epistle, John wants us to see Jesus, the God-man, fully human and fully God. This fact about Jesus is crucial to our faith (John 8:30-58 ; John 10:20-30). But John’s intent is not simply our doctrinal purity (though we do act out what we believe), but that we see Jesus for who He is - the triune God of the Universe who took on human flesh, walked among us, showed compassion, love, and truth, and in the divine plan took our place on a Roman cross of crucifixion to die for our sins and the sins of the whole world. He did not remain in the grave, but He rose again to conquer sin and death (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 John 4:14). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
This is the Jesus all of us need desperately to know, love, and live to obey.
A Four Part Series from the First Epistle of John
This is a four part series in the First Epistle of John presented to encourage believers in assurance of their salvation (1 John 5:13) in Jesus Christ, the God-man. John’s First Epistle also clearly lays out the basics of Christian commitment - fellowship and love for one another.
The broad outline of the four lessons:
Seeing Jesus the God-man, 1 John 1:1–2:2
Tests of fellowship: obedience, love and faith, 1 John 2:3-27
Tests to expose deceivers, 1 John 2:28—4:6
Assurance of our eternal life with Jesus, 1 John 4:7—5:21
In fact, John’s aim in this letter is to encourage the churches of Asia Minor in and around Ephesus as they encounter opposition from false prophets and teachers (1 John 4:1-2).
Today the church faces the same challenges as in John’s day. As I am fond to say, “There is no new heresy under the sun!”.
Many commentaries date the letter ca. 80-85 A.D. (but for a pre-70 A.D. date, see John A.T. Robinson’s book [link]). The apostle John is an elderly man witnessing the rise of many false teachers in local churches, intent on leading believers astray (1 John 3:7, “deceive” from Gk. planao “to cause to wander; deceive” → English word “planet”).
John’s emphasis is Jesus, fully human and fully God, come to offer his life and blood in substitutionary atonement (1 John 4:10 "propitiation" 1 Peter 3:18) for sin - He took our place on the Roman cross of crucifixion.
It is through faith in Jesus Christ and His once-for-all sacrifice that believers have fellowship (Gk. koinonia “close association involving mutual interests and sharing; close relationship“ BDAG 2842) with one another (1 John 1:3 ; 1 John 1:5) and have a duty to love one another (1 John 3:16).
Side Bar on Commitment
Biblical commitment in John’s First Epistle: Fellowship & Love
Our fellowship in Jesus Christ and duty to love one another is the basis for our commitment to a local community of faith, personal evangelism (proclamation of the gospel), biblical stewardship (tithing & beyond), and community worship.
You may ask, “How does John emphasize tithing & beyond?” The Israelite under the Mosaic law was expected to give about 22% or more (see Dr. Charles Ryrie's book Balancing The Christian Life [Amazon link], p. 92).
Jesus came to fulfill the law, Matthew 5:17
Doing justice, mercy, and faithfulness is greater than tithing, Matthew 23:23-24
Jesus urged us to be unreasonably generous, Matthew 5:41-42
Jesus asked us to give without self-glory, Matthew 6:1-4
Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 John 3:24). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
Cajoling and coaxing congregations to attend church and pray may be noble, but without individual, personal faith in Jesus Christ there is no spiritual life and no inward motivation to obey God (1 John 2:3-6). An unbeliever must be transformed from death to life (Ephesians 2:4-7). James taught that a believer’s erga (Gk. ergon) or works complete their faith (James 2:18-22). It is the outward evidence of an inward transformation. Committed believers are not spiritually lifeless nor motionless blobs like Jabba the Hutt.
Any believer is subject to falling into error - poor life choices; ensnarement by destructive temptations; wrong thinking or warped worldview - leading to disobedience and isolation from the church, the body of Christ (1 John 4:1-6). Life choices suppressing or excluding the church from daily routines are particularly problematic.
Investigate
Lifeway Research published an article in February 2022 listing five church attendance trends [link to article]. Another interesting podcast by Carey Nieuwhof explores today’s trends of church live streaming and trends of decentralized vs. decreasing church attendance [link to podcast].
But a balanced Christian life includes gathering for corporate worship and fellowship in the community of faith. The Christian cannot “go it alone”.
Personal interaction (“to meet together”) is important (see below). Effective fellowship requires presence; the duty of love requires nearness.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV) And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25
It is easy to acknowledge this admonition and just move along untouched and unchanged.
But is it possible that some Christians simply do not see Jesus?
Personal intimacy with Jesus
One source of Christian commitment is personal intimacy with the eternal God leading to a healthy, committed walk with God in the context of a local church. The universal church, the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13), intersects the myriad denominations and physical church buildings, but at the core the universal church is composed of individual believers - each with a genuine faith experience - and a part of the community of faith in the eternal God, Jesus Christ.
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 Corinthians 12:12–13). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. 28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 Corinthians 12:27–28). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
My Testimony
I came to Christ in my early years through two events.
One was a Billy Graham film I attended at about age 10. I recall meeting a counselor and the gospel was explained to me more fully, but my life was not changed at that time.
Next, during Jr. high and high school days, I attended a church in St. Louis associated with Covenant Theological Seminary. Why? God gave me some Christian friends! I remember hearing the gospel plainly and I responded by personal faith in Jesus [John 3:16]. God began to change my life. I attended high school in a suburb of St. Louis, then entered college at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln studying physics, math, and classical/biblical Greek. I attended a local bible church, started collecting Christian books, and worked during college in a worldwide radio ministry. I also met Susan at this ministry as she was completing a second bachelor’s degree. It was during time that two men, graduates of Dallas Theological Seminary, mentored me and guided me in the Christian life. The same men inspired me to attend Dallas Theological Seminary. In total, God took me on an eleven year journey in education and life experience to plant the seed of His word in my life.
Jesus became very real in my life. Though I struggled with sin, I was learning, growing, and knowing Jesus the eternal God. I began to see Jesus for who He really is - the God-man Christ Jesus, my Savior, and the Savior of the world (1 John 2:2).
The focus of this series is on The Life which is the light of men (John 1:4 ; 1 John 1:2).
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (John 1:1–5). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 John 1:2). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
Who is Jesus?
Is Jesus just an other-worldly abstraction in your life? Or is He real to you?
Is there an intimacy in worship, prayer, and daily fellowship with Him?
Do you really know Him? (Galatians 4:9)
The temptations of life and false teaching in the church may cause a separation of the believer from fellowship with Jesus and other believers. Jesus may become a life compartment - a part of life only when in church or in the company of other Christians.
Not to be trite, but answering the question “Who is Jesus?” for yourself may go a long way to diagnose any spiritual dryness, inactivity, or habitual hypocrisy in daily life.
John the Apostle had to deal with false teachers in the local churches in and around Ephesus. Some taught that [1] Jesus was not divine but only “seemed” (docetism from Gk. dokeo “to suppose; to seem”) to be the Son of God. This error separated the divine Christ from the human Jesus. Christ entered Jesus at baptism, but departed at His crucifixion, leaving the human Jesus to undergo suffering and death. Only the divine Christ rose at the resurrection.
Others taught [2] Jesus was in fact not human and so did not die a substitutionary death (Romans 5:8). This was the false teaching of second century Gnosticism, but elements of this false teaching were probably circulating in the local churches in and about Ephesus.
The Gnostics taught that the material world was evil. God is a non-material essence - a monad, The One. God is the source of pleroma (Greek πλήρωμα) or fullness (John 1:16), the region of light. In John’s day, this teaching was a developing or incipient gnosticism - a knowledge (Gk. gnosis) attained by esoteric insight that alone could “save”. Biblical sin and repentance are replaced with illusion and enlightenment. This taught a spirituality devoid of the divine person of Jesus Christ. It was much like the New Age movement and its elevation of the self to a cosmic, divine status.
The very vocabulary of the epistle of 1 John is a direct attack (or polemic) on these false teachers who were working to confuse and corrupt the early church (1 John 4:1). This style of rhetorical warfare was common in the New Testament writings of both John and Paul. It served to undermine the false teachers and leverage their language to demonstrate its proper use in the context of apostolic teaching about Jesus Christ.
In a twist of irony, the vocabulary of the false teachers was very likely obtained from Christian writings originally! This is a common method employed by modern cultic religions such as Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses [link to article].
1.0 Seeing Jesus the God-man, 1 John 1:1—2:2
1 John 1:1-4 The Life
1 That which was from the beginning, which (a neuter relative pronoun) we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon (careful, intense examination) and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with (pros) the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim (main verb for 1:1) also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 John 1:1–4). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
Eyewitnesses
Questions of authorship and occasion are discussed in referenced commentaries, but internal evidence — particularly a comparison of GJohn (Gospel of John) and 1 John — confirm the author is the apostle John who is ministering in Asia Minor in and around Ephesus and battling false prophets and teachers intent on leading the church astray.
The vocabulary and language of the introduction assert apostolic authority and eyewitness testimony of Jesus the man and Jesus the Christ (Messiah). John is reminding his readers of the apostles’ teaching of Jesus who is fully God and fully man.
From the Beginning
The word “beginning” in v. 1 parallels the introduction in GJohn, but does not necessarily mean the “beginning of time” as in the gospel. John is giving eyewitness testimony to Jesus and his ministry on earth, so the “beginning” is simply the inception of His work on earth.
The four relative clauses of v. 1 also pose an interpretive problem because the relative pronouns (“that which”) are neuter in gender rather than masculine. In many ancient and modern languages, nouns have gender (masculine/feminine/neuter) and number (singular or plural). So the antecedent for the relative pronoun — that is, what is refers to — is not necessarily the person of Jesus only but rather the God-man Jesus, his earthly ministry, and all his works.
Use of “We”
The use of “we” in the introduction is vigorously debated, but the simple understanding (Occam’s razor) is that John is using the authoritative “we” as he is part of Jesus’ group of disciples — eyewitnesses of Jesus, God come in human flesh. John heard Jesus, he saw Him with his eyes, he examined Him intensely and intently, and John even touched Jesus (traditionally the disciple at Jesus’ side during the Last Supper, John 13:23). Both Peter and John were a part of Jesus’ closest circle of men.
At this point I recommend watching Season 1 and 2 of The Chosen, particularly the first episode of Season 2. It is available on Amazon Prime Video and other sources.
Life and Message
“Concerning the word of life” — this is the central focus of the introduction. Though v. 2 interrupts John’s train of thought beginning in v. 1, it is clear v. 2 draws attention to “the life made manifest” — the incarnation of Jesus Christ — and that life is the core of the apostolic message: the preexistent Jesus Christ (“with the Father”) became flesh and dwelled with humans in order to be the perfect sacrifice required by the law to take away the sins of the world (1 John 2:2).
The verb “we proclaim” is the main verb of the introduction and the four relative clauses of v. 1 are the object of this verb. The message of the gospel is the truth John will use to defend the church from rising false prophets and teachers. It is also the foundation for vertical fellowship with God (1 Corinthians 1:9) and interpersonal fellowship among believers in the local church.
Fellowship
In the next section, John will use the duality of light and darkness to define God (“God is light”) and how human behavior either includes the genuine Christian in fellowship with God by walking in the light or excludes the professing Christian from this fellowship by walking in darkness or habitual sin.
John’s intent is not to apply philosophy by using the duality of light and darkness. This metaphor using light or darkness is used in the Creation account (Genesis 1), the Psalms, Proverbs, and prophets (Psalm 112:4; Proverbs 2:13; Isaiah 9:2; Isaiah 50:10), and GJohn (John 8:12; John 12:35) and elsewhere in the New Testament [link to references]. It is also found in writings of the Second Temple era among the Qumran community (Dead Sea Scrolls). So, in short, the metaphor is genuinely characteristic of Old Testament theology and Judaism.
Pulse Check
At this point, make some mental notes about the introduction to 1 John. We have been given the pleasure of reading one of John’s most personal letters to his flock. What have you learned about Jesus? About the word of God? About the gospel message and the reality of eternal life in Jesus? More importantly, what have you learned about yourself and your walk with God?
1 John 1:5-7 Walking in light is the foundation for fellowship
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 John 1:5–7). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
“This is the message” — connects this section with the introduction. “Walking in light” is a metaphor for walking in obedience to God’s word and enjoying fellowship with one another — and enjoying the eternal life gifted to us when we believe the message of the gospel. In John’s theology, eternal life is a present state, not a future destination. Our soul is eternal. Every human lives eternally and destiny is determined by one’s individual response to the message of Jesus Christ.
John’s conditional sentence in v. 6 begins his challenge to one of the false teachings in the church. Some taught that the divine Christ (Messiah) entered into the man Jesus temporarily — or not at all — because human flesh was impure and evil. The logical extension of this thinking was that personal sin did not matter, only one’s “salvation” by enlightenment (possession of a special knowledge).
By following the false teachers “we lie and do not practice the truth“. Walking in darkness of unrighteousness and evil is an exclusion from fellowship with God and with other genuine Christians.
In a final rhetorical jab to the false teachers, John makes the point that as we walk in the light obeying God’s word we have fellowship with one another and God “and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” in v. 7. Jesus was not an ethereal Christ (Messiah) that could not come in human flesh. Instead, the humanity of Jesus was essential for His blood sacrifice required by the law of Moses (Leviticus 17:11).
Additionally, the abiding result of Jesus’ blood sacrifice is a persistent cleansing from sin as we walk with Jesus in the light. This is a remarkable statement. Though the day of Jesus’ crucifixion was long ago and the earth already absorbed His shed blood, what the God-man accomplished on that day is a gift offering for anyone who believes in Jesus Christ.
But what is we fall into sin as we seek to walk and please God? This is the topic of the next section.
1 John 1:8-9 Denial of sin is self deception but God forgives our sin
8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 John 1:8–9). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
Another false teaching of John’s day is the denial of personal sin. It is interesting that some modern day cults, world religions, and philosophical systems (ideologies or world views) teach this (as an example, see this [link to article]).
First, Christianity is accused of holding on to ancient pagan practices and beliefs because it teaches the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ (for example, sift this [web search]). It is interesting that modern day ideologies promoting abortion up to and after birth may conclude Christianity (based on the Old Testament) is an outdated, obsolete “religion” because of the blood sacrifice.
Second, the entrance of sin into the world and its universal effects on the creation and humankind pervades the Old and New Testaments from Genesis through Revelation (Romans 8:18-24). “Paradise Lost” and “Paradise Restored” are indeed major themes of the Bible.
Recognizing the reality of personal sin in the world, John does not teach “walking in the light” is an eradication of sin. Indeed, snapshots of the Christian’s life show that we fall into sin and are restored by God’s grace on numerous occasions.
Though 1 Corinthians 1:9 teaches our fellowship with God is a result of a divine calling by God and not dependent on human effort, John realizes that the Christian must live with a constant awareness of personal sin — not to assure restoration of fellowship by a “work or sacrament of confession”, but to cooperate with the Spirit of God in a daily walk to recognize sin, agree with God about it (by knowing His word), and realign behavior with His revealed will in His word.
The above paragraph may be distilled to this: “Christian, when you sin, wake up and come to your spiritual senses, and cooperate with the Spirit of God dwelling in you, and be restored to obedience to God”. We know God called us and saved us (1 Corinthians 1:9), but we must constantly battle sin in the flesh to abide in Him (1 John 2:6).
1 John 1:10—2:2 Jesus is our ever present Advocate with the Father
10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Christ Our Advocate
2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (1 John 1:10–2:2). (2016). Crossway Bibles.
John concludes by confronting another false teaching — “I have not sinned”. This view could be a denial of biblical sin or a claim to sinless perfection. In either case, it is a contradiction of Paul’s teaching in Romans 3:23 and a false doctrine.
Due to email size limit, this section is covered in the next posting, but I challenge the reader to research the words “advocate” (Gk. parakletos) and “propitiation” (Gk. hilasmos).
Appendix
NOTES
Underlined Scripture passages are links to full text at bible.com (YouVersion, ESV).
DEFINITIONS
BDAG - A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed.
ca. or circa, “about”
Gk. or “Greek”
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