That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 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— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim 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. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 1 John 1-4.
I am never quite sure how messages preached on Sunday communicate. Most people are very kind and gracious. Fortunately, I receive much encouragement from many who are truth seekers and not worried about being entertained. But it transforms when the Lord speaks to my heart in a way that I hope He does to our Body on any given Sunday—this last week focused on the issue of Christ’s “authority” and how this should give us undeniable hope and confidence in our journey.
In the same way, John wrote about our confidence in the reality of “the eternal life”—Christ Himself. He uses several powerful terms. He talks about what they have “heard,” what they have “seen and beheld,” and what their hands have “handled” concerning the eternal life God has provided, namely His Son Jesus Christ.
The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. That is the message of Christmas. Eternal life is not religious dogma, philosophical construct, sociological self-help approach, or simply a psychological idea or the product of religion. The disciples saw, beheld, and touched Jesus as He walked amongst them. The invisible God took human form – which, by the way, is a staggering reality – and so we are not making this up! God stepped into the reality of our broken world uninvited and revealed Himself personally.
What could build more confidence in our lives than knowing that “Christianity” is not just another religion amongst a multitude of religious thoughts and constructs? We can live with the assurance that the life imparted to us by Christ is not just psychological, a veiled attempt to fix our own problems. His presence, suffering, death, and resurrection are not just a spiritual crutch to make us feel better about the brokenness and even evil that permeates our state of existence.
Wow! We know that on the full authority of the Triune God, our faith is placed in His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, who created all things and, in His own purpose and plan, has adopted us into His family so we might enjoy Him forever. No matter what this life throws at us, good or bad, we have a place to go home when it is all said and done. We have nothing to lose and every opportunity to live a God-honoring life. Every day ought to be a day of discovery and adventure to see what the Lord has for us. Only when I become too absorbed in my own outcomes do I start questioning His goodness and how He puts His fingerprints on my daily experiences.
May your thanksgiving, Sela, turn your thoughts of gratitude to the certainty of our faith in the coming of Christ. May you find much encouragement for your life, ministry, family, friends, and church community, and for every person who has not discovered the enduring hope of Jesus in their life.
May His love be the primary catalyst for continuing regardless of the temporal circumstances of our lives. Whether the holiday celebrations live up to your expectations or not, may you find that your confidence is grounded in the eternal life that our heavenly Father, in all His authority, has provided for us in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas
Pastor Brad Little
