That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched– this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. (NIV) 1 John 1:1
John and the others had personally heard, seen and touched Christ. . .verified His humanity with their own hands. They had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, the Word of life. What did John see and hear and experience?
He was there when Jesus. . .
- Called the first disciples – Andrew, Peter, Nathaniel
- Turned water into wine
- Cleansed the temple
- Was interviewed by Nicodemus
- Told the woman at the well: “…a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”
- Healed the paralytic
- Defended His Sonship – “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
- Fed the five thousand
- Walked on the water
- Was rejected by the religious leaders
- Spoke to the woman caught in adultery
- Taught in the temple area
- Answered – “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
- Healed the blind man
- Said: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me– just as the Father knows me and I know the Father– and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
- Raised Lazarus from the dead
- Feet were anointed by Mary
- Triumphantly entered into Jerusalem
- Washed the disciples’ feet
- Served the Last Supper
- Predicted His betrayal
- Gave the new commandment
- Was questioned by Peter (13:36-14:4)
- Gave the promise of the Spirit
- Said: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends…You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
- Prayed His final prayer
- Was arrested in Gethsemane
- Appeared before Annas
- Was denied by Peter
- Was on trial before Pilate
- Asked John to take care of His mother, Mary after His death
- Was crucified
- Was buried
- Appeared to the disciples
- Had resurrected from the dead
John experienced Jesus Christ. . .have you?
