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A Witness of the Life
(1Jn1:1-4)
God is living.
He lives on His own, and
He Himself testifies that He is living.
Faith is receiving His testimony and believing Him, and
The life of this faith is about testifying Him as a witness of life.
A witness has the duty to deliver and record
The event or fact that he saw, heard and touched for
There is value in a story that is validated for its
Realism, presence at the scene, and the common good.
A reporter has pride of knowing the event before others and joy in letting others know.
The top story of any news is the death of someone, especially that of a large scale,
While the top story of the Bible is the resurrection of Jesus, the resurrection to the spiritual body.
The Bible records the most shocking news of all the events in history as
It calls a great cloud of witnesses to testify (He12:1).
Because the ancestor of mankind, Adam, the spirit that has the flesh of dust, was
Deceived by the serpent and sinned (Ge3:4-6)
All men became destined to have their flesh return to dust after death while
Their spirit to eternal death (Ge2:17, 3:19).
While everything that had the breath of life in its nostrils died in the flood (Ge7:17-23),
Noah and his family survived it for they took God's warning and built an ark (He11:7).
The history of Israel is a special recording as they survived
The death of every firstborn, the sea, and the 40 years in the desert (Ex11:5-7, 14:21-22; Nu14:33).
The sanctuary was a special space which testified for generations that God is living:
The golden vase of manna inside the testimony ” the 40 years in the past (Ex16:31-34);
The budded staff of Aaron placed before the testimony ” God is living in the present (Nu17:7).
Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days (Jn2:19), and
Gave the Jews the cause to put Him to death (Mt26:61) but
It was for Him to reveal the true form of life, not a testimony of a living thing (or an organism),
Through His resurrected body (Jn2:21-22) for
He is the incarnated Word and in Him was life (Jn1:1, 4, 14).
As such, the sick was healed when she touched the corner of His cloak (Lk8:43-44),
The blind received sight when He touched his eyes (Jn9:1-8), and
The dead rose hearing His voice for He is the life (Jn11:25, 43-44).
As He died, Jesus said, "It is finished (Jn19:30), declaring that He:
1) Laid down His life and testified the living Father (Jn10:17-18);
2) Condemned the devil who caused man to forget the existence of God (1Jn3:8); and
3) With His blood gave life to all men (Jn6:53-54).
The resurrection of Jesus is the true form of life (Lk24:26-43),
The Holy Spirit is the first witness who raised Him from the dead (Rm8:11).
He testifies that Jesus is alive and is seated on the throne (Ac5:30-32), and that
His blood, that is, the life of the Son, is in men and thus I am alive (Rm8:16; 1Jn5:11).
The Christian is he who has the pouring of the Spirit and
A witness of the life (Ex28:41; Ac2:17; 1Jn1:1-4).
He knows the value of his existence for
He has learned of this shocking event.
Therefore, he risks his life and takes pride in
Recording and preaching it for
It is sharing the life.
O Lord,
This is historically the most shocking event in the entire universe!
The resurrection of Jesus, the resurrection of the body that transcends space!
The pride of knowing this event!
The confidence of preaching this fact and raising others to life!
Even if my life is threatened because of this I will not be afraid.
Even if I am persecuted because of this I will rejoice and rejoice.
Lord, I kneel before the name Yeshua.
Let a sprout of life come out from our hearts!
Amen.