Thursday, December 1, 2011
John 1:14b ... we beheld His glory ...
THE WITNESS
Essential not only to the message but also to the very structure of John's gospel are the witnesses, those who saw this glory -- this love in action -- and have given their testimony in order that we might know the truth. John 20:31: "but these are written that you may believe."
We might easily compare John's gospel to a lawyer's case. John begins by stating exactly what he will prove. Then he brings out the witnesses one after another, first John the Baptist, then the first disciples, then the first miracle ... all the way through to Thomas' declaration of truth, "My Lord and my God."
"We beheld" says John. This isn't some Buddhist spiritual enlightenment. This isn't some euphoric moment. John isn't speaking as some modern Christians do when they say "I felt God" or "God spoke to me" and all they really mean is that they felt like what they think they ought to feel like if God were really present. John saw it. He saw it sleeping and eating. He saw it speaking and listening. He saw it living and dying. He saw this wonder every day, whether he was filled with euphoria or down in the dumps.
When John says "we beheld," he is speaking of himself and the others who saw the Glory of God walking on this earth. Yet John does include us by telling us what he saw. The entirety of his gospel is an invitation to look with him.
John saw and gives witness. He gives witness so that we also might know what happened. He tells us what he saw so that we might see it with him. God become man, suffering, dying and rising again for our sins. And seeing we might believe and believing we might be saved.
