Jesus the Son of God

“And we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” (1John 4:14)

John writes this letter to encourage the believers. In our Scripture of study, he testifies that they have seen that the Father sent Jesus. He is talking about those who walked and talked with Jesus in the three years of His ministry. Besides that, they were privileged to see and talk with Jesus after His resurrection. (John 20:2-9, 19-31; 21:1-25) They are true witnesses to the divinity of Jesus, as the Savior of the world. They saw His transfiguration where the light and glory of God was manifested, and He spoke with Moses and Elijah. (Matthew 17:2,3; Mark 9:3,4; Luke 9:29-31)

These witnesses had lost hope when Jesus was crucified. When they went to the tomb and Jesus wasn’t there, they still doubted and returned to their former lives. “For as yet they did not know the Scripture that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to themselves.” (John 20:9-10) Two of His disciples left Jerusalem and were going back home to Emmaus. But Jesus met them on that road and after He revealed Himself to them, they returned to Jerusalem. I was tempted to include the whole account, but it’s too long and takes up most of my word limit. It’s a must read over if you’ve read it before. (Luke 24:13-33) The fishermen returned to their fishing. (John 21:3)

After the resurrection when Jesus appeared to them, He told them to wait for the promise. “And having met with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father which you heard from Me. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4-5) The promise was the coming of the Holy Spirit. They were waiting in the upper room when the Holy Spirit came. They were filled with His power and were transformed dynamically and preached to those who were there for the feast, saving three thousand men. (Acts 2:1-41) They were no longer the distraught disciples, but bold and courageous preachers speaking in languages unknown to them by the Holy Spirit to these people who were from other nations. They didn’t have Jesus to explain the Gospel to them. They knew it by the Holy Spirit. All the things Jesus had said to them now made sense. “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you.” (John 14:26) They connected the dots and had understanding of the spiritual things Jesus had talked about.

They knew without a doubt and preached without fear, that Jesus was the Son of God, sent by the Father, the Savior who had taken away the sin of the world. They preached that Jesus was the awaited Messiah prophesied from ancient of days. They write letters to the believers who are scattered because of persecution. After Saul is converted and is known as Paul, he also becomes a witness of Jesus Who spoke to him and Who appeared to him. (Acts 9: 3-7) “And last of all He was seen by me also, as one born out of time. For I am the least of the apostles and am not sufficient to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace which was toward me has not been without fruit, but I labored more abundantly than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” (1Corinthians 15:8-10)

Finally, the purpose for John’s witness of talking with and seeing Jesus was to encourage them to continue in the faith. They were being bombarded with false teachers who denied the deity of Jesus. “I have written these things to you who believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have everlasting life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1John 5:13) In today’s world there are also many false teachers denying Jesus and the way to the Father. People are confused. We must proclaim that we are witnesses of the deity of Jesus. He has done a miracle in our lives, changed our hearts and given us new life. Broadcast it to anyone who will hear.