Read 1 John 1:1-4 in your personal Bible or at the link provided.
Review
1. How many descriptions or names of God do you see in these verses? What are they?
2. Which of the five senses did John use to describe his interactions with Jesus?
3. What were the results of these interactions in John’s life?
Reflect
1 John was written when Christianity was in its second generation of followers, many of whom never saw Jesus for themselves. The church had started to see a dip in commitment and a rise in compromise, so John opened his letter by stating the undeniable proof he had experienced, having walked and talked with Jesus Himself. John was saying he didn’t believe in Christ solely because of logic. He believed because he saw Jesus walk out of a grave.
This undeniable proof is life-changing for us today. Just like the second-generation Christians, we haven’t personally seen Jesus in the flesh. This often leads us to come to God with predetermined opinions, perspectives, and biases. But when we encounter the evidence for Jesus, it challenges all of our assumptions.
We have evidence through eyewitnesses like John, but we can also see evidence of Jesus all around us – in nature, in our interactions with other believers, and in the thousands of little ways He speaks in the everyday. Faith is when the unexplainable meets the undeniable. Bring your doubts to Jesus, and let Him show you how real He is.
Respond
• Have you noticed a dip in commitment or a rise in compromise in your own faith?
• When it comes to the undeniable proof of Jesus, are you struggling with doubts?
• Is there someone you could talk with or something you can do to begin seeing the everyday evidence of Jesus in your life?
Pray through these questions, and write down what God is prompting you to do next. Share with a friend, and take a step to apply it.