Manifested

 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us — 1 John 1.1-2

 

Shortly after my salvation, probably too shortly after my salvation, someone asked to me lead a Bible study. I am not sure why I chose 1 John. I am guessing that it was the book that God used to lead me to salvation.

 

Anyway, in my first preparation for my first Bible study, I fell in love with Bible study and I fell in love with teaching.

 

This very first preparation was eye opening. I read about how the disciples got to know Jesus as a man. I remember all those years ago thinking about what this meant. I could picture Jesus and the disciples sitting together by a fire eating and drinking and talking about their days and joking and enjoying each other’s presence. I picture them having fellowship with each other.

 

I think that was the first time that Jesus as a man became real to me. I knew it as a vague thought, but not till I read this verse for the first time did I see Him as a real man on my mind’s eye. It helped me to see the gospels in a whole new light. All God, yes, but also all man, who do what it was like to get tired and hungry and hurt and what it was like to get dirty and sweat and go through all the travails that we go through.

 

It was then, for the first time, I grasped the truth that He knew what It was like to be one of us. That opened a whole new sense of knowing Him. What a comfort that was and what a comfort it still is.