1 John 1:1: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
Imagine watching a documentary and hearing the story told not by a narrator, but by someone who was actually there—who felt the fear, the excitement, the heartbreak firsthand. That’s what makes Ken Burns’ documentaries so compelling. He uses letters, journals, and personal memories to make history real.
The writers of the New Testament did the same thing. They didn’t just write stories about Jesus—they shared what they personally saw, heard, and even touched.
John explains this clearly in 1 John 1:1: “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…”
He even stacks the verbs here to make a point: this isn’t secondhand gossip—it’s eyewitness testimony. John walked with Jesus, witnessed His miracles, and even touched the risen Christ.
Eyewitness accounts like his are invaluable. They provide reliability, so we aren’t left guessing if these events actually happened. They also humanize the story, helping us imagine what it was like to be there in those life-changing moments.
Eyewitness testimony is essential in history. Without it, stories can be exaggerated, forgotten, or distorted. The New Testament preserves these firsthand experiences, giving us confidence that Christianity isn’t built on rumor or legend—it’s built on real events, observed and recorded by people who lived them.
In short, John’s words remind us: the gospel is grounded in truth. We can trust it, not just because it inspires, but because it was seen, heard, and handled by those who were there.
