Yesterday afternoon and this morning I reflected on 1 John 1:1-4
What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
The repetition is staggering: we have heard, we have seen, we have observed, we have touched, we have seen, was revealed to us, we have seen, we have heard…
The early Christians were very careful to clarify that Jesus was a physical, embodied human being. And yet he was also the word of life, the eternal life who was with the Father. It would be normal to default to one or the other - Jesus was either a great human being or a spiritual being that transcended humans. Instead, the early Christians emphatically declared Jesus was both.
It’s stunning…
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Praise be to God.