“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete” (1 John1:1-4).

I go deeper with God, fully loving and trusting Him, when I think of the certainty of His deity. The sacrifice so I call Him friend and counselor is beyond my comprehension.

So, as I read this passage, my mind went to why was this testimony by John so important. God had set the structure for laws, first referenced in Deuteronomy 19:15, “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established”.

God provided proof of His deity not just John, but hundreds of first-hand witnesses. They saw with their own eyes. There was no photoshop to manipulate the truth. They spoke with Jesus, touched Him. This often leads to another question, was Jesus really dead?

“Pilate was surprised to hear that he should have already died. And summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he was already dead. And when he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the corpse to Joseph” (Mark15:44-45). Pilate was surprised because it typically took days to die on the cross. Our Savior had been scourged. Scourging involved whips or lashes made of leather thongs which were attached to a handle. These thongs contained metal fragments and pieces of bones literally tearing the flesh off Jesus. He had been forced through the streets while blood continued to leave his body. And just to make certain He was dead; they pierced his side with a sword going upward either into his lungs or heart. This of course is not an all-inclusive list of his torture.

Jesus was dead, buried for three days, then rose from the grave! He lives! Our Lord lives!

Prayer: Abba, “help my unbelief” Mark 9:24. Forgive the many times I take for granted what You did for me. Show me how to love You better; to be a great daughter of the Great King. In Jesus name, Amen