Fellowshipping With The Father And The Son - Part 1

"Which we have seen with our eyes"

In 2 Pet 1:16, Peter declares, "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

Every so often you might come across a sign tacked to a utility pole that says something like: "If you witnessed the accident that occurred at this intersection on July 21st around 9AM please call Bob.”

John didn't have to post a sign looking for someone who witnessed the life and works of Jesus. He was there. He heard and He saw!

"Which we have looked upon."

The word looked is theaomai, theh-ah'-om-ahee; and means, "to look closely at." We get our English word theatre, meaning "to gaze intently upon." Obviously this means a little more than to just “see.”

The theatre is a place where you sit and look, not just with a passing glance but with a gaze--a steady gaze for a couple of hours.

John writes, “that which we have looked upon…”

When I first laid eyes on my wife Debbie, I did a lot more than just "see."

*I gazed intently upon her.

*I saw the way she walked

*I was captivated with the way she dressed; the way she carried herself and her mannerism.

*I listened to the way she talked and sang.

*I admired the way she attended to Precious who is disabled

*I took notice of the way she sacrificed to care for both Mike and Precious a family she had from the age of 13 years of age.

*I was intrigued with how faithful she was to her employer at the time and how at 20 years of age she had her own apartment and kept it so neat and clean.

As Jesus was embarking on His earthly ministry, He said these words, "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."

John writes, "We have looked upon Him." For three years John and his fellow disciples gazed upon Jesus.

They watched as He preached the Gospel to the poor.

They gazed as He healed the brokenhearted.

They looked intently as He proclaimed liberty to the captives, recovered the sight for the blind and set free those who were oppressed.

They saw and heard as Jesus tenderly taught them the words and ways of His Father. The Apostle John could have easily written the words to the song, In The Garden, with confidence:

I come to the garden alone

While the dew is still on the roses.

And the voice I hear falling on my ear

The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me and He talks with me

And He tells me I am His own

And the joy we share as we tarry there

None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of his voice

Is so sweet the birds hush their singing

And the melody that He gave to me

Within my heart is ringing.

And He walks with me, and He talks with me

And He tells me I am His own

And the joy we share as we tarry there