The Word Of Life that John identifies in his Gospel and epistles as Jesus Christ is eternal life manifested to us.
This life that was with the Father, did not stay with the Father, but came to dwell among us1. Jesus Christ, the 2nd Person of the Trinity, left heaven’s glory and came and dwelt among His creation. He added flesh to His Deity and became a man. While Jesus is eternal, He became a man at a point in time. He was not created. He is the Creator. The Creator entered His creation to bring and manifest eternal life for us all.
Word Study
Life – this word refers to life in the fullest sense which encapsulates both physical and spiritual life. This word refers to eternal life granted by God to believing sinners.
Manifested – The word manifest means to make clear to the eyes and senses. In the original language, it is a word meaning to make manifest, reveal, or show openly.
Bear Witness – to testify, to give witness or evidence, to give affirmation having seen, heard, or experienced some event.
Proclaim – to declare openly, to announce, to bring a report of something.
The eternal life found in Jesus Christ was clear and obvious to the apostles. Jesus revealed and showed who He was openly to them. There was no mistake in John’s mind that Jesus was the Word Of Life in human flesh. He states that WE have seen and bear witness to who Jesus is. He includes himself, his fellow disciples, and all those who saw and experienced who Jesus was and is.
They can bear witness because this was a real person and real events. Jesus was not made up. This was not a fictional story. It was a real account of the real man Jesus who was God in human flesh. Thus, He was eternal life in human flesh.
John caps off verse 2 of this opening chapter by stating that this Jesus they are giving eye-witness testimony of they are not proclaiming openly to us. Jesus Christ, the “Life” was with the Father but is now manifested to us. This is an obvious change of location. The Son of God left heaven’s throne and entered His creation. The life is manifested and seen in the Person of Jesus Christ.
- 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 LSB) ↩︎
God Centered Commentary – 1 John 1:3 – Genuine Biblical Fellowship