We Touched Him
Posted by: forthright <forthright@...>
http://www.forthright.net
Going straight to the Cross
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The touchy, feely craze goes back a lot further
than you think.
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COLUMN: Final Phase
We Touched Him
by J. Randal Matheny
"What was from the beginning, what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes, what we have
looked at and touched with our hands, concerning
the Word of Life-- ... we proclaim to you also" (1
John 1:1, 3a, NASU).
We touched him, John writes.
Most writers want to talk about how Jesus has
touched them. John writes to say "WE touched HIM."
Literally. With our hands. The living, breathing,
walking, resurrected Son of God, Son of Man.
It's a doctrinal statement. Some were saying
Christ had not come in the flesh (1 John 4:1-2).
John makes it clear the Lord was no ghost,
phantom, or figment of imagination. The gospel is
based on facts. Hard facts. Divine-human facts.
John refuses to let anyone retell or re-interpret
the story and twist the facts.
The facts mean salvation, grace, strength; they
were divinely interpreted and explained, with
truths, commands, principles, examples.
Those same facts still stand today to explain the
meaning of the coming of the Son of God.
The faith is always a truth matter.
It's a personal statement. John must have marveled
to think that he had actually touched the Son of
God, when in the OT the Jews believed that one
would die if God appeared. Uzzah died when he
touched the ark, just the ark, mind you. John is
amazed that they had "touched [the Lord] with our
hands."
We today are not eyewitnesses as was John and the
other apostles. But is it not as marvelous that
Jesus accompanies us to every part when we do and
preach his word? Is it not just as amazing that
his Spirit abides within us?
The faith is always a heart matter.
It's a resurrection statement. To startled and
frightened disciples, Jesus appears and tells
them, "See My hands and My feet, that it is I
Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not
have flesh and bones as you see that I have" (Luke
24:39).
"Touch me." The same word as 1 John 4:2, "we
touched him."
This flesh-and-blood Savior promised to return to
claim his own and carry them to eternal abodes.
The faith is always a hope matter.
Truth. Heart. Hope. John binds them all together
in one wonderful statement. He touched the Christ,
and as a result was left with indelible prints on
his soul.
Have you touched the Christ lately?
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