Close Enough to Touch
May 20, 2026
“ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.”
1 John 1:1 (NIV)
Picture yourself on a Galilean hillside, with your phone in hand, recording the preacher in front of you.
You could have photographed Him, videoed Him, and taken a selfie after the sermon. Jesus had a real voice you could hear, and a real body you could touch. He lived in this world, at a real time, in a real place, and one of the men who knew Him best understood that one day you would need proof.
So John opens his letter, not with a greeting, but with a courtroom. He writes like a witness under oath. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched” (1 John 1:1a, NIV). That word "looked at" is the Greek root of our word "theater." In the ancient world, the theatre wasn’t a place you checked your phone or half-listened. You would lean in and watch every single thing happening in front of you. That is exactly how John watched Jesus.
John heard Jesus, saw Jesus, and touched Jesus with his own hands. That multi-sensory testimony cannot be manufactured, and there is no stronger evidence in any courtroom than an eyewitness who was that close.
When you doubt, open 1 John this week and read it as sworn testimony from John. It’s not only inspiration. You are looking at evidence.
When someone challenges whether Jesus is real, you don't have to argue your way through it. You have something better than an argument. You have a witness.
Open 1 John and let the man who was close enough to touch Him remind you of exactly what he saw. Your faith is not a concept you defend. He is a Person you talk to, and He is already in the room.
Prayer: Lord, thank You that my faith is not built on a feeling or a guess, but it rests on the testimony of those who heard You, saw You, and touched You with their own hands. When doubt comes in, remind me of the truth of Your Word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.