For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness , and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;

     The Son of Man didn’t come just to provide a good example for those who would imitate his lifestyle.  He didn’t merely live a good life before the eyes of the disciples.  His teachings weren’t aimed at improving the status quo, neither did He offer nuggets for self-help.  In His own words, He stated why He came: “that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.”  So the intention was stated, and the offer was made.  Life was available.  Most in the crowd then, and today, miss the grand proposal Jesus made.  To them, He was just saying nice words that were not to be taken literally; after all, they were already alive—how could they gain any more life?  But men like John heard an invitation that they could not afford to refuse.  Jesus wasn’t offering the quality of life that we are familiar with.  He wasn’t offering designer clothes, mansions, popularity, and ease; He was talking about a higher form of life, eternal life.  What does eternal life look like?  It looks like Jesus.  In his epistle, John calls Jesus “the life,” and “eternal life;” Jesus offers nothing less than the very life He lives.  Search the gospels and you’ll see what Eternal Life does when it encounters sickness and disease.  Observe the result of Life meeting those who are dead, demonized, and insane; eternal life is authority.  This kind of life had mercy on a woman caught in the act of adultery, yet spoke boldly against hypocrites.  Above all, it lived in perfect submission to the Father.  Jesus is the head of all humanity—His life, in every aspect, was and is superior to any other way of life the world promotes.  His life is our life.  John tells us, “As He is, so are we in this world.”  Because we have eternal life, or the life of Jesus, our lives ought to yield the same kind of fruit that was evident in His earthly ministry; authority, miracles, radical obedience, persecution, and utter dependence on God were hallmarks of His human existence.  There is no higher life than the life He lived.  Let us forsake low, menial living so that His life can manifest in us.