1 John 4:14 ¹⁴And we ourselves have seen and witness that the Father sent the Son as Savior of the world.

The emphatic we ourselves refers to the eyewitnesses of Jesus’ life and ministry. The author considered himself one of those who saw and touched the “Word of life” (1:1-4). The exact identities of the author and the other witnesses are not stated in this letter, but this verse supports the traditional claim that the author was the Apostle John. Moreover, this statement adds significance to other claims John makes in this letter. It is the briefest but most powerful of any resume: that someone has experienced Jesus as Savior. Obviously, we cannot make this claim in a physical sense today but must rely on the faithful witness of the original followers of Jesus. We trust that they faithfully recorded the words of and about Jesus in their writings collected in the Bible.

What confirmation do we have that these words are true? People have tried to prove historically that Jesus was a real person. That he existed is not difficult to prove, but that he is the Son of God and Savior of the world cannot be proven scientifically. These claims are a matter of faith. Faith in Jesus as the Son opens the door to accepting him as the Savior. To deny the divinity of Jesus is to deny the salvation that he brought, no matter how logical or convincing our theology may be. The ancient creeds of the church expound this simple verse. This verse lies at the center of our confession as Christians. Although no one has seen God (see verse 12), which leads some to doubt the existence of God, those who believe in the divinity of Jesus can see the eternal God at work in Jesus.