Let's start 1 John today - 1 John 1:1-4 says,...

Today our verses are 1 John 1:1-4 which read,

v.1 - 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--...

 

The disciple and apostle John is the author of this book.  He is saying that he was an eye witness of Jesus.  He heard and he saw and he touched Jesus.  Notice that John puts this part of the sentence in the plural.  It is not "I heard, saw, and touched" but "We heard, saw, and touched."  What he is going to share goes on more than just his testimony, it is also the testimony of others.

"What was from the beginning,..." is what they heard and saw and touched and that is the "Word of Life" which is another name or title for Jesus.  It is a title that connects Jesus with the Scripture and also with salvation.  It is a title to point to the gospel message that John and others were there when it began.

What must it have been like to "hear" Jesus and "see" Jesus and reach out and "touch" Jesus or to be touched by Him?  My interest is perked up to hear what comes next.

v.2 - ...and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us--...

 

Jesus was "manifested" meaning Jesus was made visible and known what was invisible and unknown.  John is saying that Jesus who was with the Father as the Messiah prophesied to come has come to us.  This is another passage that could be used during the Christmas season.  John stresses again that he and others saw Him and "testify" (bear witness, willing to die for) of Him and "proclaim" (as a messenger to bring report) of Jesus.

 

v.3 - ...what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

 

John, a third time states the seeing and hearing of Jesus for the purpose not just of themselves but to proclaim as a messenger to his hearers and readers of these words.  John is a good teacher of repetition.

 

John wants his readers to have "fellowship" with him and the others who have seen and heard and touched Jesus.  That "fellowship" is also with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ.  He wants his students to have what he has. 

"Fellowship" starts to build with the base word of "with."  It then builds to "common" so we have something we have in common.  It then builds to a "partner, comrade, companion, associate" which indicates that we have something in common that leads to a change in our relationship with each other to something more formal.  It then builds to an "association, community, communion."  As a group, a group of individuals who have formal ties with one another over something we have in common, we are tied together with God and Jesus.  Sounds like a church member to me.

v.4 - These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.

 

John's joy is complete when he has the opportunity to tell others about Jesus and see others accept Him as the eternal life and enter that fellowship with him and God and Jesus.  (Sorry about all the "ands" there.)  This is fulfilling the Great Commission and it is to happen until he returns.

We are on the brink to hear from someone who heard and saw and touched Jesus.  He is humble to say it wasn't just me but others did also.  This Jesus is not just to know but also to have fellowship with.  It is John's greatest joy, and continuous joy, to share what he has to say about Jesus that could change his readers from just knowing of Jesus to having fellowship with him (and all the witnesses of the past and present of Jesus) and with God and Jesus.  A change of status could happen here.

I think I am ready to hear what this man has to say.

Pastor Adam