1 John 1:1-7
Now more than ever before, people are questioning the authenticity of Jesus Christ. As the days grow darker, many see themselves being swept away by the troubles of this world. Unfortunately, instead of running to Christ, they seek after answers that are pleasant to the ears and sought after confirmation bias tactics to make sense of what they see happening. However, God’s word is applicable each and every day of our lives and in any scenario. 1st John is a perfect example of such application with the Apostle John writing to today’s believers regarding the authenticity of Jesus Christ and how we can have assurance of Jesus Christ’s personhood, Godhood, and perfection. As we will see, if Jesus was not man than there was no sacrifice; if He is not the Son of God, then He is a lie; if He had sin, His sacrifice was meaningless. For Jesus to be all He claimed to be, He had to have all of what He claimed to be. The Apostle John wants the readers to understand such intricacies and so much more. I would like to encourage you to stay with us as we adventure into 1 John and see the wonders of God and how our relationship with Him is contingent on Christ alone. If you haven’t read the introduction to this series, after reading this go read last week’s post. Let us begin!
1st John starts much like how the Gospel of John ends, with a declaration of Jesus Christ’s account being true. “this is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written.” John 21:24-25. John begins 1st John in like manner, wanting the reader to know that the Son of God is Jesus Christ. “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 2 and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us 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. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete” 1st John 1:1-4.
While the Gospel of John was for the purposes of salvation, “but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” John 20:31, 1st John was written so that the believer would know they were saved, “These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete” 1st John 1:4, and 1st John 5:13, “these things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
The Apostle John is wanting the reader to understand that all of his work can be boiled down to this simple truth, man needs a relationship with Jesus Christ. Simply put, John wants you and I to know Jesus and have certainty in Jesus Christ’s salvation in our lives. John wants the reader to have fellowship with God, “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.” 1st John 1:3 Here we see a true reasoning of why believers should be eager to share the gospel with their family, it is so that they too can have fellowship with God as we do and that our fellowship with each other can become that much richer.
As powerful as John’s statement is, he quickly pivots to a new topic; one regarding Christology (the study of Jesus Christ). Here John makes a powerful statement, “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin“ 1st John 1:5-7. Dr. Ed Hindson helps identify the significance of the two verses, “John has made it clear that the purpose of his writing is that the believers might have true fellowship; he now proceeds to make some subtle philosophical implications about fellowship with God which will apply to the present circumstances of the believers. ‘God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.’ Here are the two great symbols suggesting moral purity and evil; John says literally that there is not even one bit of darkness in God.”[1] For those who would declare God to not be perfect, nor to identify His perfect judgement, they are denying His deity.
Simply put, John is starting off wanting the reader to be firm in their salvation in Jesus Christ. The carpenter from Nazareth was in fact God’s Son and without Him we are destined for failure. Next week we will continue into the aspects of fellowship and see just how far God had to go to bring you back into love. To get to heaven, you need Jesus Christ, and the apostle John is laying this foundation in a basic understanding.
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming,
JL
[1] Liberty University Commentary on the New Testament pg. 718.