The Word of Life

The Word Gives Grace.

John begins this letter, which is likely a recorded sermon meant to be circulated for the benefit of many churches, making a series of legal claims. He’s like a witness taking the stand — the verbs John uses here, heard...seen...looked upon...touched, all serve as legal terms that provide jurisprudence for John's testimony. Make no mistake, this is not conversational speak. John is essentially swearing a deposition using language of the court. All of this actually happened, which is good news, meaning it is absolutely true. Believers are not on their own, they can trust in the true grace that God provides!

Now, we read this part, that which was from the beginning, and it’s hard not to think of the beginning of John’s gospel. He may be doing that, but there’s a good chance that he’s combating a false teaching during the day that claimed Jesus was not fully human, not truly human, not actually a man. Isn’t it interesting that in the history of the world, we’ve made such swing, from debating whether or not Jesus was actually human (I mean, think of the things He did, so no wonder) to doubting whether or not He was real and walked the earth, and certainly not divine. It’s a reminder that from the first and until the last when He returns, the theology of Christianity will be scrutinized and come under attack. John says, “No, guys, I was there from the beginning. It’s legit. It’s true. Every bit of it. I walked with Him and we sat around the fire at night.” May we be just as resolute in our commitment to Christ and to His word!

Further, think about the fact that for John, the incarnation was no passing matter. He’s writing to or preaching to the church, and it’s a message to be sent around to other churches, so it’s not so much evangelistic in tone but instructive, and still he emphasizes the incarnation. There is something to this “God with us” business. John actually picks up on this incarnation theme more in verse two. He says that this word of life was with the Father, and he’s letting us know that there is an eternal relationship established there. The idea is more than just occupying the same space, living under the same roof, per se. It’s the idea of a “face-to-face” relationship. There is an intimacy that’s involved. Finally, verse 2 says that He was made manifest, that is, became publicly known. Again, it’s notes of the incarnation present in John’s writing. It’s as if God-in-flesh is foundational for John’s theology.

Jesus is the word, a term used in a variety of philosophical ways by Jews and Gentiles alike. In Jesus, He is the logos who created all things and then became flesh and dwelt among His creation. Further, as the logos, He revealed the mind of God to humanity and was the visible expression of the invisible God. Further, Jesus was not just a word, but the word of life. Spiritually, man is dead because of sin, but Jesus gives spiritual, eternal, and abundant life to all who come to Him. John says eternal life...was with the Father, a startling statement that attributes eternal life to Jesus, not that He gives it or has it, but that He literally is eternal life. Therefore, uniting with Him in faith is eternal life and there is nothing that man can add. Salvation, then, is by grace alone. Truly believing and accepting the message of Christ means necessarily being humbled out of pride yet affirmed and loved out of insecurity and finding grace and forgiveness for every fail.

Imagine being stuck in a deep canyon. There’s rushing water below, and at any moment you’re in danger of being swept away in the rush. And, the walls of the canyon are steep, and there’s nothing but jagged, razor sharp rocks on the way out. And, not only that, you’re blind, incapable of seeing which way is which. And, you don’t even know that you’re in such a dangerous place anyway. Suppose someone came along and called out, “Hey down there. You should get out of that dangerous canyon.” What effect would that have? But consider someone who was willing to descend into the canyon, to take you by the hand, and personally lead you to safety, not because of your goodness - you were happy to live and die in the dangerous ravine - but because of their goodness.

That’s grace. God the Son Himself got down into the mess of our brokenness in order to redeem us, to personally save us, not for good that we have done, as “Nothing but the Blood” reminds us, but by His grace, because He is good. Because we won’t find eternal life in anyone else.

The Word Gives Fellowship.

The gospel is more than just a message of how to be forgiven of sin. John writes that believers may have fellowship with one another. Deeper still, though, is the fact that this fellowship is also with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

Fellowship is the idea of mutual sharing, similar to the idea of sharing "communion" with someone today (not the Lord's Supper). It is deep and intimate bonding on multiple levels. This is the type of personal relationship believers can share with God. This idea is foreign to religions in the world. Eastern religions see god as some impersonal force, and while their practitioners can merge with this force, it is not personal and therefore there is no communication with it. Other faiths in the world do conceive of a god that is personal, yet that god is too removed from humanity to have any real and intimate personal experience. The incarnation truly sets Christianity apart. While some faiths in the history of the world have gods that change shape and interact with man, Jesus is unique being the only God in the flesh, fully-God-and-fully-man God.

Of course we just finished the Christmas season, so think of the words of Wesley's famous Christmas hymn: "veiled in flesh, the Godhead see." Moses asked to see God's glory, and God's response is that it would kill him. Yet in Christ, the world has "seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father." It's not unlike scientists who view study the sun through a filter so that they do not damage their eyes. Christ's flesh allows sinful man to look upon the infinite glory of God. In this way, man is invited not to know certain factual truths about God, but to actually and personally and intimately known God.

This nearness with God expresses itself in relationship with one another. This is the idea of koinonia. Several years back we did a deep dive into koinonia, the idea of NT fellowship. We explored how necessary this sharing-life-together concept is in the NT.

One of the foundational pillars of the early church (Acts 2:42).

Gospel ministry itself is a partnership (koinonia).

Hebrews encourages us to not forsake the assembly so that there can be mutual encouragement - koinonia.

I remember my junior year of high school, our assistant coach told us the story of Lloyd Bernard Free (World B. Free).

The Word brings us in to fellowship, a life where it is no longer about us, but also about our brothers and sisters in Christ, and primarily about Christ, our unity with God, and bringing Him glory. How do believers describe their relation to God? Is it in terms of rich and deep and complex communion? God is not content with being a concept or a distant deity. He intends to be near us, to be with us. Do we draw close to God? Do we seek God while He may be found?

Then, do we seek to live in life-sustaining fellowship with others? Are you content to attend service on a Sunday morning, but then retreat to a life devoid of life-giving fellowship? If that’s you, do me a favor. Plug in to a life group and get involved in a Sunday school class, more than just attend a few weeks, but plug in. Give it a good six months or so, and see if it doesn’t change you.

The Word Gives Joy.

John writes in order to establish joy. There is a textual variant here, and it is difficult to determine whether John writes that our joy may be complete or your joy may be complete. (The ESV opts for our joy, and such a rendering could include both parties.)

When the NT speaks of joy, it certainly includes happiness, but not in a shallow, surface-level way. Rather, joy in the NT is akin to a ballast that would keep a ship upright and stable in turbulent waters. It is like an underground river that keeps an area cool and its soil rich. The joy we know in Christ, which includes the love and care of God, is a fountain of joy that continues to invigorate the believer no matter life's circumstances.

Proclamation produced believers which in turn creates fellowship. Fellowship furthers joy, a joy that is made complete through persevering faithfulness. The spiritual well-being of John's readers was linked to John's own experience of joy. As long as others struggled with doubt concerning Jesus, John could not experience complete joy. A reaffirmation of their faith and subsequent joy would settle John's joy as well.

What joy springs forth from the message of the gospel?! A salvation that is desperately needed, that can never be earned, is freely given in the person of Jesus. Now, the most wretched of sinners (and make no mistake, we are ALL the most wretched of sinners) can have the certainty of eternity and a deep and abiding relationship with God. Maybe we forget the depths of the pit from which we were drawn up and redeemed. Maybe the joy that should be ours is missing because salvation by grace alone has become ordinary to us. Maybe joy is absent because the hope of eternity is not treasured. Maybe joy is gone because we simply become grace amnesiacs. But, how easy is it to return to the well of the cross and be reminded once again of what is ours in Christ?!

You think about stories that involve harsh suffering for Christ and wonder what enables a person to hold up under such weight. I remember first hearing Matt Papa tell this story in the video for his song “The Reward of His Suffering.” Early 1700’s, John Leonard Dober and David Nitschman heard about an island in the West Indies where there’d never been any gospel witness. On this island, there was an atheist slave owner who owned about 3,000 slaves who would live and die without never having the opportunity to hear the gospel. Stirred in their hearts, they sold themselves into slavery, under the authority of a harsh atheist, just so that they could preach the gospel to those who would not have heard it. The gospel spurred them along, and as they departed, bound in chains, they shout, “May the Lamb receive the reward of His suffering.” What carries you along when you know you may face the worst life has to offer? It is the joy of the gospel, the fellowship of other believers and God Himself, and the assurance that grace has secured something that this life can never take.

Have you been saved by grace?

Are you living in fellowship with God and other believers?

What thing owns your joy this morning?