He is Eternal Life

Scripture: 1 John 5:9-13

1 John 5:9–13 NIV

9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

5/12/2024

Order of Service:

Announcements

Opening Worship

Prayer Requests

Prayer Song

Pastoral Prayer

Kid’s Time

Special Music

Offering (Doxology and Offering Prayer)

Scripture Reading

Sermon

Closing Song

Benediction

Special Notes:

Week 3: Special Music

Trinity Singing

Opening Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of life. We are here to celebrate Your faithfulness is nurturing that gift in us today, helping us to grow to become more like You each day. Thank You for every person You have worked through to point us to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

He is Eternal Life

Repeating Ourselves

Parents repeat themselves. Just ask any teenager. They will tell you their parents often get stuck like a broken record. They can usually tell you what phrase they keep getting stuck on. Moms and Dads frequently follow those repeated phrases with the words, “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

It is accurate because it is true. If we live with someone long enough, whether it is children, grandchildren, spouses, or even siblings, we develop these kinds of scripts that we replay repeatedly in our conversations each day. After a few short years, we know how our family members and close friends will respond, even before they do, so we load up our typical response to their response and have it ready to go as soon as possible. While that makes it easy to retell the same stories and pass them down through the generations, it also can keep us stuck in the same snags, leaving everyone frustrated. But it is what we know.

Like a family of parrots, we repeat what we know. Have you heard me repeat myself over the past six weeks as I point out how John repeats himself in these scripture passages? I pray God has opened your ears and eyes to recognize the ways John’s letter repeats the same things, sometimes in different words, that Jesus taught in John’s gospel. I pray that you begin to repeat some of those same teachings about loving God, Jesus, and each other because you have to do all three to do any of them. I pray that you repeat them until you can desire in your heart, decide with your mind, and take action with your life to stop looking for love and life anywhere but Jesus. Jesus is the source of all life and calls us to live in Him.

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Testimony

According to the Law of Moses, in Deuteronomy 19:15, at least two witnesses are required to establish truth.

Deuteronomy 19:15 NIV

15 One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

In a world without video footage and cameras, the most trustworthy information source was the individual testimonies of direct witnesses. Today, that remains a valid rule of discerning truth as we learn news through social media, news media, or even the gossip chain. It still holds that hearing news from one person is not enough. We often need to hear from at least two witnesses to determine what happened.

1 John 5:7-8 says:

1 John 5:7–8 NIV

7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

Two Witnesses are required to establish the truth. John says there are Three Witnesses that claim that Jesus is the way, the life, and the truth (John 14:6). They are the water (His birth), the blood (His death), and the Holy Spirit. Why are these considered witnesses? Because they are from God. At least two human witnesses are required to establish the truth, but three witnesses are better, and three witnesses from God are even more trustworthy. So John is repeating what He has witnessed from the water, the blood, and the Holy Spirit.

How would John know about these witnesses, the water, blood, and spirit? John was there at the crucifixion, so he knew about Jesus’s death and resurrection. He also received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and received God’s wisdom and power from it. John had a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.

How would John know about the water - the birth of Jesus? Mary, the mother of Jesus, became his mother, as the last request of Jesus from the cross. If she had not told John about the miracle birth of Jesus before then, she would have told him in the days that he cared for her afterward.

So John faithfully carried the testimony to us from God about Who Jesus is.

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Life

What is the great testimony that God gives us by the water, the blood, and the Holy Spirit? Verses 11 and 12 say:

1 John 5:11–12 NIV

11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Why is this important? Because there are so many different paths that claim to lead to life. Jesus claims that wide is the road that leads to destruction, but straight and narrow is the path that leads to life. Indeed, it is so narrow that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a wealthy person (or worldly person) to get into the kingdom of Heaven and experience eternal life. We know that the eye of the needle was a poetic expression, but it was also a famous gate in Jerusalem that the guards opened at night to allow visitors to enter after dark. However, it was so tight between the walls that a camel could not enter it unless it stooped low to the ground and had all its baggage removed. If you want to experience the true life that God created you for, you must find a way to squeeze all of who you are into Who Jesus is. That is why it is crucial to know Who Jesus is - so we can find out who we are, living in Him.

What does it mean to find life and to live in Jesus? Being a member of a kingdom is an extension of being a member of a family. Those living under a parent’s roof are cared for and protected, just like those living under a king are cared for and protected by the king. Living under someone’s roof or within their kingdom is a privilege. When we do, we follow their rules. That is how it is in God’s Kingdom as well. When we live in Christ, we obey His commands, just as He taught us.

But living in Christ is more than that as well. We know how much we rely on the sun in the sky. A month ago, it took a break for about 4 minutes, and the whole world stood up and paid attention. We know that we rely on the sun’s light and heat, in just the right amounts, to survive each day. Without it, life would cease to exist very quickly. But John tells us in Revelation that the New Heaven Jesus will bring us into does not need a sun for light or life. Revelation 21:23 says:

Revelation 21:23 NIV

23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

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Eternal Life

Even more than the sun in the sky, Jesus is the source of all life and calls us to live in Him. So how do we do that? We make Jesus the foundation of our life rather than anything or anyone else.

There are many reasons to build our lives in Jesus and find our life in Him. In modern times, psychology has discovered that we have a limited capacity to love others. Some of us love to be around people—the more, the merrier. Others prefer loving one or two people well. People who care for small families well do not always function as well in bigger families because they run out of capacity, and sometimes, those in big families cannot address all the specific needs of each family member. Caring for others is a privilege and a responsibility, and none of us do it perfectly.

It is even more challenging as our situations change and those we once cared for have to take on the privilege and responsibility of caring for us. The roles reverse, sometimes without warning. When the pillars you have leaned on your entire life suddenly begin leaning back on you, you have a problem, and most of the time, you cannot hold them back. Things fall apart. Families can fall apart. Kingdoms rise and fall all the time.

John didn’t know psychology, but He knew the truth about Who Jesus was. He understood and experienced life in Jesus, which we cannot find anywhere else. Jesus is stronger than our parents and grandparents. His love is always greater. Even death cannot separate Him from us, and He proved that by rising from the dead. Only Jesus is strong enough, good enough, wise enough, loving enough, kind enough, gentle enough, and capable enough, and only Jesus is willing to take on that role as the Lord and Savior of everyone. We don’t have to worry about Jesus having a bad day because our worst day was His worst day, and that was the day He chose to die for us. Because He is light, truth, and love, Jesus is the only way to find eternal life. Everyone else, on their best day, is just a shadow of Who He is.

John wrote this entire letter to help us know that the most important thing He can pass on is the knowledge of Who Jesus is so that we might find life in Him. That is the most important thing we can share with others as well. Sometimes, we share that in our words. Other times, we share it in our actions but always in how we live. “Do what I say, not as I do” never works when sharing the testimony of God’s gift of eternal life. Our family, friends, and everyone around us will see Jesus in us because we have planted ourselves firmly in Him, or they will not see Him at all and will be lost. We show them that Jesus is their only hope when we show them that He is our only hope.

Just as in the times of Moses and Joshua, God gives us the choice to choose life or death. There is life in the path with Jesus. Everywhere else ends in death. Will you give your life to Jesus and find eternal life in Him? Brothers and sisters, what path will you choose, and who will you bring with you?

Closing Prayer

Jesus, we thank You for choosing us before we were born and loving us when we sinned against you. You are our perfect image of love, and we pray your love will echo across our world, across time, through us. We come to You for everything because You are the source of life for us, not just today but for all eternity. We need You more than anything else, even when we don’t realize it. Lord, open our eyes to see You. Open our ears to hear Your voice calling our names. Open our hearts to trust You wherever You lead us. Help us to be the people of Your Kingdom, adopted children of Your Heavenly Father, and brothers and sisters together as we find new life — true life, in You. In Your Holy Name. Amen.

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