A Message for My Children"

Sermon delivered by Pastor Finn Sunday, April 18, 2021 EASTER 3

Text: 1 John 1:1-2:2 "A Message for My Dear Children"

In the name of Jesus, dear Christian friends.

We’re in the First Letter of John this morning. The author of this letter is the same John who authored the Gospel of John, and then also the Book of Revelation. We remember him as the disciple whom Jesus loved, the one who enjoyed a special connection with Jesus, and together with Peter and James was privy to some inside moments with Jesus, like the Mount of Transfiguration and some of Jesus’ miracles. John was the only one of the Twelve who was there, on Good Friday at the foot of the cross. Before he dies, Jesus turns to John and says, “John take care of my mom.”If you’re on your death bed and you say that to a friend, “Watch over my mom,” that’s a pretty good friend.

By the time John’s writing this letter, he’s older and nearing the end of his life, and he’s writing to pass on some important things to his “dear children.” That’s how he sees the people he serves. “My dear children” (2:1) They came to faith in Jesus as a result of his words, words inspired by God, that first and foremost, made them children of God, and John wants it to stay that way. And so he writes with that in mind.

We are children of God, too. Some of us have children under our care. We have grandchildren or like John, spiritual children in our life—people who came to faith as a result of our witness and sharing of God’s Word. What things would you share with them before you go to help make sure they follow you into eternal life? Let’s think about that as we take a look at John’s words to his dear children.

The opening words of John’s letter are simply captivating. (v.1) “That which was from the beginning,” John says, “which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.”

John begins his letter by tracing everything back to Jesus, and the days and years he spent with Jesus as one of his disciples. As one of the Twelve he was an eyewitness of the Risen Christ—to all of it really—everything from beginning to end! With his own ears John heard God the Father speaking to him on the Mount of Transfiguration. For three years he heard Jesus teaching and givign sermons. His ears heard the shrieks of demons as Jesus cast them out of the people he was helping. With his eyes John saw Jesus raising people from the dead. He saw and heard Jesus calm a storm on the Sea of Galillee with a simple command. His hands held the bridle of the donkey Jesus rode on Palm Sunday. He held the bread and wine Jesus consecrated at the very first Lord’s Supper.

John was there when Jesus miraculously opened their minds that night in the Upper Room so they could finally understand things that first Easter. And now here John is toward the end of life remembering it all like it was yesterday. And what’s so important about this message about Jesus? What does he have to pass on to his dear children. “That which was from the beginning,” John says, “this we proclaim…to you…so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.”

That’s the goal John has in mind for his children. Fellowship with God. That’s the goal of everything John proclaims about Jesus—that they enjoy a lasting fellowship, a oneness, a sharing in a relationship with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit through the Word of Life. (v.4) “We write this to make our joy complete.”

The “we” here includes all those believe in Jesus, the Word of Life. (v.1) “This we proclaim about the Word of life…(v.2) “The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.”

By “us” John meant the disciples: Matthew, Mark, Phillip, Andrew, Peter, Nathaniel, Thomas, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and all the rest of those original followers who saw Jesus and heard heard the good news about God’s love from Jesus and worshiped him as God and Savior. John wants his children to know him. He stresses that we were eyewitness of the Rosen Christ so they’d know that everything he was telling them about Jesus was reliable—we were with him—we saw him, we listened to him, we walked with him and hugged him! And I want you to know him and continue to walk with him, too, because of who he is. The things he teaches us in his Word don’t just help us with life—he is our life! John calls Jesus the “Word of life” because it’s through him that we have eternal life with God.

And why is so that important? Because all people are born dying on a dying planet. Because all people at birth are born sinful; we’re born outside God’s family. We face a life of struggle and pain, punctuated by moments of happiness, but ending in certain death, and ultimately condemnation in hell.

John writes so that his children will hang onto the gift of eternal life that comes from Jesus, the Word of life. Words convey thoughts and messages from one mind to another. Jesus is the Word. He is God’s ultimate self-revelation, his ultimate communication of his love, God’s personal Word in addition to and in fulfillment of his many spoken words (PB). Notice how closely John connects these two things together—the Word (that is the message about Jesus)—and eternal life. (v.2) “The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.”

At the time John wrote this he was concerned that his children were losing their confidence in the message and were in danger of losing their joy and fellowship with God. He warns them about losing that by walking in the darkness of sin instead of the light of Jesus and his Word.

That’s what John wants the most for his readers—that they will listen to Jesus, the Word of Life, and walk in faith with him.

Our joy of salvation is found in the Person of Jesus Christ. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard about Jesus, the Word of Life, so that we all will continue to share in the oneness and joy of Jesus Christ!

And that same miracle of the Word Jesus performed that day, was the same miracle being performed by the Holy Spirit on a regular basis now at the end of John’s life.

“That which was from the beginning,” John says.

What book of the Bible does that sound like? Genesis. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And then John’s Gospel, too. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” And now here at the end of his life, John is still teaching the same things about Jesus. (v.5) “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”

There’s a lot out there these days that passes for “spirituality.”

No shortage of people who speak of the Bible as a myth

God is light. Gen 1:3 God’s first act was to create light. God knew nothing can exist in the darkness so he made light for us. He’s not just a light…struggling with depression, or sin, you’re in a dark place…Isaiah describes God as a source of everlasting light…in heaven John says there won’t be any sun, moon or stars…because Jesus gives it its light…eternal…just keeps going (some light out in the entryway…that situation won’t change all by itself…source of light isn’t in the light bulb…where is the source of that light—trace it back--until someone comes along and changes the bulb)…(his Word light for our path )...

How know if walking in darkness? See Gal.5:19-21 “Those who live like this…will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

never understand why people are the way they are and you’ll never understand why Jesus is so special…When God shows us the real problem, we’re also able to see the most thrilling solution God came up with (See 2:1) “I write this so that you will not sin, but...” Gotta love the reality there...

Here’s the one verse you want to look to if you want to know and understand the heart of our faith. You’ll never get Christianity if you don’t get how really sinful we are, and what it really took to get us out of that trouble. I’m a moral failure. Nothing more inclusive--

To deny the presence of sin in ourselves is to deceive ourselves.

What’s the OT about…lot of it is about death of a living thing as a testimony of how he will forgive…God can’t just forgive...

Luther’s Works, Volume 30 That God is Light.

: “We proclaim to you the light which we have heard; and if we do not proclaim it, you do not have it.”

Luther’s Works, Volume 30 9. If We Confess Our Sins, He is Faithful and Just, and Will Forgive Our Sins.

In order that you may be freed from the sin of Satan, just acknowledge and confess it before God, and give Him the glory, as David does when he says in Ps. 51:4: ‘I have done that which is evil in Thy sight, so that Thou art justified and blameless in Thy judgment’; that is ‘that Thy Word may be true, I confess that I am a sinner and that I have sinned against Thee only, since in Thy sight no one is clean. And enter not into judgment with me,’ ” Ps. 143:2. To our God belongs righteousness, but to us confusion, cf. Dan. 9:7.

Luther’s Works, Volume 30 And If Anyone Does Sin.

He intercedes for us and says: “Father, I have suffered for this person; I am looking after him.” This prayer cannot be in vain.

Once you meet Jesus he’s really likeable, cracks jokes, enjoys being with people and around people, the Jesus you get in some shows and movies is wooden, and almost gnostic in a sense; they separate out the humanity of Jesus. Seems to thread needle in an effective way. Knows all things and heals people, but also genuinely kind and interested in people. There’s a human touch to him too. Dallas Jenkins is son to Jerry B Jenkins, author of Left Behind series. Watch for the eschatalogical end of things. Exec Leadership team at Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, IL. Not Hollywood project; crowd funded. Highest grossing crowd-funded project ever. $13-14 million last year alone. Company involved with it 2015 also made The Star.” VidAngel (Mormon thing). Involved in distribution. Pay $62 in copyright. RCC priest, Messianic Jewish Rabbi, Evangelical Seminary Prof.

1.) Ecclesiastic art must respect Old & New Testament inspiration 2.) Pedagogical - you can learn from it 3.) Context - Art around font, make art relate to that. The Chosen is Ecclesiastic art in the sense of a devotional help for people—something to entice you into the Bible. Not strictly speaking Eccl art, so to speak, because of the way it depends on imagination to a great extent. Don’t show in sanctuary. Place for hearing of God’s Word.

Moments of theological clunkyness with Nicodemus. “What does your heart tell you?” Mark 7 reminds us that using your heart as a guide isn’t going to be reliable. Need to parse that out; can’t just throw that in there without dealing with it. Realizes Jesus is Messiah and quotes Psalm 2—and Jesus quotes it back--great! Scripture is a part of these characters lives.

Likeable Jesus—danger that we like this Jesus more than the one in Scripture—picture in the Bible is meant to

Read the book, don’t like the movie—or other way around sometimes—read book and can’t get actor out of our mind--it can’t become an idolatrous thing —in the end, do we really know what Jesus is really like? On the Last Day we will all be exraordinarily surprised when we actually see him face to face on the last day—maybe bits and pieces of what we thought—but most likely like none of the representations along the way—not really going to know until then.

Pleasantly surprised. Vast improvement over the AD The Bible, or the Bible. The Gospels are a different kind of writing than people are used to today. Andrew is not a good dancer. Peter not a good runner. At resurrection, Peter doesn’t get there first because he’s a good runner. If your sin is small, then your Redeemer is small. People who see there need to be redeemed see the true nature of their Redeemer. Christ is an actual Redeemer of people and that could be you. Being a part of a Christian community where people gather to hear, be fed, grow deeper in faith with Jesus together and do the Lord’s work together. Drammatic presentation of people in the gospels pointting the real need people have to be redeemed by Jesus.

Sermon Studies on the Epistles (ILCW Series B) The Text—1 John 1:1–2:2

The goal is fellowship. Κοινωνία is more than just a close association with someone. It is something closer than the relationship between spouses. It is that special spiritual relationship established between the true God and those who have saving faith in Jesus Christ. Through faith we are united with the divine, in receipt of all God’s blessings.

The goal of our proclamation is fellowship with the true God, and fellowship with one another. It is good to note how we recognize that special relationship with one another. We do so on the basis of the Word, Jesus Christ, and the word, the gospel. There is no other basis for religious fellowship.

Once fellowship with God is established and fellowship with our fellow Christians is recognized there is reason for joy. The ἡμει̂ς and ἡμω̂ν readings in verse 4 are preferred. When there is fellowship among Christians, it is no longer “you” and “I;” it is now “we.” The establishment of true Christian fellowship means that you and I, believers, have become “we.” We rejoice in this, and our joy is complete. The perfect passive participle denotes completed action with the results of the action continuing in the present.

Iconoclastic Revolution. Against the Heavenly Prophets.

Key point: We believe the Easter message because the risen Jesus in that Word convinces us of our forgiveness and salvation. They believed because they saw and heard Jesus proclaim this good news.

Every time I’ve ever come to this text in my Bible reading, it’s always left me amazed as I consider it. That John actually saw Jesus. That he heard him, touched him, got to be around him. Peter, too, James, Nathaniel, Andrew, and the women who followed him, like Mary Magdalene. They were eyewitness, to all of it. From the beginning.

James, Peter, John, Jude Part One: Introduction (1:1–4)

he was an eyewitness. To all of it. From the beginning. His own ears had heard the Father’s voice on the Mount of Transfiguration, had heard the shrieks of demons as they were hurled from miserable human bodies, had heard his master’s sermons day after day for three years. His eyes had seen Lazarus come out of his tomb, still wrapped like a mummy, had seen Jesus speaking with Moses and Elijah, had seen violent lake storms shushed instantly. His hands had touched the evidences of the presence of God’s Son—the bread and wine of the first Lord’s Supper, the bridle for the Palm Sunday donkey colt, fishing nets that hauled in a miraculous catch. For that matter, his other two senses would also have borne witness—he had also smelled the perfume that splashed on Jesus’ feet and tasted the miraculous bread and fish for five thousand people.

He is not here! He is risen!

We are still rejoicing today in the resurrection of Christ, but not because we’ve seen it.

We live by the living word of the risen Christ!

Interesting that John puts hearing first in this list. ἀκηκόαμεν (perf.act indic. 1st plural—we = all his followers but first of the apostles). They heard Jesus’ words. They heard Jesus’ words about what would happen to him...that he would die and then rise again.

This Word they now proclaim as a fact to others--”The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.” Luther: “Christ, who gave His life for us, is the Word of life, and life itself. Christ Himself is such powerful life that He is more powerful than death and the prince of death.”

Deutschlander commenting on Luke 24 & 1 John 1: “In this appearance, Jesus moves from the visible to the Word. Soon he would remove his visible presence. He uses what they can see and touch as the bridge to the Word. The closer they are to the Word, the closer they will be to Him…the Word brings the light (Jesus).”

2:1 - In view of Christ’s dying and rising shall I wallow in my sin—No not that! Will I resign myself to my sins, my weaknesses, my faults, my shame? Oh no, not that either. Rising with Christ in my baptism, I will continue to struggle and strain with joy all the more eagerly to be what I already am in God’s eyes: one risen with Christ, one washed and redeemed by his blood, one over whom death and hell no more have a claim.

to start out today There’s a new TV series out about Jesus called “The Chosen.”

You know what historical fiction is? It’s when an author takes a true story from history and embellishes on it to help the reader

What is it that makes the episodes of this series so powerful? It’s the Word in the Bible. Talk all you want about production and acting. They are nothing without the Bible stories they support. We don’t know everything about the disciples background—in fact we have such scant material that this series rightly falls under the category of historical fiction. Matthew or Nathaniel

For me, they are powerful because of the way each episode shows you the way Jesus made a difference in real people’s lives. We don’t really know the exact way Jesus their sin