The Amazing Word of God
1 John Walking in the Light • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction:
Introduction:
This morning we are beginning a study of the book of 1 John. I’m calling this series “Walking in the Light!” As the book’s title suggests it was written by the Apostle John. That makes it one of the five books attributed to John. The book is actually a letter that was written to addresses certain heresies. Scholars debate exactly which heresy John was actually addressing. Some believe it is addressing Gnosticism—which held to a strict dualism (or division) between the spiritual and material matter. It could also be addressing Docetism—which held to the belief that Jesus’ humanity was not real and that he only appeared to have a physical body. Some have suggested that the letter really was attacking Cerinthus—a man who lived in Roman Asia and was strongly opposed to the Apostle John. Cerinthus taught that Jesus was only a man and that the divine Messiah descended on Jesus at His baptism and left Him before the Crucifixion. The truth is, 1 John actually addresses parts of all three of these heresies. The most likely case is that John was combating the “many” false teachers of his day!
Which heresy scholars believe John is addressing depends on when you believe the letter was written. The truth is there is really nothing in this gospel to indicate when it might have been written. Many conservatives suggest a date late in the first century A.D. which would make it about the time John wrote his Gospel. However, a good case can be made for dating the letter prior to A.D. 70. Those who hold to this view see John’s mention of false teachers in 2:19 and correlate this to those false teachers who pulled out of the Palestinian churches which apostles over saw. If this is the case it is likely that the letter was actually written before the Jewish revolt against Rome in A.D. 66-70. Putting all of this together the best guess is that 1 John was written somewhere between A.D. 60-65, although an earlier date of writing cannot be ruled out.
With this background let’s begin looking at the book of 1 John! If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to the first chapter and we’ll begin reading with the first verse.
That which was from the beginning, 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.
The Word
The Word
From the Beginning—Jesus is Eternal
From the Beginning—Jesus is Eternal
Keep in mind that John also wrote the Gospel of John. The entire book reminds me of John’s Gospel. The phrase from the beginning reminds me of John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Putting the two passages together we immediately understand that John is talking about Jesus. Look at John 1:14.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John reflected on the first words of the Torah—in the book of Genesis we read:
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
What we have heard—Jesus is Proclaimed
What we have heard—Jesus is Proclaimed
John wants us to know that Jesus needs to be heard about today, and it is our job to continue to proclaim Jesus! Remember what Jesus told His disciples before he ascended into glory.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Which We have Seen with Our Eyes—Jesus is Personal!
Which We have Seen with Our Eyes—Jesus is Personal!
Here at the beginning of our letter, John wants us to know that Jesus requires a personal relationship! Have you seen Jesus for yourself? Or are you depending on your parent’s, grandparent’s, friend’s, pastor’s relationship with God? Jesus is personal!
John the Baptist wanted people to see Jesus. In John 1:29 we read:
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Then just a few verses later, beginning with verse 35 we read of another encounter with Jesus.
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
Like the disciples of John the Baptist each of us must follow Jesus for ourselves! Jesus requires us to have a personal relationship with Him. We cannot depend on the relationship of others!
And Our Hands have Touched—Jesus is real and physical!
And Our Hands have Touched—Jesus is real and physical!
Do you remember the story of Thomas? Some people call him “Doubting Thomas,” because he said:
So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”
I hear this all the time! People say to me, “I would believe in Jesus if I could see Him!” If this is you, then you are like Thomas! You want proof! You want an experience! You want to physically see Jesus. Look what happened when Jesus appeared to Thomas!
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
When we have an encounter with Jesus we too will say, “My Lord and my God!” But what I want us to really see is what Jesus said to Thomas after his great confession! I want us to see verse 29 because I think Jesus was writing it to us!
Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Jesus was a physical human, just like you and me! That’s what John wanted us to understand back in the first chapter of his gospel! We’ve already looked at John 1:14, but it bears repeating.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Now what is it that John is proclaiming? He is proclaiming the Word of Life! The NIV emphasizes the Word. This follows along with the Gospel of John. Remember John 1:1?
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Some scholars believe that the word Life is where the emphasis should be. This too is a them of John’s writings. All we have to do is look at John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
It’s continued later in John 6:40.
For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
And of course there is one of my favorite passages, John 10:10 where Jesus says:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
The emphasis on the life also seems to follow in verse 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.
Jesus is the Life
Jesus is the Life
What an amazing, wonderful fact! Jesus is LIFE! This wonderful life is the life that John had seen, and it is this wonderful life that John has spent his life testifying and proclaiming to everyone he met!
Even here, John reminds us of the eternality of Jesus. This Life with the Father. If it takes you back yet, again to the first chapter of the Gospel of John you’re not alone, because it immediately makes me think of John 1:1 and John 1:14!
John repeats that he proclaims!
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
John proclaims the story that he saw and heard. John wants everyone to know the story of Jesus. You see, John wants everyone to know the story of Jesus so that everyone may have fellowship with us.
The word translated “fellowship” is the Greek word “kinōnia” which denotes a close association, communion, or a partnership. John wants people to hear about Jesus so that they can become closely joined with us and fellowship with us! But his desire is more than that! Look at verse 4.
We write this to make our joy complete.
Now if you are like me, and you memorized this passage in the KJV, you might notice that the NIV uses a different pronoun.
The KJV says:
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
Notice the difference? Instead of out joy the KJV says your joy. There are some manuscripts that use the pronoun your but the oldest manuscripts use the pronoun our. So which is it? Should it be “your” or should it be “our?” Well I think the New Living Translation (NLT) best captures the essence of this verse.
We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.
The pronoun really doesn’t matter that much. John wants everyone to experience joy—complete joy, and that complete joy only comes from knowing Jesus Christ, the Son of God!
So What?
So What?
John wants us to understand that like him, we need to be proclaiming Jesus so that the world around us can experience the joy that comes when a person meets Jesus. So let me ask you a question.
When was the last time you experienced the joy of seeing someone come to know Jesus as their Savior?
Honestly, even if you led someone to the Lord Jesus yesterday, I would still say it has been too long! You see, that brings me to a second question.
Do you long to see people experience the joy of the Lord?
The answer that each one of us should give is a resounding, “Yes!” And if it is, then I come to the third of my questions today.
What are you doing—day-in and day-out to see people come to know Jesus?
I know some of you think I’m a broken record. But the total reason God leaves us here on this earth is to share the good news, the gospel message. God with us! So today, I want to challenge you to share the story of what you have heard about Jesus. I want to encourage you to share the story of Jesus that you have seen with your own eyes. And I want to encourage you to share the story that you have touched with your own hands; or to put it another way, the story that has touched your life—share that story this week!