The Incarnate Word

The options as to who Jesus is and what Jesus did can basically be reduced to four possibilities. This possibilities were posed by C.S. Lewis’s book Mere Christianity where he stated that Jesus could have been a liar—someone who simply was not who he claimed to be and knew it. He could have been a lunatic—someone who thought he was somebody, but in fact he was not. He could have been a legend—someone who was not who others later imagined him to be. Or He could be the Lord—He is who He said He is, and His birth, life, death, and resurrection prove it to be true.

Here in the twenty-first-century context, we constantly face confusion, distortions, inaccuracies, and outright denials of the Jesus revealed in the Bible.

This is nothing new. The apostle John faced the same challenges in the first century, and he penned 1 John to set the record straight.

He knew that it was absolutely essential to get the “Jesus question” right!

John, the son of Zebedee and brother of James (the first apostle to be martyred, cf. Acts 12:2), wrote five books of the New Testament.

He wrote the Gospel of John to convert sinners. He wrote the epistles of John to confirm the saints. And he wrote the book of Revelation to coronate the Savior.

First John 1:1–4 constitutes the introduction to this General Epistle.

These verses make up one of the four great beginnings in the Bible. Genesis 1:1 recounts the beginning of creation.

Mark 1:1 tells of the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

John 1:1 reveals the Word who is God and was there in the beginning.

And here, in 1 John 1:1, John reveals the incarnate Son, who became a man in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

1 John 1:1–4 NKJV

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— 2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

Lets outline this verses this morning and briefly look at what John has to say about who Jesus really is.

Have a Passion to Know This Life (1:1–2).

John wants us to know, and know rightly, this “Word of life” who invaded space and time and who makes it possible for us to have fellowship and eternal intimacy with the one true God (v. 3).

He draws attention to two important truths concerning this life, the life of Jesus, which is like no other.

1. He is divine.

The Son Jesus Christ (v. 3) is “what was from the beginning” (v. 1) and is “the eternal life that was with the Father” (v. 2).

Jesus Christ, who is the Father’s Son (v. 3), has always eternally existed with the Father as God. There has never been a time when the Son was not. Never.

He was before the beginning, in the beginning, and from the beginning. This is what John believed.

This is what Jesus taught. Jesus Himself boldly declared in John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I am” (indicating He is the God of Exod 3:14). In John 10:30 He said, “The Father and I are one.” And in John 14:9 He told Philip, “The one who has seen Me has seen the Father.” Clearly Jesus believed Himself to be God, and John confessed the same.

2. He is human.

John now, as an apostle and friend of Jesus, presents a defense of the real and genuine humanity of the Son.

John speaks as one who was an eyewitness of all that Jesus said and did.

The apostle presents an eyewitness account of what John Piper has called “the stumbling block of the incarnation” (“Eternal Life”).

John says four things concerning this “Word of life”:

(1) We heard Him with our ears. John repeats this in verse 3 for emphasis.

(2) We saw Him with our eyes. John states this three times for emphasis in the first three verses. Furthermore, “we have observed” Him. For three years we watched and observed His every move.

(3) We touched Him with our hands. He was a real flesh-and-blood human being. He was no ghost or phantom.

(4) We testify and declare (both present tense), as bona fide eyewitnesses, this “eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.”

Notice again how John uses repetition. Twice he says the eternal life was manifested to us in Jesus Christ.

John shows us to that we are to have a passion to know this Eternal Life but was are also to have a passion to share this LIFE with others.

Have a Passion to Share This Life (1:3).

The impact that Jesus has on His followers cannot be put into words. They were radically changed and really did “turn the world upside down” (Acts 17:6).

The impact of the life of Jesus, this “life like no other,” compelled them to take Him and His gospel to the nations.

They simply believed they must. They had no choice. What they had experienced in Jesus they wanted others to experience also.

We want to invite everyone into our fellowship.

Verse 3 begins with the phrase “what we have seen and heard.” As we noted earlier, “seeing” is highlighted in each of the first three verses. Interestingly, the main verb of the prologue does not appear until now. It is the word “declare.” It means to “proclaim” (ESV) or “announce” (GNT, NET).

John says we cannot remain silent about this eternal life-giving Word. What we have heard, seen, looked upon, and touched we must share with others. We will testify and bear witness concerning Jesus Christ, and we will proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

To what end?

“So that you may have fellowship along with us.” John speaks of fellowship four times in this letter, all in 1:3–7.

The Greek word is koinonia, and it speaks of sharing in common something that is significant and important. It entails the joy and oneness in a group of people who are in accord regarding something that really matters. You share common values, beliefs, and goals. You love the same things. You pursue a common agenda.

We want to invite everyone into our family.

The fellowship that exists among followers of Jesus is far richer and deeper than that of a social club like the lions club or the country club.

It is far richer and deeper than even that of national identity or ethnic heritage.

It is the “fellowship of family” that transcends any and all artificial barriers that have afflicted the human race since the fall.

By means of the incarnation and His perfect atoning sacrifice (2:2), we are now a “fellowship family” with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

When Jesus becomes our Savior, God becomes our Father. It is a package deal. Later, in 2:23, John will write, “No one who denies the Son can have the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.”

Unlike every other religion in the world, Christianity brings us into intimate relationship with a God who is Savior and Father. And He is a perfect Savior and a perfect heavenly Father.

Also, you get a whole bunch of brothers and sisters thrown in as well “from every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Rev 7:9).

We Christians must never forget that we have more in common with a Chinese Christian, an African sister, and a brother in South America than a next-door neighbor who does not know Christ.

And never forget that this eternal life that has transformed us is the eternal life we must proclaim to our neighbor here and among the nations in order that they might become family.

We continually want to add more!

So we first need a passion to this LIFE a passion to Share this LIFE lastly this morning a passion to Enjoy this LIFE.

Have a Passion to Enjoy This Life (1:4).

God is glorified in us when we find our joy in Him. A common theology, a common Savior, a common Father, and a common experience of joy unites all who have come to know this life that is like no other, life in Jesus the incarnate Word.

Promote joy that is full (1:4).

John wrote this letter “so that our joy may be complete.” Not partial, but complete. Full.

All we could want or ever need. John is echoing the words he heard from Jesus: “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (John 15:11); and “Until now you have asked for nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete” (John 16:24).

We have a fullness of joy in our shared life with Jesus.

That fullness of joy is ours through our friendship with one another and with God, who is now our Father.