1 John 1:1-10 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs!
Today we begin the powerful book of 1 John. Here is some background you may find helpful:
· Interestingly, the author of 1 John does not identify himself in this book, although he repeatedly claims to be an eyewitness of Jesus’ life on earth. From very early on in Christian history, this book has been attributed to the apostle John, who was one of Jesus’ closest disciples and the writer of the Gospel of John. Both in terms of writing style and content themes, 1 John and the Gospel of John read like they come from the same author. Thus in our look at 1 John we will assume that John is indeed the author of 1 John.
· Many scholars believe that 1 John was written around the same time as the Gospel of John, in which case 1 John may have been written around 70 A.D.
Today’s passage is 1 John 1:1-10. Let’s go!
1 John 1:1-4 (NIV)
1 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.
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.
3 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.
4 We write this to make our joy complete.
On verse 1: Over and over in this first sentence alone, John emphasizes how this “Word of life” (one of his favourite titles for Jesus) is someone they personally heard, saw, and touched. As Peter would say at the beginning of one of his letters, “we were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). This “Word of life” also “was from the beginning”, meaning that Jesus was no ordinary man but alive from the beginning of time.
1 John 1:2 (NIV)
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.
On verse 2: John equates Jesus to “the eternal life”. He says that Jesus “was with the Father”, which speaks to His divinity. Jesus is eternal life! He also says that Jesus “has appeared to us”, which refers to His humanity.
1 John 1:3-4 (NIV)
3 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.
4 We write this to make our joy complete.
On verses 3-4: John’s purpose in telling his readers about what he has seen and heard about Jesus is “so that you also may have fellowship with us”. In other words, John’s purpose in writing is clear: he wants others to know Jesus too. It makes John’s joy complete to tell others about Jesus and to lead others to Him.
Similarly, when God uses you to tell others about His Son Jesus and to lead others to Him, there’s no joy like it. May you experience the joy of living out loud and leading others to Him.
Also, what does John mean when he writes in verse 3, “And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ”. He means that Christians share a bond that is so unique and everlasting: our bond as brothers and sisters in Christ is never just two way, but three way, because God is in the middle of our friendship. Just as a cord of three strands is not easily broken (Ecclesiastes 4:12), there is nothing stronger or longer lasting than a friendship where Jesus is in the middle.
1 John 1:5 (NIV)
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.
On verse 5: In other words, God is perfectly holy and sinless. Anything with sin cannot stand in His presence.
1 John 1:6-7 (NIV)
6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
On verses 6-7: What does it mean to “walk in the light, as he is in the light” (v7)? It means to respond with faith to Jesus, who is the light (see the Gospel of John 1:4, 5, and 9). When we respond with faith to Jesus, we have fellowship with God, fellowship with each other, and Jesus’ blood cleanses us from all sin. To “walk in the darkness” (v6) means to reject Jesus who is the light. If I claim to have a relationship with God but reject Jesus, then I’m only deceiving myself if I think I have a relationship with God, or as verse 6 says, “we lie and do not live by the truth”.
1 John 1:8, 10 (NIV)
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us…
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
On verses 8, 10: If we claim to be without sin, three things happen: (1) we deceive ourselves, because the reality is that we are in fact sinners (v8); (2) we make God out to be a liar (v10a) because God’s Word has already told us that we are sinners who need a Saviour; and (3) we give God no room to work in our lives, or as verse 10 says “his word has no place in our lives”. When I deny that I have sinned, I block God from working in my life, but when I admit that I have sinned and humbly look to God for mercy, I give God room to work. That’s why Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor [i.e. blessed are those who recognize that they need God], for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
1 John 1:9 (NIV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
On verse 9: This is one of the great promises of the Bible and is worth memorizing. Because Jesus has paid the price for our sins, all we need to do is confess our sins to God, admit our need for Jesus, and He promises to forgive us and cleanse us from sin so that we are no longer separated from Him.
Jesus, You are the light that saves me and the Word that speaks life into me. Thank You for making it possible for an imperfect sinner like me to have a relationship with a perfectly holy God. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
Copyright © 2021 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.
