What was it like to have walked with Jesus when He was on the earth? To know what He looked like, to hear His audible voice, to see His face in person, and to have watched Him as He walked among men? What was it like to watch Him heal blind eyes, open deaf ears, make lame men walk again, and raise people from the dead? How marvelous it must have been to hear Him teach and to know that everything He said was true and came from the Heavenly Father above. What a wonder it must have been to watch Him calm a stormy sea, create a massive catch of fish, and break five loaves and two fishes or seven loaves and two fishes so they fed five thousand and four thousand men respectively. This experience was enjoyed by John the Apostle, and it is from his perspective that he writes this small letter of First John that comes from his marvelous perspective.
John wrote in Chapter One verses one through three:
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, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen [it], and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
John begins his book by declaring just who it was to whom he is referring: the one “from the beginning”. The Creator of man dwelt among men, and John was one of the fortunate ones to have experienced being directly connected to Him in person. John heard Him, saw Him with his eyes, looked upon Him, and handled Him with his hands. John saw Him when He was baptized by John the Baptist and heard John the Baptist declare, “Behold the lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.” It was very quickly after this event that John and his brother James began to follow Jesus, and their lives would be forever changed.
John declares that he experienced the “Word of life”, and he was a witness and proclaimed “that eternal life” that was with the Heavenly Father and was manifested or revealed to him and the other disciples. He had a reason to proclaim it:“that you also may have fellowship with us”. This fellowship with John and the other apostles is granted to all who will believe in the Father and His son Jesus Christ. From the very onset of the book John makes his purpose for writing this book very clear. He desired that all people would have a relationship with the Heavenly Father and His son Jesus, and by John's experience with Jesus in person, there could be no greater witness to whom Jesus really was.
The believer in Jesus is one who comes to trust in, rely upon and cling to Him in relationship rather than just religion. Today there is a way to truly have a relationship with God through belief in His son Jesus, and John the apostle want to assure his readers that Jesus indeed wants to have fellowship with all who will simply come to Him.
Until tomorrow...there is more...
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