Scripture: 1 John 1:1-7, 2 Tim 2:20-22, etc.
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 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 (1 John 1:1-2).
This is a letter written by John, who also wrote a gospel. So, like his gospel, he describes Christ as the Word of life, who existed before creation. And calling his testimony that “which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched,” he emphasizes the factual reality of the presence of the Word he witnessed—the presence of the one who dwelt among us in human form. Then, he discusses the transition of his testimony from the first generation, to which he belongs, to the next generation as follows:
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 (v. 3).
The transition from the first witnesses of the Word of life to the subsequent generations with expansion took place as the latter had “fellowship with” the former. This fellowship is not only horizontal among believers but also vertical “with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” In other words, those of the first generation like John had fellowship with the Father and the Son first, and then, through them, those of the second generation entered the same fellowship with the Father and Son. This fellowship in the presence of the Father and the Son gives us true joy and is evidence that we have been transferred into the kingdom of the Son whom the Father loves.
We write this to make our joy complete (v. 4).
John further explains this presence of God that brings joy in our fellowship with him by comparing it to light:
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all (v. 5).
By “the message we have heard from him and declare to you” John means Jesus’ teachings with statements like “I am the light of the world” and “Put trust (believe) in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light,” which are found in his gospel. Since this light is spiritual and can only be seen with spiritual eyes, we must “believe in the light.” Jesus is light, and those who believe in him, who is Immanuel, are brought into fellowship with God and become members of the kingdom of light.
(From Sermon Summary, “Children of Light” No. 6)
