Proclaiming the Word of Life

There is a small book of the Bible, almost at the end, called 1 John. I used to think, "Yeah, that's the book that mostly says 'Love one another' in many different ways." But that was the book that I decided to read and study this past fall/winter! I loved the time I spent studying it, and I have learned to think of it differently now. To me, it is almost like a 'mini-Bible', containing the good news of all God wanted to share with us, condensed into 5 loaded chapters. I have said to my husband, "If every Bible were taken away from me, and I was only left with the book of 1 John... Wow! I would still be so blessed! I would have so much to teach me about how to live in Christ!" 
Although I finished my study of this book a few months ago, I have kept feeling like I want to go back to it, to go over it just one more time. And then, every time I do, I'm left with that feeling again! So, after wondering what I should write for my next blog, and actually writing a few that I just wasn't sure I wanted to post, I had a moment in which I realized why all my other thoughts were just not coming out quite right - it's because in my heart, I just wanted to share my love of the book of 1 John, and I wanted to write out a few of the things that I learned as I read, and re-read these chapters again and again.  

 

Chapter 1:1-4
 

¹That 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.

Jesus was there in the beginning... "In the beginning was the Word..." He was with God before the Earth began; still there as God, through Jesus, created everything that has been made (John 1:3, Hebrews 1:2). Eventually, when the appointed time came, He became flesh and made His dwelling among us (John 1:14) 

In that time when Jesus lived on this Earth, people saw, they heard, they touched Jesus, and now they wanted to proclaim what they had experienced. John, as one of Jesus' disciples, was one of those people. Imagine the awe that he felt when he realized that he had heard God speak, as he listened to Jesus' teachings. When he realized that he had seen Him, that he had watched the very hand of God work miracles, as His Son restored sight to the blind, healed the sick, and raised the dead to life! His hands had touched his Creator, and he had been touched by Him. His dusty, travel weary feet had been washed by the One who would die so that his heart may also be washed, and cleansed, from sin! 

John's words bear weight, for he was a first-hand eye-witness of Jesus. The words that he, and many others, testified and wrote about thousands of years ago have been preserved all this time, so that we too, may hear these words of life. Through faith in this life that came down from the Father - that is, the life of Jesus - lies the only key to eternal life! These things had been made known and become clear to Jesus' followers, and they did not want to keep it to themselves. They felt a need to share it with everyone, and so they did.

In his life, and in his writings, John was playing a part in fulfilling the Great Commission, which were the last words that Jesus spoke to His disciples before He ascended into Heaven to be with the Father. Matthew 28:19 and 20 say:

"Go and make disciples of all nations...teaching them to obey

everything I have commanded you..."

 

Not only did he teach the group of people that this letter was originally written to, but God has preserved His Word, the Bible, as well as this book, which is a small part of it, so that we might still learn the truths that it contains today.

To speak of that which one has a great interest in, a great passion for, brings joy to a person! John's joy was made complete as he shared the good news of Jesus. As I studied through this book, I found eight specific passages in which I thought the gospel was beautifully shared:

1 John 1:7 - The blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin.

1 John 2:1 and 2 - If anyone sins, we have One who speaks to the Father in our defense -         Jesus Christ the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sin, and not only for
         ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 3:5 - Jesus appeared so that He might take away our sins. In Him is no sin.

1 John 3:8 - The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.

1 John 3:16 - Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.

1 John 4:9 and 10 - God sent His only Son into the world that we might live through Him. 
          God loved us, and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

1 John 4:14 - God the Father sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.

1 John 5:11 and 12 - God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has
         the Son of God has life, and he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

As I read through this list, I am reminded of what I have been saved from - sin and death and judgement - and what I have been saved to! It was Jesus' sacrifice that made a way for me, and for everyone who will believe. Through the blood that Jesus shed for us, we can be purified, and as the last reference points out, it is through Him that we can have eternal life. To those that have received this gift, there is sweet fellowship as we walk in the light of His love, there is a close relationship with God and with other true believers. For those who have not yet accepted this gift, there is an invitation to come, so that they too, might take part in the relationship that God, in His love, offers us through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. May we, as God's children, reach out to those who have not yet heard! 

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."