Introduction

Have you ever noticed how the best news often arrives in the simplest package—a note on the counter, a text from a friend, a voice that says, “I’m here”? First John opens like that. It’s an old apostle’s steady hand reaching for your shoulder, a pastor’s calm voice speaking to a crowded room and a single heart at the same time. John doesn’t give us theory. He gives us touch, tone, and testimony. He wants us to hear it, see it, and almost feel the fingerprints of Jesus on the page.

Maybe your week has been loud. Maybe your heart has been thin, stretched like a rubber band near its snapping point. You could use a word that’s sturdy, a presence that holds, a joy that doesn’t evaporate by Thursday afternoon. John writes for that. He writes with a settled certainty born not from headlines but from a hillside, an upper room, a cross on Friday and an empty tomb on Sunday. He is saying, “We were there. We saw Him. We touched Him. And He is life.”

J. I. Packer put it this way: “What were we made for? To know God. What aim should we set ourselves in life? To know God.” (J. I. Packer, Knowing God) John nods through the centuries, “Yes. And here is how.” The Word of Life isn’t an idea. He is a Person. Fellowship isn’t a club. It is communion with the Father and the Son. Joy isn’t a flare that fizzles; it can be full.

Think of a fire on a cool night—how it gathers people close, warms faces, and steadies hands. That’s what this letter does. It gathers us around the blazing center of the gospel, where cold souls thaw and tired hearts remember hope. The apostle isn’t rushing us. He’s inviting us to linger. To look. To listen. To let the breath of heaven calm the clamor of earth.

Before we read, ask yourself: What would change if you knew—really knew—that the Word who spoke stars into place has spoken life over you? What if fellowship with God were not distant or reserved for the few, but handed to you by grace? What if joy could fill, not just sprinkle, the cracks in your day?

Let’s hear the Scripture in full.

1 John 1:1-4 (KJV) 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, of the Word of life; 2 (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;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

Listen to the beat of those words: heard, seen, looked upon, handled. This is faith with fingerprints. The Word of Life is not far off. He stepped into sandals and streets. He spoke with a voice that carried over waves and whispered over wounds. And John says, “We’re telling you this so you can be in on it—so you can share in the very fellowship we share with the Father and the Son.” Fellowship—what a gentle, glowing word. It means your seat at the table is set. It means you belong. It means there is a place where your name is known and your soul is safe.

And then that last line—“that your joy may be full.” Not thin joy. Not brittle joy. Full joy. The kind of joy that creeps into hospital rooms and staff meetings, early mornings and late-night worries, and brings a steady smile to your soul because Jesus is near and His life is real.

So this is where we’re heading today: to encounter the Word of Life as the living Lord who still speaks; to settle into the fellowship that the Father and the Son graciously share with us; and to step forward with hearts stretched wide by a joy that can hold in any weather. Let’s ask the Lord to help us.

Opening Prayer: Father, we come to You with open hands and hopeful hearts. Thank You for sending the Word of Life, Your Son, who has made You known. By Your Spirit, quiet the noise within us and around us. Help us hear what You have said, see what You have shown, and receive what You freely give. Draw us into real fellowship with You and with one another. Lift our eyes to Jesus, and let His presence bring a deep and durable joy. Speak, Lord, and steady our steps. Warm our hearts at the fire of Your love until praise rises and peace rests upon us. We love You, and we are listening. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Encounter the Word of Life

We are called to meet a Person who brings life. This is close. This is real. This is offered now.

“That which was from the beginning.” John starts there. He points to a Life that has no starting point. Before clocks. Before calendars. Before the first light of the first day. The same Life stepped into our time. John uses the word “manifested.” It means made plain. Brought into view. The unseen God made known through the Son. This matters. If He spans eternity, then He can hold your today. If He stands before all things, then He can carry what you face. The Life John speaks of is the life of God. Not only endless in length. Rich in quality. Clean. Holy. Strong. Gentle. This Life showed up in flesh and blood. Promise moved from hope to history. Promise took a name and a face. When you meet Him, you do not meet a new trend. You meet the Maker. You meet the Author of life. Faith then has weight. It rests on the One who was there at the first word and who will be there at the last word.

John also speaks as a witness. He is not giving hearsay. He is handing over what he lived through. Days and nights near Jesus. Roads walked. Meals shared. Tears seen. Power displayed. He remembers the tone of the Lord’s voice. He remembers the way truth cut and the way mercy healed. He remembers wounds that bled and a body that stood again. This is why he says, “we bear witness.” He is under oath before the world. He has evidence, and he brings it forward. The faith you hold does not hang in the air. It stands on apostolic testimony. God chose to make His Son known through real people with real memories. They did not keep it to themselves. They told it and wrote it so that you could receive the same Christ they knew. The Spirit carried their words to the page and guards them still. So when you open this text, you are not far from the scene. You are being handed living truth by those who were there.

John then moves from witness to welcome. “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you.” He is not only informing. He is inviting. He wants you “to have fellowship with us.” That word means shared life. It means you are included in the circle of grace. Through the Son, you share life with the Father. Through the gospel, you share life with all who belong to Him. Think of it like this. You are no longer on the outside looking in. You are brought in. You stand with others who have received the same mercy. You learn to breathe the air of grace. You learn to speak the language of prayer. You carry each other. You confess sin and receive cleansing. You keep His commands and find that love grows. This is what flows from the Word of Life. He does not only call you to believe facts. He brings you into a people. He gives you a place to stand and serve and sing. He gives you Himself, and with Him, you gain brothers and sisters.

John gives a clear aim for all of this: “these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” Joy is the fruit of meeting the Son and living near Him. Joy fills the heart when the guilt that weighed you down is lifted. Joy grows as you walk in the light and find no need to hide. Joy steady as you remember your sins are forgiven for His name’s sake. It is not loud hype. It is a deep gladness God gives. It settles in ordinary hours. It shows up while you fold clothes. It stays as you wait in lines. It sings under your breath on the way to work. It helps you sleep. It wakes with you before the sun. It carries you when plans fail. It keeps you thankful when plans succeed. John wants that kind of fullness for you. He writes so that your heart is filled to the brim with the life of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

So come to the text with open hands. Ask for help to see what is written.

Ask for ears that welcome the witness and a will that says yes.

Abide in Fellowship with the Father and the Son

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