Intro:
1. There is an old story about a mother who asked her daughter to go to their storage shed and bring her some jars of preserves. It was dark outside and the little girl said that she was afraid.
Her mother said, “You don’t need to be afraid, God is there and He will watch over you.” She said, “I know but I want someone to go with me with skin on.”
2. God understands our need to have “someone with skin on” and that’s why the Son of God took on a sinless human nature – one with body, soul, and spirit. We call it the incarnation, God taking on another nature thus becoming eternally the God-Man. One who is fully God and fully man in one person.
3. The Declaration of the Proof and Purpose of the Incarnation.
Trans: It’s important that we understand that John wrote this letter to teach us how to have fellowship with God and to combat a heresy called Gnosticism. This taught that all matter was evil and spirit was good. Since God is Spirit they could not believe that He could create matter; also they did not believe in the incarnation because they said God could have nothing to do with an evil body.
Two forms, Docetism meaning “to seem” they taught that Jesus only seemed to have a body – He was a phantom! The other Cerinthus, named after a man who taught that “Jesus” and “the Christ” were two separate beings. Jesus was believed to be the son of Mary and Joseph and that “the Christ” [God] came upon Jesus at His baptism and then left just prior to the crucifixion. John combats such false teaching.
They were also big on secret knowledge which was viewed as a mark of great spirituality. Christ was degenerated from a Savior to a mere revealer. In practical application Gnostics were either given to Asceticism, seeking to punish the evil body; or License excusing sin by making a distinction between what one does in the body and what one does in his spirit.
Only as we understand that background will be able to rightly understand what John is saying in this letter.
1 John 1:1-4 (NKJV)
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, concerning the Word of life--
2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us--
3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
I. First, the Proof of the Incarnation.
A. Christ Existence.
1. Related to His Eternality.
That which was from the beginning – the verb “was” is an imperfect tense which means “was always in existence” and not the idea of coming into existence.
Christ is eternal, an attribute true only of God Himself. The Son did not begin in the incarnation, but He is from all eternity. Jn. 8:58; 17:5, 24
Now the problem is that we are sinful and cannot fully understand such a God. An illustration might be taken from my dog and I. I love my dog but he does not understand much about me. When I am working on a sermon he has no idea of what I’m doing. When I go to the store he has no idea what I am doing. We do communicate he can go bring back a ball, or go outside when I tell him to go to the door, and a host of other things but we are not on the same level.
God and I can have wonderful fellowship but not on the same level.
2. Christ’s Incarnation.
Which we have heard – a perfect tense, a past experience with present results. “That which we have heard with the present results that it is ringing in our ears.” [Wuest]
Which we have seen with out eyes – another perfect tense, it means to see with discernment, with the results that we can still see Him in our mind’s eye.
Which we have looked upon – it means to gaze upon something as a spectacle.
Which we have handled – an aorist tense, to handle with a view to investigation.
Lu. 24:39/Jn.20:27-28
Which we have seen and heard – v. 3 picks up on the thought by using the pronoun and repeating what has been said, verse 2 is a parenthesis.
The point being demonstrated is that Jesus was no phantom, no mirage but a real human being with a body, soul, and spirit. The Gnostics were wrong…
Question – is this our experience or the Apostles? It is limited to the Apostles! People today who claim to see Jesus physically are deceived (2 Cor. 5:6-8, absent from the Lord is referring to His locality/ 1 Pet. 1:6-8).
Why? To teach us to walk by faith (Jn. 20:29/2 Cor. 5:7), we have something far more precious then Jesus being among us physically. We have God the Holy Spirit actually living inside of us! Jn. 14:16-18
Trans: Christ’s Existence is that of the Eternal Son of God who became and remains the God-man. The Gnostics like many cults today deny Jesus true Person.
Like at Christmas, one store was not selling one of their hot new items – a baby Jesus doll. The manager put out a sign that read “Jesus Christ – marked down 50 %, get him while you can.
Truth is a 50% Jesus will not save anyone – it will not do to have Him God alone or Man alone…only the God/man can save.
II. Next, we have the Parenthesis. v. 2
Concerning the Word of life – 1a Which is expounded upon in verse 2. Better translated the Word referring to Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:1, 14) who gives life. He is life and gives life. Life was manifested in the incarnation, but was eternally with the Father.
Trans: He is the source and sharer of life. This is eternal life. Keep in mind that a lost man will live forever, but they do not have eternal life. Eternal life is both a quantity and
And quality of life, it comes only from knowing God personally through Jesus Christ (Jn. 17:2).
When we trust Him to save us He gives us eternal life which transcends spiritual death (Eph. 2:1,5). Hell is called the Second Death which is an eternal existence without Eternal life.
We believers have eternal life because we have the Word of Life – Jesus! Like the obstetrician who was not home. His 5 years old daughter answered the doorbell. A man asked, “Is your daddy home?” She said, “No, he’s gone out on an eternity case!” Every believer is an eternity case!
II. Last, we have the Purpose. 3-4
A. Fellowship.
we declare to you, THAT you also may have fellowship with us [apostles] and truly our [writer/reader] fellowship is with the Father and with the Son – this is the key to the entire book.
Fellowship means “sharing in common” and while every believer has a relationship with God, not every believer has fellowship with Him. And we only reap benefits from the relationship when the fellowship is right.
I have a relationship with my parents, but growing up as a teenager I soon learned that when my parents and I were at odds it was not the time to ask for the keys to the car.
The benefits of peace, power, manifested presence, etc., are only experienced in the context of fellowship with out heavenly Father.
B. Fullness of Joy.
That your joy may be full – abiding in the vine speaks of remaining under God’s authority which is the essence of fellowship (Jn. 15:10-11). Why is there so little joy? Because we live carnal self-centered lives.
Vance Havner, “The average Sunday morning congregation appears as if it has gathered to mourn a defeat rather than celebrate a victory. Too many seem to be enduring their salvation instead of enjoying it. We need to remind ourselves that we’ve not been called to a funeral, but to a feast!
Even some believers who testify they have been preserved look more like they have been pickled. One song leader, who couldn’t get the congregation to sing, paused and said to a dead beat, “Sir, would you please stand and lead us in a frown!”
You might be thinking, well if I am forgiven of all sin why doesn’t God always honor me in my sin? Because God never honors sin – forgiven or not!
Suppose you were to rob a bank and I was waiting outside with the car running as your getaway vehicle. I would be just as guilty as the one robbing the bank. God cannot bless us in sin or He would be guilty of approving sin.
Con:
1. The Proof, a Parenthesis, and the Purpose of the incarnation.
2. Remember the incarnation is not a luxury but an absolute necessity.
3. I read about a grandfather that wanted to comfort his grandson. But because of the boy’s disobedience his mother had insisted that the boy stay in his playpen. The little fellow was crying his eyes out.
The grandfather was in a dilemma, he loves the boy and wanted to pick him up but knew his daughter was right in her discipline. So he just climbed in the playpen with him!
Johnny Palmer Jr
