“The Touchable Eternal God”
Introduction
Is it possible to get to know someone without seeing them? Can you develop a relationship without a face to face encounter? People do it all the time through the internet. We develop some sort of affinity or feeling with characters in a movie or a television serial. We experience all the emotions of relationships. Warmth, anger, frustration, sympathy, hope, disappointment all without ever meeting face to face. What cause such bonding? Letters, information, seeing them in a multitude of situations, developing an understanding of likes and dislikes. There are limitations but there are many elements of relationship building without face to face encounter.
The Apostle John’s first letter draws me because it further encourages deeper relationship with God. It speaks of the possibility of fellowship with the Eternal God. It would be a good place for us to start of the New Year. This one of the five portions of Scripture penned by the beloved and oldest Apostle. The intended readers of this letter are unknown. We know he wrote to both Jewish and Gentile Christians at all stages of maturity. We know they were struggling with connecting to God in a tangible way. We know that there were struggling with some false teaching regarding Jesus and the Christian life. By the fatherly tone of his letter, many historians feel that John wrote it later in life. As in most personal letters, John’s letter defies logical outlining. John shares his heart concerning some basic themes. Light (truth), love, and obedience themes occur all through his letter.
The overarching theme has to do with the issue of fellowship with the eternal God.
John left no doubt as to his purpose or objective in writing.
1. That we might have fellowship with God and each other. 1:3
2. That we might have joy 1:4
3. That we might not sin 2:1
4. That we might not be deceived 2:26
5. That we might be assured of eternal life 5:13
Those are things I will be looking for also as we journey through this text together. As we return to a verse by verse teaching there are some fundamental principles I firmly hold. God supernaturally inspired the original message and carefully directed its documentation. He only meant one thing when He inspired it and therefore there is only one true meaning to be carefully and prayerfully discovered. There may be multiple applications but one interpretation.
We will seek to first discover what God said and meant using the ordinary rules of literature.
Observation/Interpretation
Only then can we accurately apply the truth to our present life and experience.
We will keep in mind the ultimate purpose of Scripture transcends mere information.
God intends that the words he left for us to study transform us as well as inform us.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
John introduced his purpose and theme in the first four verses; the proclamation of Christ.
He joyfully proclaimed Christ who eternally existed with the Father, who is the source of life and tangibly appeared to the apostles to bring others into fellowship with them. Five basic points emerge from the initial four verses of his letter.
John’s Introduction
1. Jesus existed eternally with the father.
“What was from the beginning…which was with the Father”
Many think that Jesus came into existence in a manger in Bethlehem. Scripture declares that Jesus Has always existed. He was “from the beginning”. The beginning of what? Jesus existed at the beginning of all created things. In fact, Jesus created all things. John wrote of it in his gospel.
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. John 1:3
Paul declared it in his letter to the Colossians
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Colossians 1:15-17
Think! Jesus lived prior to the creation of the earth, the sun, the moon, the planets, the solar system, the universe. He was from the “beginning”. Jesus claimed preexistence.
"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." So the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am." Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple. John 8:56-59
They knew what He meant.
He claimed to be at the casting down of Lucifer.
The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." And He said to them, "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Luke 10:17-18
Jesus has not been alone. He has eternally existed WITH the Father. John spoke of their relationship in the first chapter of His gospel.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. John 1:1-2
Those that claim God created man because He was lonely are misguided. The concept of community comes from God. The longing for community comes out of God’s nature. There has been intimate partnership, fellowship, community from the beginning between the three persons of the Trinity. Listen to the longing of Jesus’ heart just before He faced the final days and hours on earth.
"Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. John 17:5
John proclaimed, and testified to his readers a Christ beyond the human. He eternally existed with the father.
2. Jesus is the expression and source of eternal life.
John proclaimed not on the when and with whom Jesus existed but the essential nature.
“Word of life” -- “Eternal life”
He called Him “The Word” in his gospel introduction.
“Word” = communication, expression, the total concept of something. We use words to express both seen and unseen realities. Jesus is the expression of true life. Jesus demonstrated in a tangible way the nature of the eternal life that gives life to the universe. Jesus is life.
Jesus came to give life. Just as God breathed life into man at creation, Jesus breathes new life into fallen man.
Eternal life refers to more than life extended without end. Eternal life refers to a quality of life that flows from the nature of God which he offers to us through Christ. The quality life that was observed in Jesus is made available to those who put their trust in Him. Before Jesus that life was unattainable.
3. Jesus tangibly appeared on earth to offer us new life.
Was Jesus real? Is he a myth? Is Jesus something made up by someone to start a new religion?
The very essence of divine life appeared in a tangible way to humble creatures. Listen to John’s use of the senses. It was very real. Note He begins by using a plural – “we”. This is probably a reference to the twelve apostles.
“We all heard Him”. He used a perfect tense verb indicating an action that produced lasting results. We heard him speak and the impact of what we heard still rings in our ears.
We saw with our eyes and perceived and the impact of what we saw still enlightens our minds.
We gazed at Him closely. We handled Him with our hands. Here we have the testimony of the eyewitnesses. We my not be able to touch Him today. We may not see Him today. But there are those who did.
They heard his preaching and reported what He actually said.
They saw his miracles and reported what He did.
They closely scrutinized his every move and wrote it down for us to read.
They actually touched the eternal God and proclaimed its impact.
By the way, John felt the need to correct a false teaching that God could not possible have anything to do with material things since the material is evil.
John in His gospel said…
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
The Word, the tangible expression of the eternal God became flesh and lived among men in order that He might help us better connect with God.
The purpose of such a drastic measure was for us.
He took on flesh so that He might better communicate the eternal God to human forms.
He took on flesh in order to be a merciful high priest and identify with us.
He took on flesh to taste death for us so that we might have life.
He took on flesh in order to bring us into communion and fellowship with God as His bride.
The physical Jesus no longer walks the earth. We do not see Him. He ascended out of physical sight that day with the promise of His physical return. He will appear again one day.
One day He will return for His bride. John later will describe its impact on us as it so graphically impacted the early followers. There is still the possibility of relationship with the eternal God. He is still touchable.
4. Jesus enables fellowship with Him, the Father and each other.
what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 1 John 1:3
The key word here is “fellowship.” It communicates the idea of partnership, have in common, share freely. A forth century inscription was found.
a doctor of medicine had put up an inscription to his wife who had also studied medicine, and who had died. It read, “as with you alone I shared my life.”
Can such a fellowship be experience with someone you never meet?
John indicated as much by writing in order to inspire fellowship with readers he would never meet because they would have a common relationship with Christ. Through his testimony he hoped to bring people into relationship with Christ and thus establish a ground for fellowship with all other believers. Through the testimony of John and the other eyewitnesses, we too in a limited way can see His works, hear His words, look intently at His life and touch Him by touching others and being touched by those He sends.
Jesus said* to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." John 20:29
and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9
John longed to communicate Jesus in such a way as to draw others into this community of followers who give their lives to a common cause. John wrote so that we might experience fellowship God. Jesus died to enable such fellowship to exist. 1 Peter 1:2-4
We share a divine nature that enables us to enter into community with the eternal God.
Jesus made it possible. John 17:20-21
5. The proclamation of Christ brings ultimate joy.
These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. 1 John 1:4
The possibility of relationship with the eternal God produces the ultimate experience of joy.
The reality of that relationship brings joy to the one who proclaims the message as well as the one who receives it and so John finished his introduction with the intention to bring them all into the fullness of joy. John may be referring to the joy that would be experience by he and the other apostles or even the joy of the entire community of believers.
Take home
1. Renewed vision of Jesus
Eternally existed with the Father
The expression and source of eternal life
Took on human flesh and appeared to real people who were never the same
2. Renewed understanding of fellowship with God and each other
Fellowship, partnership, sharing takes two. Commit to learn what John has to say about experiencing such relationship with God.
3. Renewed desire to proclaim the joyful message of reconciliation with God.
