Partnership with the Father

Partnership with the Father

1 John 1:1-4

That which was from the beginning ...   

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs tells us about the martyrdom of John the Apostle, which seems odd to us because John was the only one of the apostles to die a natural death. But it was not for a lack of effort on the part of Rome. Foxe tells us that for his testimony, John was sentenced to be boiled in oil. He survived. So he was exiled to hard labor on the island of Patmos, a barren rock just off the shore of Ephesus. He survived and was released in AD 96 upon the death of the emperor Domitian. But, he was placed under house arrest in Ephesus where someone attempted to murder him by poisoning. Again, he survived.   

At the end of the gospel of John there was a conversation between Peter and Jesus. Near the end of the conversation, Peter looked back and saw John following. Jesus had just told Peter to “follow me!” Peter, seeing John following, asked Jesus, “But what about him?” Jesus basically told Peter to mind his own business and his own obedience, saying, “If I want him to remain alive until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.” John writes that because of Jesus’ words, there was a rumor that John would live to see the return of Christ, but notes for us that’ not what Jesus said. John did, however, outlive all the others and died a natural death at about the age of 100. In the meantime, between the lakeside stroll and his death, John gave us five important things - two books and three letters. We have been through the Revelation I have expanded those sermons into a book: “The Revelation: A Vision of Jesus.” And now I want to walk us through the letters.  

We are given to understand that John moved from Jerusalem to Ephesus sometime after Timothy left there for Rome. That would be about AD 65 or so, since Paul was executed by Nero shortly after his second letter to Timothy asking him to come to Rome bringing the parchments and the winter cloak. It was from Ephesus that John was exiled to Patmos. The three small letters appear to have been written from Ephesus perhaps as encouragement for the house churches in that town. My own study and reasoning have led me to believe that John wrote the letters first in the late 60s and 70s. Following the exile, after he returned to Ephesus, he then wrote out the vision he had seen on Patmos, the Book of the Revelation, and then wrote what I consider his magnum opus, the Gospel. Scholars, of course, disagree both with me and among themselves. The precise order of writing is unknown. But I base my reasoning on this: it appears that the first letter contains the seeds of the gospel. John had thoughts about Jesus, that he approached in the first letter and then fleshed out in the gospel.

This first paragraph is an example. John says much the same thing here that he does in the prologue to the gospel, but there it is more elegant, more poetic, more majestic. It is as if the words finally came together for him. Compare the opening line of each. Here in the first letter: 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. And here is the opening of the gospel: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And verse 4: In him was life and that life was the light of all mankind. The gospel flows more smoothly and elegantly, causing me to believe that the letter was written first, containing the ideas that John expanded in the gospel. 

These are technical matters that I felt needed to be explained. And there is one more minor technical matter we need to understand. The letters appear to have been written locally, that is, targeted to a specific audience. The gospel, on the other hand, appears to be a theological treatise, designed to lay certain doctrinal foundations and present a very high view of Jesus for the Church. The gospel appears to be designed for the whole of Christendom while the letters are sent to a smaller group with certain concerns that John needed to address. His view of Christ does not change, only the way he expresses it. In both, John invites his reader into fellowship with and allegiance to the Lord he loves. In both, John takes great pains to glorify Jesus.   

Now to our text.  

That which was from the beginning ... The word is arche, as in the first things, the original, It is a word that reaches back beyond time. Both John and Paul express the conviction that Jesus was the Creative force, the Word through which all Creation came to be. John emphasized that in the gospel, writing, He was with God in the beginning (Jn 1:2). In the letter to Colossae, Paul wrote, The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created ... (Col. 1:15-16). The Son, then, is not a created being, but has always existed. And he became flesh (Jn 1:14); was begotten, not made, according to the Creed; and, took on the nature of humanity (Phil 2:6-8), leading us to John’s testimony. 

 ... which we have heard, which we have seen with out eyes, with we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim ... The first thing John wants to tell us about this Word is his own personal experience. Philosophers have debated the nature of reality for decades. The most famous such declaration is Des Cartes’ “cogito, ergo sum,” I think, therefore I am.” Whatever philosophers may think, the real test of reality is experience. We see something, we hear something, we touch it. People may accuse us of hallucinations - we see things that don’t exist. We hear voices in our head when no one is around. But when we touch it, when we feel the solid mass of a thing, then we know it to be real. Jesus invited Thomas not just to look, but to touch, the nail scars (Jn 20:27). He invited the disciples, “Touch me and see. A ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see I have” (Lk 24:39). John says, I heard him; I saw him and looked at him; but most of all, I touched him.   

It’s important to note that John did not come to this association until after the resurrection. It was not the teaching Jesus, the walking on water Jesus, the raising Lazarus Jesus, the healing Jesus that John declares to be the Word. It is the risen Jesus, the Jesus who he saw crucified, dead, and buried – and then saw alive in the Upper Room and by the shore of Galilee. It is the resurrected Jesus John heard, saw, and, most importantly, touched. It is the Risen Word that John bears witness to.  

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. Again, notice: the life appeared. It is that power that restores life to dead bodies, that gives life to dead souls, that points not to the grave and some vacuous “after-life.” John is not alluding to any Egyptian or Greek afterlife. He’s actually not even pointing – Christian, take note – John is not even pointing us to heaven after we die. This is no “pie in the sky in the sweet by and by” message. 

Listen to me. We have dumbed down the gospel, taken out not only the bite, but the joy from the gospel. We have dumbed down heaven and in some ways made it something nobody can get very excited about. For some, the only attraction to heaven is that it isn’t hell. When John says, We proclaim to you the eternal life, he’s not talking about heaven. When John wrote in the gospel that whoever believes shall not perish but have eternal life, he wasn’t talking about heaven. He was talking about something far greater and more fulfilling – eternity. We’ve dumbed that down, too, by the way, because we still think in terms of time, just time without end. And what are we going to be doing “forever and ever”? Eternity is God’s realm, the real Heaven that is so much more than we can ever imagine. Eternity is where God is in person. Paul wrote these wonderful words to the church at Corinth, For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (1 Cor 13:12). And Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of that (capital L) Life.  

Now, there is a word that is much misused in the church. It is the word “evangelism.” I’ve talked about this before, but this is something different. The word comes from a Greek combination meaning “a good message.” One form of the word we transliterate “angel,” and translate “messenger.” An angel is a messenger. One author I’m reading translates Galatians 1:8 this way: But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you any gospel other than the one we gospelled to you, let him be accursed. The gospel we gospelled. The good news we good newsed. I know it sounds weird in English, but the proclamation of the gospel is good news. That is the gospeling of the gospel is good news. Sounds confusing, I know, but bear with me for a moment. John wrote this, verse 3 – what we have seen and heard, that we gospel to you. That we proclaim to you. It’s not just news, it’s good news. It’s not just a message, it’s a good message to be received with joy. It is good news we proclaim about Jesus. Evangelism is not a tactic nor a method. It is the act of sharing good news. It is bringing a message of joy. And an evangelist ought to be someone with a positive, joyful, exciting, life-changing message, rather than what we’ve become accustomed to.   

We’ve heard the what of John’s message. Now let’s hear the why.  

What we have seen and heard, that we proclaim to you, so that ... And John has three reasons. 

First, ... so that you may have fellowship with us. John was inviting his reader into a partnership. That is another word we misuse. Koinonia, the word we translate as “fellowship,” comes from a root that means “common.” The Koine Greek of the New Testament was the language of the common man, and it was the shared language of the Greek culture. That is, it was the common language. Koinonia means to have something in common. It could be a business partnership, or a marriage, or to serve on the same committee, or simply to belong to an association with others. Koinonia is not coffee and donuts. Koinonia is not sitting around a table. It is rather to have the same mission, the same faith, the same worldview, the same focus. And here, John is inviting his reader to share something with him, to be in partnership with him. I want you to be in this with me. What is this?  

Second, ... so that you may have fellowship with Jesus Christ, with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. John points to the thing that is the focus of that partnership. Not only do I want you to be in this with me, but I want you to be with me in partnership with Christ. The partnership is not to be based on mutual friendship, but on mutual faith in the One to whom John bears witness. In other words, I’m telling you about Jesus because I want you to share what I have in Christ. Our fellowship, our partnership, is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus will always be the focus and foundation of our mission.

And third, ... so that your joy may be complete. Manuscripts vary. Some say our joy, some say your joy. There is actually very little difference. John is not being selfish, using the royal plural, saying “our” when he means “my.” Remember, this is a partnership. As we are joining together with Christ at the center, your joy and my joy, is our joy. But here’s the difference: John already is rejoicing in Christ. John already has joy with Christ. He want to share the joy with his reader, with the believers in Ephesus. As we are in partnership with Christ, our joy grows as more partners join the firm. Every time a person comes to Christ, every time there is a new believer, our joy grows.

Now, we have a word to learn. Often when we see the word “complete,” we think of the word that means “finished” or “perfect” – teleos. But this word is not that. It is pleres, meaning “full” or “filled.” So, John isn’t talking about “complete” or “perfect” joy, but about joy that is filling one’s life and spilling over. He’s talking about rejoicing in Christ. As we partner with each other, and as we partner together with Christ, our joy fills up. Each new partner add to our joy. As you join in the partnership, you joy begin to fill up. Peter wrote it this way, Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy (1 Pet 1:8).   

John is inviting us into an adventure as partners with Christ. He’s calling us into a life of joy as we discover the living Word that was from the beginning.