The Word of Life and Fellowship (1 John 1:1-4)

Scripture: 1 John 1:1-4

Today’s Word

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. 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. 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. We write this to make our joy complete. (1 John 1:1-4, NIV)

Background

Key Terms Made Simple

• The Word of life: This expression refers to Jesus Christ, who gives eternal life. Just as the Gospel of John begins with “In the beginning was the Word,” Jesus is the Word of God who became human and came to us.
• From the beginning: This means before the world was created, from eternity past. Jesus is not someone who came into existence at some point, but has been with God from eternity.
• Fellowship: This doesn’t simply mean spending time together, but sharing hearts and lives in a deep relationship and communicating with one another. Biblical fellowship is not superficial meetings but genuine relationships.
• Testify: This means telling others about what you have personally seen and experienced. Just as a witness testifies in court about what they saw, John testifies about the Jesus he experienced.

Key Expressions to Notice

1. “Which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched” (verse 1)
2. “Which was with the Father and has appeared to us” (verse 2)
3. “And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ” (verse 3)
4. “To make our joy complete” (verse 4)

Main Points of the Text

1. The Reality and Pre-existence of Jesus Christ (verses 1-2)
2. The Purpose of Testimony: Fellowship (verse 3)
3. Complete Joy (verse 4)

Applying to My Life

1. Experiential Faith
2. Genuine Fellowship
3. Community of Joy

Think About It

1. Why does John emphasize the experience of “hearing, seeing, and touching”? Today we cannot physically see Jesus, but how can we experience Jesus and testify about Him?
2. What is the true meaning of “fellowship”? How are fellowship with God and fellowship with people connected? Am I sharing genuine fellowship with God?
3. What does it mean to me that the purpose of proclaiming the gospel is “to share joy together”? Am I experiencing and proclaiming the gospel as good news, or am I treating it as a duty or burden?