1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
1 John 1:1-4
The last time I went on vacation to Orange Beach, Alabama I came back and shared details of my amazing trip! This trip engaged all of my senses: from the breathtaking sights of the boundless ocean and old abandoned forts, to the smell of the ocean salt and coconut-scented sunscreen in the air. I felt the warm ocean breeze and the sand between my toes as well as tasted fresh, delicious seafood (Doc’s claims to have the best fried shrimp in the entire civilized world!). I can still hear the crashing of the waves against the sand, and it absolutely transports me back to those blissful summer days. Have you ever encountered anything so amazing you wanted to share it with someone you loved so they could experience it with you, if only so that they could have a piece of the joy and amazement you felt? If the boundless wonders of the natural world that God created can leave such an impression on us, how much more would personally encountering the Word-Made-Flesh, Son of God, Messiah, Jesus Christ leave an indelible mark on those who first-hand witnessed His majesty on earth?
John, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, writes this letter and hits the ground running with his proclamation that he is an eyewitness to Jesus Christ both as He walked the earth, and after He was resurrected. He was present for Jesus’ ministry, miracles, teachings, and even His transfiguration. We learn a lot about Jesus’ ministry, death and resurrection from John’s gospel account, and as this letter was written after the gospel it is possible that John may have intended that his audience was familiar with his earlier writings before reading this letter. (See the Gospel of John chapter 1 if you want an expansion of what John proclaimed about Jesus!).
But for now, John is asserting that he has first-hand knowledge of Jesus, the Word of life, and that his testimony is indeed valid and true. He is clear that he writes this letter to let us in on the amazing privilege to know about both Jesus and the Father, and that as we believe his testimony we get the opportunity to share in fellowship with the Father and the Son. We likewise are connected in fellowship with all who accept this truth and believers in every time and place get to share in the joy that comes from knowing Jesus and the Father. For all who would be brought into this family of God and desire to have deep and lasting fellowship with Jesus, this letter will give us the ways to know if we do indeed share in the joy of knowing God. Fullness of joy abiding in God’s love was Jesus’ desire for His disciples (John 15:11) and John is going to continue Jesus’ teachings through his letter so that we may share in the joy!