Sermon Tone Analysis

*1 Jn. 1:1-4  Eyewitness to the Resurrection*

*Parklane.

**Sunday April 23, 2006**.

**9:45-11:00*

 

What makes a *good story*?

Usually the *stories that touch our lives most* are those we *experience firsthand*.

When something is *important to us* we are subject to *intense emotions*.

When we *tell others* about the events, the *emotions flow back* and we can often remember *vivid details*.

Things like *smell, touch* and *visual images* combine to an intense sensation.

When the apostle John was challenged about the resurrection and nature of Jesus Christ in the first century, the testimony that he gives is one of a first hand witness.

As an *apostolic eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry*, including his *death and resurrection*, and as *one of the 3 most intimate associates* of the Lord (John, Peter, James).

Written probably between 85-95 AD, it was written by an elderly eyewitness of Christ, John, to second and third generation Gentile believers.

*We are very much like that original *audience:

* As Hebrews 11: 1 says:

*Heb 11:1*  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

* *We must base our faith* on *eyewitness testimony* and the *reliability of it.*

How* significant* are the *historical events of the Resurrection and person of Jesus Christ*.

If you have *not trusted Christ,* how do you regard these two things?

Is it just a story like a *nursery rhyme*, that is *general good teachings* *or feelings*, yet *fiction?*

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is an historical event that *few can be indifferent about.

*

 

*With the resurrection and the person of Christ, we can see 1) The Word of life, 2) Walking in the Light *

* *

*1)      **The Word of Life  *

1 Jn 1:1-4

*First we see the nature of the Humanity of Christ**.*

*1:1 That which.

He says “That” not “who”: The term has a broader meaning including the person and message of Jesus Christ.

*This phrase refers to the proclamation *of the gospel that centers in Christ’s* *person, words, and works* as contained in apostolic testimony.

*from the beginning.

*Although John’s gospel uses a similar phrase meaning eternity past (John 1:1, “in the beginning”).

*Joh 1:1*  In the *beginning* was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Joh 1:2  He was in the beginning with God.

Joh 1:3  *All things were made through him,* and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Joh 1:4  In him was life, and the life was *the light* of men.

Joh 1:5  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Joh 1:6  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

Joh 1:7  He came as a *witness, to bear witness about the light*, that all might believe through him.

Joh 1:8  He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

Joh 1:9  The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

The phrase in 1 J., in the context of vv.

1–4*, refers to the beginnings of gospel preaching when the readers first heard about Jesus *(cf.

2:7,24).

The phrase also *emphasizes* the *stability of the gospel message*; its *contents do not change* but *remain stable from the very beginning*; it is not *subject to change* due to current worldly fads or philosophical thinking.

*we have heard … we have seen … we have looked upon … our hands have handled.

*

·        *John* most likely wrote these words in his *old age*, some *60 years after* the events took place.

*These memories *were permanently etched on his mind *as if the events had just happened*.

·        Although the name of the author (the elder 2,3 Jn.), reference to the addresses (general letter to the churches in Asia-Turkey), and  greeting are absent, the writer knows the readers intimately.

He repeatedly addresses them as dear children, dear friends and my brothers (2:1, 12, 18, 28; 4:4; 5:21).

·        He indicated that he belongs to their own fellowship (2:19).

This reality was so power for John and the others who heard, seen and touched Christ that they said:

Act 4:20  for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."

·        He uses *terms* that *strongly affirm the physical reality of Jesus*, for a *being that is just spirit or apparition*, cannot be heard, gazed at for long periods (“looked upon”) or touched (“handled”) *as Jesus was by John during His earthly ministry and even after His resurrection*.

·        *The phrasing links the resurrection appearances* *where Jesus was in the upper room* and *ate with the eleven*.

Luk 24:39  See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.

*Touch *me, and see.

For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have."

Luk 24:40  And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

Luk 24:41  And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" Luk 24:42  They gave him a piece of broiled fish, Luk 24:43  and he took it and *ate before them*.

·        *The Word of life**.*

This *refers* not only to *Jesus Christ* but *the proclamation of His gospel.*

* *

* *

*1:2,3 manifested … seen … bear witness … heard … declare.*

John dramatically reemphasizes through repetition of these terms in vv.

2,3 (cf.

v. 1) the authority of his own personal experience as an eyewitness of Jesus’ life.

Such repetition pointedly reminds his readers that *John’s personal testimony* *refutes the false teachers who boasted arrogantly and wrongly about the Christ they had never seen or known.*

One group of *False Teachers (Gnostics)* claimed that matter is evil.

Another (*Docetists*- from the Greek verb /dolein /meaning to appear) denied that a sinless Christ could have a human (and thus sinful) body.

They say that Christ only descended upon the body of Jesus at his baptism and left him at his crucifixion (/Holy Blood , Holy Grail/).

In this manner, the Docetists sought to maintain that the heavenly Christ has no contact with a body that was evil.

They actually taught that Christ did not really come in the flesh (Jn.

1:14) (see 1 J. 4:2, 2 Jn. 7).

·        The false teaches had risen from among the congregations (1 Jn. 2:19) and the people who were left were probably second guessing themselves, and discouraged.

·        The situation is very much like today where we have teaches who claim direct inspired revelation from God, a secret knowledge, that people must obey for eternal life.

*Why was it necessary for Christ to have a physical body?*:

Heb 2:17  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful *high priest* in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

John later said that the *recognition of the human body of Christ is a test of orthodoxy*:

1 Jn.

4:2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the *flesh i*s from God.

*Now we see the Nature of Christ’s Divinity*

*1:2 that eternal life … with the Father and … manifested to us.*

With this phrase, John accentuates the *eternality of Christ in his pre-incarnate glory*

·        Jesus is described as “the Life” not just “*life*”: *Fullness of life* is *in Jesus Christ.*

*Faith in Christ enables life* not *eliminating some false concept of killing of all fun.

*

·        *The description of his life “with the Father” points to its eternal nature.*

Jn. 5:1-18

(Read)

 

·        One of the *clearest witnesses of the declaration of the divinity of Christ* is by the *hostile sources around Jesus*.

One may *suspect a friendly source* to *embellish the truth,* but what of those who were *hostile *to him?

The *Pharisees knew who Jesus claimed to be* and *what he was doing* but *they hated it and they hated him.*

Likewise, the Roman historian *Tastitus*, and the Jewish historian *Flavious Josephus*.

*1:3 fellowship with us.*

Fellowship (koinonia) does not mean *social relations*, but that *his readers* were to *be partakers* *(or, partners) with John in possessing eternal life *

Phi 1:3  I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, Phi 1:4  always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, Phi 1:5  because of your *partnership *in the gospel from the first day until now.

*Peter in his testimony and instruction to the Church explains: *

 

*1Pe 5:1*  So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a *partaker in the glory* that is going to be revealed:

 

*2Pe 1:1*  Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2Pe 1:2  May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

2Pe 1:3  His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 2Pe 1:4  by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become *partakers of the divine nature*, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

That genuine Christians are never “out of fellowship” is clear, since this verse equates fellowship with salvation.

The knowledge of this fellowship in Salvation is eternal and can be assured of such.

1Jo 5:13  I write these things to you who *believe *in the name of the Son of God that you may *know that you have eternal life*.

·        Martyn Lloyd-Jones said: *Assurance* is not essential to salvation, but it is *essential to the joy of salvation*.

*1:4 your joy may be full**.*

*A main goal for this epistle* is to *create joy in the readers*.