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The First Epistle of John Series
Sermon 1
Saw, Heard, Touched
I John 1:1-3
Love One Another Gospel Church
Thor F. Carden
May 30, 2004

We will be exploring the I Epistle of John for next several sermons. I do not know how long it will take. (note added later: it took 15 sermons) I am practicing new kind of preaching for me, and I am very grateful for your patience as I learn.

John the Apostle - John was probably the last living apostle and the only one who wasn't martyred for Christ. This letter was apparently written late in the first century close to the end of his life. Some believe it is the last of the New Testament to be written.

Many believe it was his answer to Gnosticism, an early Christian heresy. – The Gnostics were big on special knowledge, Greek philosophy. Some of the things they believed included God did not create the "evil" material world, but that a distant emanation of Him did. They believed that Jesus was a phantom when He lived on the Earth and didn't have a body of flesh. They denied the deity of Christ, claimed that He was only a created being. I find similarities in our liberals friends who lift knowledge above all else, Christian Scientists who believe the material world is evil, and Jehovah's Witnesses who believe Jesus is not Our Lord. Satan is NOT creative, is he.

As we become more familiar with this epistle, you will see that it directly answers the heresies. It will then be easy to see why so many think it was John's answer to this heresy.

Another lie you frequently run into about Gnosticism is the way many people like to think of it as another sect of Christianity. In some ways they were more like the Masonic lodge. You have Jewish Masonic lodges, Protestant Masonic lodges etc. The Gnostics had secret meetings of their own and then tried to take over other religions from within. They were trying to form some universal religion that incorporated all the others. They were not just another sect of Christianity like Baptists and Assembly of God. They were a parasite on all the religions of their age.

Purpose of letter - John states the purpose of the letter in several different verses.

I John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us

I John 1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1 John 2:26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

John's purpose was to promote fellowship, joy, and avoidance of sin; to warn of seducers; to impart knowledge of eternal life, and to foster belief in Jesus among his readers. For such a short little letter these are ambitious goals indeed! But John was writing under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost who cannot fail, as we shall see.

Key words to notice when reading chapter one are fellowship, light, truth, sin, darkness, joy & confess.

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;"

Most of the other epistles in the New Testament begin with some kind of address saying who wrote to whom and where they were.

John1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 8:58 "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."

Rev 1:8 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."

(The following three lists were adapted from a sermon by Coy Wylie given January 2, 2000 at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Amarillo, TX. http://sermons.cornerstonebc.com/sermons.htm In my actual sermon I did not quote all the items on the list and when I did reference them I did not quote them word for word, but paraphrased. Four or five from each of the three, by memory, looking the congregation in the eye, is more effective than reading the whole list, I think.)

Heard -

A. The Apostles heard Him.

1. John speaks of Jesus "which we have heard" in v.1. Imagine what it must have been like to hear Jesus speak the words we now read 2000 years later.

2. John first heard Jesus call he and his brother to abandon their fishing business and become "fishers of men." "Immediately" they followed Him (Mt.4:19-20).

3. John heard Jesus teach. He heard the counter-cultural message of the Sermon on the Mount. He heard Him elevate the Scripture and downplay man-made traditions.

4. John heard Jesus speak words of authority. He heard demons cry out in His presence and helplessly obey His commands. Before Him demons trembled (Ja.2:19).

5. John heard Jesus speak to the creation. At His word the wind and wave were stilled.

6. John heard Jesus rebuke the hypocritical religious leaders of the day. He called them a "brood of vipers." He pointed out their reckless self-glorifying religion

7. John heard Jesus speak words of grace and forgiveness. He heard him say to the woman caught in sin, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? …Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more" (John 8:10,11).

8. John heard Jesus speak from the cross. "Forgive them father, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34). He heard Him cry out victoriously, "It is finished!" (v.30).

9. When John first saw Jesus in His resurrected glory, he heard Him say, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you" (Jn.20:21).

10. John heard Jesus speak words of commission. He said, "Feed my sheep" (Jn.21:17). He heard Him say, "All authority has been given to Me… Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them… teaching them…" (Mt.28:19-20). As an old man he continued fulfilling that commission.

Seen with our eyes -

John1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Looked upon - eqeasameqa - noticed, examined, gazed upon intently, admired

B. The Apostles Saw Him.

1. John describes seeing Jesus in two ways in v.1. He says first, "which we have seen with our eyes." They witnessed Him in the flesh. Second, they "looked upon" Him. This means "to look deeply, to study," like a fine painting or beautiful landscape.

2. John saw Jesus heal all manner of ailments. He saw the blind made to see, the lame made to walk, lepers made clean and even the dead raised to life. He saw Him stop a funeral!

3. John saw Jesus defy nature. He saw Him walk on water. He saw Him turn water to wine. He saw Him feed the multitudes.

4. John saw Him transfigured in glory on Mt. Hermon.

5. John saw Him take little children in His arms and bless them.

6. John saw Him in righteous indignation cleanse the temple.

7. John saw Him falsely tried, beaten and hung on a cross. He saw Him suffer with our sins for six hours and then he saw Him die.

8. John saw the empty tomb, outrunning Peter! John saw Jesus in resurrected form on the beach in Galilee. John saw Him ascend back into heaven.

9. John records Jesus words to Thomas in Jn.20:29, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

C. The Apostles Touched Him.

1. John further says in v.1 "our hands have handled" him. John had physically touched Jesus. I imagine Jesus being physically affectionate. They hugged, embraced frequently.

2. John, "the disciple whom He loved" had his feet washed by Jesus at the Last Supper. There he "leaned on His breast at the supper" (Jn.21:20).

3. It is likely John helped remove Jesus’ body from the cross and laid Him in the borrowed tomb.

4. Like the other disciples, John touched His resurrected body putting his fingers in the nail wounds.

5. To the Gnostics, John could say, "God appeared in the flesh and I know because I touched Him and He touched me!"

(End of lists from Coy Wylie's Sermon)

Word of Life – John 1:1-4 see above

I John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

What does he mean by "it"? The antecedent of it is "life."

Life was manifested, eternal life -

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

John 6:48 I am that bread of life.

In calling Jesus eternal life, not only is John recalling the words of Jesus (John 5:26; 6:48; 11:25; 14:6), he is also repeating the idea expressed in his first words: that Jesus Himself is eternal, and therefore God.

It also implies His role as Our Savior. He delivers us from our just end which is death. Instead He brings us life.

With the Father -

Philippians 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Once again, John asserts that Jesus is Lord.

Bear Witness – This term is like testifying in court or signing a legal affidavit. John is not speaking of a myth or a matter of clever story-telling. He is giving his solemn testimony of what he saw, heard, and touched.

I John 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Seen and heard – referring back to verse 1 - seen, handled, touched, etc.

Declare -

(Verse of a hymn by Charles Wesley)

What we have felt and seen,

With confidence we tell,

And publish to the ends of earth

The signs infallible.

Fellowship – a bunch of fellows in a ship, a key word in this chapter.

(My father always told me that it was the nature of sailing ships that it always required more people to manage a sailing ship than it could comfortably hold. That might be true.)

This "pick-and-choose" manner in which we go about serving ourselves from the tables laden with food at fellowship dinners seems to have made itself into our fellowship with God. We have the tendency to "pick-and-choose" what we want from God and His Word and leave the rest of it alone. But is that the true fellowship God desires with you and I as His children?

koinwnia - fellowship, participation, sharing, oneness, in common, communion.

This word applied to God would be astounding to many of John's readers (and should be astounding to us) The Greek mind-set highly prized the idea of fellowship, but restricted to men among men - the idea of such an intimate relationship with God was revolutionary.

The truth that John has come to him from being so near Jesus Christ, he is sharing with his readers. Why? So that we can have fellowship with each other and with God.

With both Father & Son -

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 15:15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

How can we share with God? Share everything we have, are, or think.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

I had prepared to talk to you about the entire first chapter but I see that time runs short. Let's quickly review.

I John 1:1-3 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."

In the weeks to come we will look closely at the truths John the Apostle, under the inspiration of the Spirit, thought most important to promote our fellowship with each other and with God. He had seen, heard, and touched Jesus Christ and then lived through decades of persecution as his friends were martyred around him. These are ideas that have been tried in the fire and found to be true. I, for one, intend to listen to what he says very carefully.

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