That You May Have Fellowship with Us
“1 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. 2 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. 3 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. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.”
1 John 1:1-4 echoes the introduction of the Gospel of John, testifying to Jesus as the "Word of life from the beginning," and connects to Genesis by emphasizing that Jesus is the Word of God who gives us life.
Jesus is a tangible, personal being—seen, heard, and touched. Just as John’s Gospel declares, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us," God came to this earth in human form to dwell with us. The "Word of life" in 1 John is not merely written text but the person of Jesus Himself, inviting us into fellowship with God. While Scripture is a vital means of understanding God, it ultimately leads us into a personal relationship with Jesus, who is the living Word.
John's message encourages later believers, who did not see Jesus directly, to participate in the same fellowship through the apostles' testimony. This fellowship is not simply social interaction but a spiritual communion centered on God and Jesus Christ, made possible by the Holy Spirit. In Christ, our fellowship calls us to forgive, serve, confess our faith together, and praise the Lord. Through this shared life, our joy becomes complete.
Prayer: Lord, we praise You for sending Jesus, the light of the world, to dwell among us and restore our fellowship with You. May our church exalt You, confess Your lordship, and become a community that welcomes one another in the grace of Christ. Fill us with the joy of walking in Your light and sharing life together in Your love. Amen.
(Note: This summary was created based on an AI draft.)