Wednesday, December 14, 2022

            John is a standout figure in the New Testament.  He was a fisherman prior to hearing the Lord’s call to become a fisher of men.  His gospel is distinctly different from the way Matthew, Mark and Luke present the good news of Jesus.  The way John introduces us to Jesus stands in contrast to Matthew’s genealogy, Luke’s story of the birth of Jesus and Mark’s starting point at the baptism.  John unapologetically presented Jesus as God—God in the flesh.    
            John also contributed three letters and the book of Revelation to the New Testament.  He casts a large and looming shadow over the gospel message.  In I John, we find an opening that is similar to the way John opened his gospel.  We read, “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” (I John 1:1).  Jesus did not come into existence in Bethlehem.  Not at all.  The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem was not His “beginning.”  As John pointed out, Jesus was from “the beginning.”  Our Lord has always existed.  He is the Son of God who has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 
            We also learn from John that Jesus was real—fully human in addition to being fully divine or fully God.  John wrote that he had heard and seen Jesus.  He had looked at Him and touched Him.  There was no doubt that Jesus was real and walked among John and others in the first century.  He was not a ghost or phantom.  Equally, there was no doubt about His resurrection on Easter morning.  The Lord walked out of the tomb and lives to this day. 
            In I John, the apostle made it clear that he would speak about and testify to the reality of Jesus so that others would know the Lord too.  John wrote, “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” (I John 1:2-3).  John shared what he knew and believed.  We are called to do likewise—to speak and to declare how we have met the Lord and how He has entered into our lives. 
            These opening three verses teach us four truths that we can apply to our lives today.  First, we are not to be silent about the gospel or our faith in Christ.  We are to speak about the Lord and to make known how He has changed us.  Just as you might talk about your favorite movie, team or concert, talk about the Lord.  Engage others in a conversation about the gospel and God’s love.  Second, we need to invest in our faith.  We want to grow in Christ and in our knowledge of Him.  We do not want to meander through life in a stagnant way.  May we live with a passion to grow in our faith.  Third, we enjoy fellowship with other believers.  We worship together.  We serve together.  We celebrate our faith with other brothers and sisters.  I have had the chance to worship in many different places where I did not understand the language but felt a connection with my fellow believers.  That connection was our fellowship in Christ.  And fourth, John challenges us to be bold and courageous in sharing Christ.  Share what He has done for you.  Seize the opportunities that the Lord may give you.  Never neglect a single chance where you can talk about the Lord and your faith.  Trust that Christ will give you the courage to testify and to make Him known.  After Jesus healed a blind man, this grateful man simply said, “I was blind but now I see.”  A testimony does not have to be a book in length or deeply complicated with big words.  We just confidently talk about how Christ has changed us.
            Remember we will distribute food and gifts to adopted families on Saturday morning at 9am. We’ll gather in the fellowship hall.  Come help us make a day of blessing for others!  Have a great Wednesday.  Remember you can worship any time at youtube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.