Fellowship Life - Fullness of Joy
Some of the greatest narrative moments are arrivals. Han Solo says, “You’re all clear, kid.” Aslan storms the field with the White Witch’s prisoners quickened. Gandalf arrives at Helm’s Deep with the Rohirrim (or the men of Westfold, if you’re a purist). As portals fill the sky, the Avengers hear a voice say, “On your left.”
Arrivals like these bring change. The story turns with their appearing — and even more poignantly — they turn not simply on power, but power arrives on the wings of these relationships.
We talk about those stories almost like eye witnesses ourselves. We love those stories, because they echo a more glorious story woven into realities fabric by God:
“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— 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— 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. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” (1 John 1:1–4, ESV)
From the Beginning
Imagine hearing somebody tell you they saw the Independence of America, as though they saw John Hancock dip his quill.
The Apostle John says he (and his fellow eyewitnesses) saw “The Beginning;” the power and the reality of creation itself. He calls it “The life” saying we heard it, we saw it with our eyes, we touched “the word of life.”
Throughout Scripture, Jesus is mysteriously both a person and a concept. The word for Word here can mean “news” or “argument” in some circles it carried the meaning of “rationality” or “logic” and described the thing that holds reality together.
John says that thing is a person, and He is the source of all life, the source of eternal life (v2), and His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father. John didn’t see the independence of America; he saw the origin and source of all existence, and heard the news that it had arrived.
Made Manifest
Before Tolkien imagined Aragorn’s sunrise cry, “Behold the White Rider! … Gandalf is come again!” John wrote that the Life was revealed. It appeared. He was made manifest.
And He changed everything. Jesus, after all, had been there all along, from the beginning itself Jesus was with the Father in the brilliant radiance of His glory. But he appeared, so that John’s compatriots may proclaim life everlasting.
His arrival came on the wings of relationship. Jesus came not simply to give life but to give life for our fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
We can be friends with the Almighty, because Jesus came to reconcile us to the Father.
“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,” (Colossians 1:19–22, ESV)
What better news, what greater arrival, what sweeter reunion could there be? I know of none other than the reconciliation wrought by the redemption of the Eternal Word of Life.
Complete Joy
John says, these glorious truths are written for the fullness of joy. Ancient copies of this verse differ over a single letter between “your joy” or “our joy.”
In other words, is telling people about Jesus the way to complete happiness for the Apostle? Or is hearing about Jesus in more detail the way to complete happiness for Christians who already believe?
We don’t need to worry, both are true from the rest of Scripture and this letter, and the point of the paragraph can handle both takeaways. Let both stir your heart to joy:
Rejoice that Jesus has arrived with redemption to give and reconciliation to bring and because His death and resurrection, we can have fellowship with God.
Rejoice to tell people about Him.