Fellowship With Jesus
In his writings, the apostle John teaches on the importance of Christian Fellowship, not only with one another, but most importantly with Jesus. John begins his first letter similarly to his Gospel, by introducing his readers to the Jesus of whom he and his fellow disciples had fellowship. Yes, the Jesus that John and the other disciples fellowshipped was a man - but most importantly - John wants you and I to know Jesus was also God incarnate. As difficult as this is for some to believe, John declares it to be The Truth. As an introduction of his Gospel, John portrays Jesus as The Divine Creator and, The Word of God:
“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5 NIV)
John went on to affirm that Jesus - as The Divine Word who was before the beginning of creation - became a man and lived among us: “14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
In the rest of his Gospel, John continued to write about the ministry of Jesus cumulating with His death on Calvary and His Resurrection on the third day. Later he would write letters to believers, beginning once more by emphasizing the Divinity of Jesus:
“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.” (1 John 1:1-3)
This is the Jesus of whom John longs for you and I to know. Not the Jesus of different religions which either deny, or fail to understand, that God became flesh and offered the final Sacrifice for sin. By His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection, Jesus made the way for you and I to have Fellowship with God. John’s desire is that we personally know our Savior to the full extent of personal Fellowship. By this knowledge we will not be deceived by false teachers and the Jesus portray in movies and tv shows. Do you have the assuring spiritual union with the Jesus revealed in The Bible who brings spiritual life?
“7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
(Psalm 36:7-9)
Today, let us give thanks for the opportunity of Fellowship with Jesus.
John Joseph Fox.
In his writings, the apostle John teaches on the importance of Christian Fellowship, not only with one another, but most importantly with Jesus. John begins his first letter similarly to his Gospel, by introducing his readers to the Jesus of whom he and his fellow disciples had fellowship. Yes, the Jesus that John and the other disciples fellowshipped was a man - but most importantly - John wants you and I to know Jesus was also God incarnate. As difficult as this is for some to believe, John declares it to be The Truth. As an introduction of his Gospel, John portrays Jesus as The Divine Creator and, The Word of God:
“1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:1-5 NIV)
John went on to affirm that Jesus - as The Divine Word who was before the beginning of creation - became a man and lived among us: “14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
In the rest of his Gospel, John continued to write about the ministry of Jesus cumulating with His death on Calvary and His Resurrection on the third day. Later he would write letters to believers, beginning once more by emphasizing the Divinity of Jesus:
“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.” (1 John 1:1-3)
This is the Jesus of whom John longs for you and I to know. Not the Jesus of different religions which either deny, or fail to understand, that God became flesh and offered the final Sacrifice for sin. By His Sacrificial Death and Resurrection, Jesus made the way for you and I to have Fellowship with God. John’s desire is that we personally know our Savior to the full extent of personal Fellowship. By this knowledge we will not be deceived by false teachers and the Jesus portray in movies and tv shows. Do you have the assuring spiritual union with the Jesus revealed in The Bible who brings spiritual life?
“7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;
you give them drink from your river of delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
(Psalm 36:7-9)
Today, let us give thanks for the opportunity of Fellowship with Jesus.
John Joseph Fox.
