1 John 1:1-4 Jesus is the real deal

Now, usually when someone writes a letter, especially to people they know well and care about—folks whose names, kids, and stories they know—they start with "Hey there," or "Hope you're doing well," right? But not old John when he wrote 1 John. He just dives straight into the deep end in verses 1-4, no small talk, no fancy greetings. He cuts right to the chase, and there's a reason for that.

See, John wasn't writing to "us" modern readers in some abstract sense. He was writing to actual communities of Christians he had visited often, people he loved deeply. But here's the thing: these churches were dealing with some serious problems. There were false teachers around, spreading lies about Jesus, saying He wasn't really human, or that you could claim to know God but live however you wanted. These teachings were messing with people's faith, making them doubt the very basics of who Jesus was and what it meant to follow Him.

John was worked up because the truth about Jesus was under attack, and the spiritual well-being of his friends was at stake. He skipped the pleasantries and went straight into the core message because he needed to set the record straight, quickly and clearly. He needed to remind them—and us—that Jesus wasn't some made-up idea or a ghost. He was real, physically real, and that reality changes everything about our faith.

Diving into 1 John: Getting Real with Jesus

Today, we're cracking open 1 John 1:1-4. This isn't some fancy, complicated religious talk; it’s a straightforward message about who Jesus really is and why that matters to us, right here, right now. When you read these verses, you’ll see that John, the guy who wrote this, isn’t messing around. He’s telling us straight up that Jesus wasn’t just some made-up story or a ghost floating around. He was a real person, God in the flesh, and John wants us to get that deep down in our bones.

Back in the day, some folks were spreading lies, saying Jesus wasn’t truly human, that the everyday world was bad, and that God couldn't really be part of it. But John shoots that down hard. He’s like, "Nope! We heard Him, we saw Him with our own eyes, we looked at Him closely, and our hands even touched Him. This is what we’re telling you about the Word of life."

Think about it like this: John is saying Jesus was there from the very beginning, just like it says in Genesis that God was there in the beginning creating everything. John is connecting Jesus, the "Word of life," to the very start of everything. He’s not just some good teacher; He’s the one who made life and keeps it going. Guys like Craig Keener, who know a lot about the Bible, point out how important this "eyewitness" stuff was back then. If someone actually saw and experienced something, their word carried a lot of weight. John isn’t just passing along rumors; he’s sharing what he and the other guys who were with Jesus actually lived through.

Rabbit Trail #1: The "Word of Life" and John's Gospel (1 John 1:1)

When John calls Jesus the "Word of life," it's not a new idea for him. If you've ever read the Gospel of John (another book written by the same guy), you'll remember how it starts: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).

• Echoes of Genesis: This immediately brings to mind the very beginning of the Bible, Genesis 1, where God speaks creation into existence. So, John is telling us that Jesus isn't just part of creation; He's the divine power, the "Word," through whom creation happened. He's not a created being; He's the Creator.

• Confronting False Ideas: At the time John was writing, there were these false teachings floating around, often called Gnosticism (pronounced NOSS-tih-siz-um). These folks believed that anything spiritual was good, but anything physical was bad. So, they couldn't wrap their heads around the idea that God, who is purely spiritual, would ever become a human being with a physical body. They'd say Jesus only seemed human, like a ghost, or that the "Christ spirit" just temporarily landed on the human Jesus.

• John's Rebuttal: By starting 1 John the way he does—emphasizing "what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked at and our hands touched"—John is directly fighting these Gnostic ideas. He's saying, "No, this wasn't a spiritual apparition. He was real. We touched Him. He was flesh and blood, just like us, but also God." This realness is crucial because if Jesus wasn't fully human, then His death on the cross couldn't truly pay for our human sins.

When John says "we have heard," it’s not just that they listened with their ears. It means they truly got what Jesus was saying and lived by it. "Seeing" wasn't just a quick look; it was really studying Him, watching what He did. And "touched"? That’s the clincher, the undeniable proof that He was real, solid, and right there. John leaves no room for doubt: Jesus was real, He had a body, and the apostles hung out with Him, ate with Him, and saw Him perform miracles.

Why does John hammer this point home so much? Because the whole deal with our faith—Jesus’s life, His death on the cross, and coming back to life—it all depends on Him being truly human. If He wasn't, then His sacrifice on the cross means nothing, and we’re still stuck. John wants us to get how huge it is that God Himself stepped into our world, became a human, and lived among us. This "Word of life" isn't some abstract idea; He's a living, breathing person who gives eternal life to anyone who believes in Him. And the apostles, because they experienced this life-changing reality, just had to tell everyone about it so we could all share in this connection with God.

Rabbit Trail #2: What's Up with "Fellowship"? (1 John 1:3)

When John talks about "fellowship," he's not just talking about coffee and donuts after church, or even just hanging out with your buddies. The Greek word he uses is koinonia (pronounced koy-nohn-EE-ah). This word is much bigger than just casual get-togethers.

• It means sharing in something together. Think about a business partnership where everyone puts in their share and has a common goal. That's koinonia. In this context, it means we share in the divine life of God, and because we share that with Him, we also share it with each other. It's a deep, common bond that unites believers.

  
  

• It's about having things in common. What do we have in common as Christians? Our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit living in us, and the mission to live like Christ.

  
  

• It implies participation and contribution. It's not just receiving; it's also about giving to the community, supporting each other, and participating in the work God has for us. So when John says they shared their story so "you also may have fellowship with us," he means they want you to jump into this shared life and purpose with them, which then connects you directly to God and Jesus.

Rabbit Trails: Digging Deeper (and Why We Do It)

Sometimes, when we're trying to understand an ancient text like the Bible, it's easy to forget that it wasn't written in a vacuum. It was written by real people, to real people, in a specific time and place, facing real-world problems. Just like if you read an old letter from your grandparents, you might need to know a little about what was going on in their town or family at the time to fully "get" what they were talking about.

That's where "extra-biblical sources" come in. These aren't more books of the Bible, and they certainly don't replace Scripture. Think of them more like historical records, old newspapers, or even other letters from the same period. We check them out because:

1. They give us context: They help us understand the world the Bible was written in – the cultures, the politics, the common ideas, and especially the opposing viewpoints.

   
   

2. They confirm what the Bible hints at: Sometimes the Bible talks about problems or groups without going into super-deep detail. Extra-biblical sources can often fill in those gaps, confirming that these issues were indeed real and widespread.

   
   

3. They sharpen our understanding: By seeing the challenges the early Christians faced from outside the Bible, we can better appreciate why the biblical authors chose to emphasize certain truths and fight against certain errors.

   
   

In the case of 1 John, we mentioned that John was wrestling with some "false teachers" who were spreading lies about Jesus. But how do we know for sure what those lies were, or if those groups even existed? This is where looking beyond the Bible's pages helps us out. It gives us solid proof that these were real problems and sheds light on exactly what those false teachings were, making John's strong words even more powerful.

A look at some sources beyond the bible:

There's strong evidence that Gnosticism, or at least proto-Gnostic ideas, were indeed the significant problem John was confronting. (By the way "proto-Gnostic" just means the beginning of the Gnostic way of thinking)

Here's how extra-biblical sources help us understand this:

1. The Writings of Early Church Fathers (Anti-Gnostic Polemics): One of the most direct sources of information about Gnosticism comes from the very people who fought against it: early Christian leaders and theologians, often referred to as "Church Fathers." They wrote extensively to defend orthodox Christian beliefs against these emerging heresies.

• Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 140-202 AD): This is arguably the most important source. Irenaeus, a bishop in Gaul (modern-day France), wrote a massive five-volume work titled "Against Heresies" (Adversus Haereses). In this work, he systematically describes and refutes various Gnostic systems, often naming their leaders (like Valentinus and Basilides) and detailing their specific beliefs. He lays out their views on creation (that a lesser, evil god created the material world), their understanding of Christ (that he only seemed to have a body, a view called Docetism), and their concept of salvation (through secret knowledge, or "gnosis"). Irenaeus's work is our primary ancient source for understanding the diversity and challenges posed by Gnosticism.

  
  

• Tertullian (c. 160-220 AD): Another influential Church Father from North Africa, Tertullian also wrote against Gnosticism, particularly in his work "Against Valentinians" and "Against Marcion." Marcion, while sometimes considered a distinct heresy, shared many Gnostic tendencies, particularly the rejection of the Old Testament God and the belief that the material world was evil.

  
  

• Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170-235 AD): His work, "Refutation of All Heresies" (Refutatio Omnium Haeresium), provides further detailed accounts of various Gnostic groups and their teachings.

  
  

These Church Fathers consistently highlight the Gnostic denial of Christ's true humanity and the goodness of the material creation as core issues, which aligns perfectly with John's emphasis in 1 John 1:1-4.

2. The Nag Hammadi Library (Direct Gnostic Texts): While the Church Fathers provide accounts about Gnosticism, the most groundbreaking discovery for understanding Gnosticism came in 1945. In Nag Hammadi, Egypt, a collection of thirteen ancient codices (books) was found, containing over fifty Gnostic texts. This collection, known as the Nag Hammadi Library, includes texts like:

• The Gospel of Thomas: A collection of sayings attributed to Jesus, often emphasizing secret knowledge and an individualistic path to enlightenment, with little focus on the crucifixion or resurrection.

  
  

• The Gospel of Philip: Contains more mystical and esoteric teachings, and also includes ideas about the sacredness of marriage and the role of Mary Magdalene that differ significantly from mainstream Christian thought.

  
  

• The Apocryphon of John: This text, like many Gnostic works, tells an alternative creation story where the material world is created by a lesser, flawed deity (the Demiurge), not the true, supreme God.

  
  

• The Gospel of Truth: A meditation on the meaning of Jesus' life and death, often described in terms of knowledge and ignorance.

  
  

The discovery of these actual Gnostic writings confirmed much of what the Church Fathers had claimed. They show the diverse nature of Gnosticism, but also its consistent themes: a dualistic worldview (spirit good, matter evil), the idea of secret knowledge (gnosis) as the key to salvation, a different view of God (often a distinction between a supreme, unknowable God and a lesser, Old Testament creator god), and a tendency to deny the full humanity of Jesus.

Why is this important for 1 John?

The consistent denial of Jesus' true humanity (Docetism) by various Gnostic groups directly explains why John emphasizes hearing, seeing, looking at, and touching Jesus. He's not just making a point for fun; he's correcting a dangerous false teaching that was undermining the very foundation of the Christian faith. If Jesus wasn't fully human, then His death on the cross has no meaning for human sin, and His resurrection isn't a victory over physical death. John's powerful opening is a direct, urgent response to the existential threat posed by Gnostic ideas to the early Christian communities he knew and loved.

There's more to this STUDY GUIDE

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN FURTHER FOR:

• Questions to chew on and discuss (or for your journal)

• A Journey Group Discussion Starter (use in your small group time)

• Modern Day Application Ideas

Want to watch the video version of the Daily Bible Podcast Episode that corresponds to this study guide? Here you go!

Things to Think About and Talk Over:

• Why is it such a big deal that people actually saw and touched Jesus? What would be lost if Jesus was just a spirit and not really human?

  
  

• John talks about "hearing," "seeing," and "touching" Jesus. How does that push back on any idea that our faith is just about thinking smart thoughts or believing abstract ideas?

  
  

• How can we, today, really "proclaim" what we’ve experienced of the "Word of life" in our own lives, even if we can't physically touch Jesus?

Get Together and Talk:

• Think about a time when you actually experienced something, rather than just hearing about it, and it completely changed how you understood or believed it. How does that help you get why John’s eyewitness account of Jesus is so important?

Want to learn more about our Journey Groups (Small Groups online or in person)

How This Hits Home for You:

First off, embrace the realness of your faith. We can't physically touch Jesus today, but we feel Him through His Word, His Spirit, and through other Christians. Look for ways to actually do your faith: serve others, worship with passion, and spend time with other believers.

Second, be a straight-up proclaimer. Just like the apostles couldn't keep quiet about what they experienced, we’re also called to share the good news about Jesus. You don’t have to preach a sermon; it can be as simple as telling a friend or neighbor how Jesus has changed your life.

Lastly, make fellowship a priority. John says they shared their story so we could have fellowship with them, and that fellowship connects us to God and His Son Jesus. When we share our experience of Christ, it pulls us closer together and deepens our relationship with God.

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU GROW AS A CHRISTIAN

Are you ready to stop stumbling around in the dark and start walking in the light with some good people? Don't let your spiritual journey be a solo mission to Mars! Join a Journey Group today and find the crew and the guidance you need. Head over to https://www.yourjesusjourney.com/journeygroups to learn more about joining a group, hooking up with one, or even kicking off your own. Because honestly, trying to figure out the Bible on your own is like trying to fix your truck with a butter knife—as in not recommended 🤣

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EXCITING DREAMS TAKING SHAPE

From road life to dream home base! 🚚➡️🏡 After years of traveling, God led us to an incredible spot in Arizona to build a ministry hub & bless others. You won't believe how it happened! ✨ Watch our new video to see the first glimpse! 👇

For the past three years, Kaila and I have been living life on the road, exploring and serving wherever God leads us. It's been an incredible journey, but carrying everything we own and constantly navigating started us dreaming of something more: a home base. A place to lighten our load, simplify, and most importantly, create a space where we can truly bless others. This video is the first glimpse of that dream!

As full-time traveling missionaries and founders of YourJesusJourney.com, we live on a modest income, relying on the generosity of others to support our three-fold ministry vision: helping people understand the Bible in context, finding Christian friends, and equipping disciple makers. So, you might be wondering, how are we able to pursue something this ambitious? About a year and a half ago, Kaila’s beloved dad passed away. With his passing, Kaila inherited their expansive family home and horse property on the breathtaking North Shore of Lake Superior, in beautiful Ontario—the place she grew up, where she rode her first bike and horse, and learned to drive. After much prayer and seeking God’s guidance, we decided to sell the property. What you see here came as a result of that incredible blessing, and all the work unfolding in the next year or two will also be funded by it.

Ultimately, it’s all God’s money, God’s land, and God’s resources—we simply want to be faithful stewards, investing what He’s entrusted us with to serve our family, friends, and help countless others experience God and the lessons of the Bible in a whole new way. We prayed and searched high and low, from Texas to Idaho, and God consistently drew us back to this breathtaking location in Northwest Arizona. Imagine: a spot overlooking the world's densest Joshua Tree forest, just minutes from the Grand Canyon, with epic mountains in our backyard! Our deepest desire for this place is to be a haven for renewal. A spot where our kids can visit, Kaila's mom can stay, and friends can gather. But even bigger than that, it's a launchpad for new ministry—a place to invite people to rest, recharge, share meals, grow friendships, and truly be renewed in the desert sun. We're already dreaming of leading hikes, teaching Bible lessons, and hosting retreats.

There’s a lot of exciting work ahead, but we're stepping out in faith, trusting God every step of the way. We’re so excited to share this new chapter with our family, friends, and all of you! If you want to learn more about our ministry, please visit YourJesusJourney.com. And if you have any questions, or just want to send your prayers or encouragement, please fill up that comment section or reach out directly at YourJesusJourney@gmail.com.

We've journeyed through the Bible, verse by verse, for over 15 books now! We take each passage and break it down into easy-to-understand chunks of plain English. Along the way, we uncover fascinating historical details and explore the cultural context, truly bringing the scriptures to life in a way that resonates. Forget dusty footnotes and words that send you reaching for a thesaurus – we make God's Word approachable and meaningful for everyone. And because we know you're eager to dig even deeper, make sure to subscribe to the Daily Bible Podcast and catch the video podcast each day that complements these blogs!