Thanks for listening to the latest message from Him We Proclaim. In this encouraging series, Pastor John walks us through the resurrection of Jesus, the reality of eternal life. The grace of baptism, and the unshakable assurance believers have in Christ. I hope you have your copy of Scriptures along. We'll be looking at passages like 1 Corinthians, Luke, 1 John, and more.
To get gospel-centered reminders of God's faithfulness, power, and grace toward His people. Whether you're seeking hope, clarity, or a deeper understanding of the gospel, these sermons are rich with biblical truth and comfort. Let's listen now to today's message called Assurance Found in the Resurrected Christ, Part 2. All right, back to 1 John. And here's the key question about 1 John.
This is the key issue about what the book is about. Who is Jesus? Right? That's a great question, isn't it? Who is Jesus?
How do you answer that? Who is Jesus? That's the issue that John is addressing actually in this letter. Because the question of Jesus' identity filled. the minds of first century Jews.
Here's an example. Uh John chapter 10 verse 24. It says the Jews gathered. around him And we're saying to him, How long will you keep us in suspense? If If you are the Christ.
The Messiah. That was Plainly. See, that's the issue. Because to To a first century Jew This is what being the Christ. Mat then.
G is is the political hole. King of Israel. He's coming to overthrow Rome. And so, this great stumbling block for the Jews was reconciling the conquering Son of Man. Pictured them.
In Daniel chapter 7. with the suffering servant Oh. Isaiah 53. And so Jesus. There are concept of Messiah Couldn't accept a suffering servant.
couldn't accept this Kingdomed out. wasn't political and military. And so if the Jews had been willing to approach Jesus with a believing heart. They could know that Jesus. Was the Son of God, Christ, Messiah?
Yeah. By his father. But John says, if Jesus had spoken plainly to them. They still would have rejected him. John says Jesus answers the the Jews And he says, I told you.
I told you plainly, I told you. And he says, and you don't believe. I told you, and you don't. But wave. But John in his gospel.
In chapter 20 is convinced that the record of Jesus'. Jesus is teachings and his works. Is enough to convince people that he is the Christ. That he isn't the Messiah. He says, as Jesus performed many other signs.
in the presence of his disciples. But he has those, I didn't. Write them in the book. But he says these that I have written Um I have written so that you might believe, listen, that Jesus. is the Christ.
Messiah. Why? because believing that he's the Son of God The Christ. He says you can have life. In his name.
Some of the greatest. work that Jesus did that proved that he was the Christ, the Son of God. Guess what? Was His resurrection. That's the greatest proof that he was the Christ.
that he is the Christ.
Now, here's the question. Why? Is it important to understand this disagreement from the first century. About Jesus' identity. Is he the Christ?
Is he not the Christ? It's important because that issue, who is Jesus? Provides the historical context for 1 John. First John has to be understood. In this context, There were two groups of Jewish people.
In John's church, who had a disagreement about. The identity of Jesus. And John writes to his little children to assure them That Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. And because of that, they can have assurance that they have salvation. And so he picks up this.
Bladder. And he says, look, in the aftermath of this serious disagreement. that has taken place in the church, this split that has taken place in the church that has left you without assurance. Let me assure you that Jesus is the Christ. That's how he begins this Letter.
This Jewish argument was about the claim Jesus is the Messiah. Look at 1 John 2, verse 22. And look what John says about those who have left the church. He says, Who? He asks this question.
Who is the liar? But the one who denies that Jesus is. the Christ. A messiah. And so what happened was when.
One side couldn't be convinced that Jesus is the Messiah. 1 John chapter 2, verse 19, look what happened. He says, they went out from us. They left the church. And because they had denied that Jesus is Messiah, that he's the Christ.
This is why John calls them anti-Messiah. anti-Christ throughout this letter. Because they're against Christ. They deny Christ.
Now, if there's anything central to the Christian faith. It's this. It's confessing that Jesus is the Christ. But John says, and you reject this claim. He says you place yourself outside of the Christian faith.
So John begins things. letter with this apostolic eyewitness proclamation of Jesus resurrection, which proves that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. Because John's purpose to write this letter was to assure his Christian Audience That they had salvation, that they possessed eternal life. In the face of the fact that their fellow Friends. Church members left this faith.
Deny that Jesus is the Christ. And so as I told you, his letter is not intended to test his reader's faith. Is intended to assure them that they have passed the test. because they are continuing to confess That Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah. while others have turned away.
Look at the first verse of 1 John. John calls the message that he proclaims to his readers, he calls them his children, children in the faith. He says it's the message of life. There's no Message of life, the first five verses, the theme of the first five verses. Is this message of life that John and the Apostles proclaimed?
So the question is, what is the message of life? that John preached to his that John and the Apostles proclaimed. Listen carefully. He says that the message of life. Consists of this.
Resurrection appearances. of Jesus to the disciples. That's it. That's what he's talking about. It's the proclamation of the incarnate risen Christ.
That forms the framework for the whole letter. And so John. opens up this letter. And he assures his children in the faith of their salvation. How?
By setting forth this message of life. He gives them, he says, children, I proclaim to you this message of life. Look at the first verse. He says, first of all, this message of life, we have experienced the apostles, we have experienced this. Firsthand.
And because of this first-hand experience, this is what we proclaim to you. This is what we preach to people. Look at the first verse. He says, What? What was from the beginning?
What we have heard What we have seen with our eyes. What we haven't looked at, that is scrutinized carefully. What we have touched. With our hands. He says, concerning this message of life.
So much here to see. Here's the first thing to see. These opening verses, you have to get this to get the book. All right, this is the key to understanding 1 John. These first four phrases That John begins with He makes it.
In the context of this Jewish disagreement about the identity of Jesus. Who is Jesus? John says, Jesus is the Christ The vital proof of that is that he has been raised from the dead, the apostles are eyewitnesses to it. They have seen it, they have scrutinized it, they have heard it, they have touched it. And John begins the very first verse.
On this. note of assurance. For his children who have not left the faith. but are confused. Is Jesus the Messiah?
Is he not? Have we believed the truth of the gospel or have we not? Have the people who left. Do they have the truth and do we have the truth? And so God begins from the very outset of this letter.
very passionately pleading for the truth of Jesus' resurrection to prove that he is the Messiah to assure his children you are trusting the right person. And because of that, you have. Salvation, you have eternal life. Second, these four phrases can be traced back to Luke. In John, the Gospels.
Because these phrases, these words come from Those resurrection passages will come back to that. Third, these four phrases describe John's and the Apostles' preaching. What what did they preach back then? This is so critically important. What was the content they're preaching?
John says it was the resurrected Christ. Proclaimed Jesus. Why? Because they had this. powerful encounter with him.
After his crucifixion, not just one time, but three times, but there were seven total appearances, but with his disciples, there were three. And so powerful were these encounters with the risen Jesus. They said, we've got to proclaim this. Why? Because this is what Jesus taught them in his post-resurrection appearances.
He taught Luke 24 on the Maas Road. What is the whole Bible about? It is about him. He is the content. He is the subject.
He is the person. He is the story. And so this was apostolic preaching at its best.
Now, look, look at look look at verse one. Each phrase that John gives here in verse 1 refers to Jesus' post. resurrection appearances to his disciples because that's what it's talking about John begins, as I said, by assuring his children, Jesus is the Christ. How do you know this, John? Because we have, and then he tells you why.
He tells you how. He grounds the certainty of Christ's resurrection upon the foundation of the Apostles first-hand eyewitness experience with Jesus himself.
So look at these clauses and see what John says about this. Look at the first clause. What, he says, what was from the beginning.
Now, it's often thought that this phrase Echoes John's gospel, the first chapter, the first verse. He's as In the beginning was what? The word, but that's not what John's talking about here. That's not what he's talking about. He's not referring to the beginning of all things.
He's not referring to creation. or before creation. That's not what he's talking about. John is saying that this message life that they preach Right? This message of life.
He says, This message comes from the beginning. What beginning? The message about Jesus' post-resurrection appearances that created Christianity. He said, it was always there from the beginning. What beginning?
When we saw him, when we heard him, he's going to explain further. By these other phrases, when he recounts the apostles' first-hand eyewitness experience of Jesus himself, John covers all the senses. Fight. Can't rain. Touch.
Mental Scrut me.
So look what John says, and look at the next phrase. He says, What we have heard. What we have heard, what did they hear? They heard Jesus. They heard his voice.
They heard his teachings. Throughout his entire life, they heard them, but listen carefully. They heard Jesus after he came back from the dead. They heard his voice. They heard his teachings about the meaning of what he had just done.
This is what an author says about that, and what words were they? Powerful words. Think about the two disciples in Emma's road. After Jesus gave them his words about himself, the best biblical exposition ever given of the Old Testament scriptures. What did they say?
Hit our hearts Not burn within us. when he explained to us himself and all the scriptures. The Jews throughout Jesus' life recognize Jesus' words. John 7, 46. No one ever spoke like this man does.
Of course not. Jesus to his disciples, he says, blessed are your eyes because they see. I'm going to come back in a minute. Blessed are your eyes because they see. And your ears because they Here.
For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men long to see. What you see, but did not see it. and to hear what you hear, but not hear it. John says, We have heard We've heard him. We've heard him.
Look what he says. He says, Next, we have what we have seen with our eyes. What we have looked at. Untouched. With our hands.
Concerning the message of life. This verb looked at is not just a casual glance. Right, this verb looked at means this. The Apostles These post-resurrection appearances, and I'm going to show you this in here in just a second. They scrutinize Jesus.
profoundly and deeply and they were they were stunned and amazed. We would be too. And they're gazing at him. intently going What? In the world are we?
looking at He was Dead yesterday. And he's standing Right here. Yeah. I can't explain to you how jarring that would be for all of us to see that. And so John John says We scrutinized him intently.
So thoroughly that we have no doubt that he. was his physical body. He's not a ghost. Look at John chapter 20. One.
John chapter er 21. I'm looking what John Records for us here. Verses 24 through 29. Excuse me, John 20.
Well, actually, no. I was right, John 21 verse 12. Yeah. Um Jesus appears to his disciples for a third time as a group at the Sea of Galilee while they're fishing. They have returned from Jerusalem.
Completely dejected. Jesus is not the political conqueror. He's not the Messiah. He's dead. We're going back to our fishing and livelihood.
Go back to gallantry. They fished all night, caught nothing. But then Jesus comes to them and he says, Child children. You do not have any fish, do you? Can you imagine?
It's kind of funny, isn't it? He knew. And he said to them, Cast the net. They cast the net. They had so much fish.
John says it was this great Number of fish. Then It's verse 7: The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It isn't the Lord.
So when Simon Peter heard, when he heard, you see, when he heard that it was the Lord. He put his outer garment on. For he was stripped from work and he threw himself into the sea and he just went for it, just like Peter, right? Good old Peter.
Now here's the point. They come There's They come to to s to the shore with this net full of fish. And Jesus says to him, Verse 10, he says, bring some of the fish which you have now caught. And so I'm a peace. Simon Peter went up.
And he drew the net and land full of large fish, 153. And there was, but then he says there were so many, but the net... wasn't torn. And Jesus said to them, Come and have Breakfast.
Now, have you ever thought about that? Like, why is that important? Why would John. Put that here. Because we're going to see in a moment In these post-resurrection appearances, they sometimes were thinking, they were so amazed.
and overcome. Maybe Jesus is just a ghost and he's not real. And this whole thing isn't physical, this isn't real, this isn't happening. And Jesus Gives them fish. He says, come and have breakfast.
Look at verse 12. None of the disciples ventured to question him: Who are you? Knowing that it was Built Mord. Why? No.
Because ghosts don't... Eat breakfast. You think? They scrutinized him. They looked intently at him.
They're saying, okay, this is real. He gave us 153 Fish, he about broke our net. Then he told us to come and dump it and to cook it and to have breakfast with him. Ghosts don't eat. We should We even looked at him.
We scrutinized him. Look at John chapter 20. Verses 24 through 29. You have this, you have this where they see, they have, Jesus talks about his hands, and we have touch. Look at verse 24.
But Thomas, one of the twelve called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
So listen and look at carefully. These are the exact same. words that John has in verse 1.
So the other disciples were saying to him, We have. Then The Lord. Exactly what John says here, same word, same everything. What we have seen with our eyes, this is what he's talking about. This is the account right here that he's reflecting back on.
We have seen the Lord, but he said to them, Thomas said to them, unless I see. Here's Hands. Look at that. Unless I see in his hands the imprint of the nails and put my finger into the place of the nails and put my hand into his side, I will not believe. After eight days, his disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them.
Jesus came, the doors having been shut. And he stood in there in the midst, and he said, Peace be with you. Thank goodness he said that, right? Because he just appeared. Then he said to Thomas, reach with your finger.
And See? All right.
So it's set. The same thing John says in 1 John. And see my hands. Reach out your hand. And put it into my side and do not be unbelieving.
But believing. Luke 24.
Okay. Luke 24 verse 39. And forty. Again. Exactly what John says in these four phrases.
That's exactly what Jesus says in these verses. He says, as verse 39, Fee. My hands, see. John says, What we have seen with our eyes, Jesus used the same word. He said, see.
C With my semi hairs at my feet. That it is I, look at this one. John says, What did Jesus say? Touch me. John is reflecting from 1 John.
In this first verse, Back to this experience with Jesus in his post-resurrection appearances. He says, Seat my hands at my feet. design myself. Touch me and see for a spirit, for a spirit, a ghost. does not have flesh and bones that you See, but I have.
Jesus requested his disciples to touch his resurrected body, and they did. Jesus says, see that this is not an apparition, it's not a spirit, it's not a ghost. It's physical. Real. I'm in front of you, alive, back from the dead.
I have risen again. And that proves that I am the Christ, the Messiah. Pay me. Touch me and have proof. Look at verses forty-one through forty-three.
Now, this is amazing. Actually, look at verse 40. And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet, while they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement. They were so overwhelmed with joy and amazement. They're going, whoa.
Yeah. Touching like, okay, it's real, guys. This is real, it's Jesus. You know, they're just overcome with joy and amazement where it says we're having a hard time believing. While they were like this, going, yep, that's him.
He said to them, have you anything here to eat? And it says they gave him a piece of Uh a piece of broiled fish. And he took it. And they ate it before then. Again.
Why would Luke, tell us this like John told us. Because ghosts don't eat. Physical creation, people who have physical bodies they eat. Psychologically, this is very understandable. The disciples would just be overcome with joy and amazement.
Because we have to remember, it was just. Day before yesterday, right? That their hearts had been pierced with complete hopelessness. Jesus is not the Messiah. He did not conquer Rome.
Rome conquered him, crucified him, and buried him. He's gone. He failed. And so Jesus was gone. Jesus was dead.
It's over.
Now to believe that he was standing here in their very midst, alive and well, eating fish with them seems impossible. We're looking at a ghost, that's what they're thinking. One moment they would say to themselves, this must be Jesus, how wonderful, but. I don't know. And then Jesus says.
See my hands. Sink my feet. Touch me. Give me some fish. Watch me eat.
eight in front of you. And they said, He's real and he's the Messiah. He's the Christ. Jesus was so patient with them. that he would sit there and let them watch and eat.
Have you ever thought about that? What a powerful act and what a powerful act of compassion. Grace. Jesus says, look, let me convince you. Fit me.
Touch me. and just sit there and watch me eat fish. That's powerful.
So, while some in John's churches denied that Jesus is the Christ. and departed from the fellowship. John, he begins this Louder. With the very first verse, he's so impassioned as their spiritual father to assure them that Jesus is the Christ so that they can have assurance of their salvation. He doesn't even begin this little letter with a standard greeting of...
Grace to you. Hello. Peace be from God the Father and the Lord. He just jumps right in. He skips the pleasantries and he just goes for it from the beginning and he just knocks his home run right out of the park.
Right at the start. And he just says, what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at, what we have, and he just keeps going to assure his little children who are confused. Jesus is the Christ. How do you know this? How does he assure his children?
Because myself and my fellow apostles, we have heard him. We have Feeing him. We have scrutinized him. We have touched him. We have Eaten with him.
That tricky. Trust. leads to eternal life. Because John says this message of life is the post-resurrection appearances. That's the message of life.
Why do you trust Jesus today? John tells us why right here. He grounds the reality of Christ's resurrection. He grounds the truth of Jesus' identity. Upon the authoritative eyewitness testimony of the apostles.
who have written it down for us. This brings us back to the question. Who is Jesus? Well, those who have left John's church has denied that Jesus is the Christ. But John, with his fellow apostles, proclaimed that Jesus.
is the Christ. Why? Because they have had first And I witnessed a cow's experience with him. We have Seen him, they haven't. We have heard him, they haven't.
We have looked at him. We have scrutinized him. They haven't. We have. Touched him.
They haven't. We were there. They weren't there. We're eyewitnesses. They're not.
They're counterfeits. We have the apostolic truth. This is the message of life. The apostles have this first-hand experience. with Jesus.
And John says, therefore, this first-hand experience that they are proclaiming in these post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, this becomes the message of life. Why? Because the emphasis. Listen carefully here. The emphasis of these poor historical accounts.
that John gives. The emphasis of it is not history, it's life. John is not just giving to us history and historical facts. He's giving to us the meaning of these historical facts. And John says, through faith in Jesus, who is the Messiah, who is the Christ, you can be assured that eternal life is found in him because these appearances were to give people, to give us.
To give everybody who believes in him life. That's what he says in 1 John 5, verse 11. And the testimony is this: that God has given us. eternal life and this life is in his son Jesus is the risen. Incarnate Christ who has conquered death and is alive now as we speak.
And he gives life to all those who trust in him because he has conquered death and he is the message of life. He is the life. He gave life. And so John begins this letter with what's called the direct act of faith. What is that?
Jesus The gospel.
something that is wholly objective outside of you.
so that you don't have to take the test of 1 John to make sure you're a Christian. John says, little children, you have passed the test. You're trusting that Jesus is the Christ, that He is the resurrected Christ, that He does give you life. You've passed, you've won. That's what he says in chapter 2, verses 12 through 14.
Could not be any clearer. You are victorious. Your faith is overcome. You defeated the devil. You know the Father.
The Father knows you. You're strong. Why? Because you're trusting that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus, Christ. And so John begins his Letter telling us assurance is found by trusting.
in the resurrected Christ. Your confidence can be based upon his identity. because the apostles saw him, this eyewitness account. It's true. The truth of Jesus' identity as well as the assurance of our salvation is grounded in the authoritative eyewitness account.
of the innocent men who experienced him First. Hand. And John says, little children. Be assured. Jesus is the Christ.
Because we have Fing him. We have heard him. We have looked at, scrutinized him carefully. We have Touched. Yeah.
We've eaten with him. You have eternal life. Let's pray. We thank you for the Father, for the gift of your Son. We thank you for this authoritative eyewitness account that you have given to us to bolster our assurance and our faith.
Lord, help us to trust. This perfect account. that has been given to us for our assurance of eternal life as well. And I pray that As we come to New table this morning. Help us to receive.
your service She was.
so that our hearts can be comforted. Our conscience is quieted. and we can have peace. and assurance. We ask this in Jesus' name.
Amen. John Fawnville sends his thanks for listening today. And before we wrap up, can I tell you about an encouraging book you might want to get soon? It's called Hope and Holiness: How the Gospel Enables and Empowers Sexual Purity. You're not alone if you've tried to conquer sexual temptations and tried all the methods available, only to find yourself feeling defeated again.
This book may be just what you're looking for. With his shepherding heart, John shows that the gospel, not practical steps or more self-discipline, is God's provision for the power to live a life of sexual purity. and it's available to every Christian. What I like is the book is available in three convenient ways. paperback, audiobook, or Kindle.
The links are in our podcast descriptions, or just search for Hope and Holiness by John Fawnville on Amazon. get a copy for you and it's a wonderful book to go through with a small group. Him We Proclaim is a ministry of Paramount Church in Jacksonville, Florida. You can find us at paramountchurch.com. We'll talk again soon.
