This lovely and loving Epistle is ascribed to John, the Apostle and Evangelist, although he did not put his name to it. One sweet feature runs through the whole Book, in relation to the Church – namely, the Apostle’s testimony to the Father’s love, the Son’s grace, and the Holy Spirit’s fellowship. And since John lived to behold the springing up of deadly heresies in the coming of anti-Christs and the denial of the Godhead of our Lord Jesus, we have reason indeed to bless God for lengthening the Apostle’s life, so that he might give the evidence which we have here to this glorious and fundamental truth of our most holy faith.
The Lord Jesus – the One Who has been with the Father from eternity, and Who appeared in human nature for the salvation of sinners – is the great subject concerning which John wrote to believers. The twelve Apostles had seen Jesus during His earthly ministry; they witnessed His wisdom, holiness, miracles, love, and mercy for several years, until they saw Him crucified for sinners and then raised from the dead. They touched Him, so as to have full proof of His resurrection. This Divine Person – the Word of life, and the Word of God – appeared in human nature, so that He might be the Author and Giver of eternal life to mankind, through the redemption of His blood and the influence of His new-creating Spirit. These Apostles declared what they had seen and heard, so that believers might share their comforts and everlasting advantages. Each child of God has free access to the Father; they have a happy experience of the truth in their souls, and show its excellence in their lives. This communion of believers with the Father and the Son is begun and kept up by the influences of the Holy Spirit. The benefits that Christ bestows are not like the scanty possessions of the world, which cause jealousy in others; but the joy and happiness of communion with God is all-sufficient, so that any number of persons may partake of it. Indeed, all those persons whose fellowship is truly with the Father will desire to lead others to partake in the same blessedness.
Midway down the Simplon Pass in the majestic Alps, travelers from Switzerland pause to read a stone by the wayside that bears the single word Italia. The Alpine pines cling to the mountainsides, between whose steeps, the rough path winds. The snow covers the peaks, and the brooks are frozen to the precipices. The traveler wraps his cloak around him for protection against the frost that reigns undisputedly upon those ancient thrones of icebound rock. But at the point where that stone with the word Italia stands, he passes a boundary line. From there on, the way begins into another world, so to speak. Soon every step reveals more clearly the great change from the mountains of Switzerland to the plains of Italy. In the same way, humanity has crossed a boundary line between two eras! The way up to Bethlehem was one way – growing bleaker, more barren, and colder as mankind hastened on. But the way down from Bethlehem has been a different and happier experience! The former was like the majestic mountains, covered in ice and snow; the latter is like Italy’s fruitful plain of Lombardy. The one led to stoicism; the other opens into love. Judaism and the Gospel are like two totally different climates. How great, then, was the change which began at Bethlehem! For this change is not simply a difference in men or in civilization, but the Advent of Christ worked a difference in the motives and the powers which affect human life. It was the coming of a new power to change the world! The impulse which was imparted to humanity by the presence of Jesus among us can be compared to nothing less than the Divine impulse which created the world itself!
A message from the Lord Jesus – the Word of life, and the eternal Word – deserves to be gladly received by us! (verse 5) Our great God should be represented to this dark world as the One Who is pure and perfect light. And since this is the nature of God, His doctrines and precepts must also be such. His perfect happiness cannot be separated from His perfect holiness, and our happiness will be in proportion to our being made holy. To walk in darkness is to live and act against religion. The Lord holds no heavenly fellowship with unholy souls; for there is no truth in their profession, and their life shows its folly and falsehood. The eternal Son of God put on human flesh and blood, and died to wash us from our sins in His own blood; and He procures for us the sacred influences by which sin is to be subdued more and more, until it is quite done away with.
The necessity of a holy lifestyle is insisted upon as the effect and evidence of the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus; but the opposite error of self-righteous pride is also guarded against, with equal care. All who walk close to the Lord in holiness and righteousness know that even their best days and duties are mixed with sin. The Lord has given testimony to the sinfulness of the world by providing a sufficient and effectual Sacrifice for sin, which is needed in all ages; and the sinfulness of believers themselves is shown in the fact that they must continually confess their sins and come, by faith, to the blood of that Sacrifice. Let us plead guilty before God, and honestly confess all our sins in their full extent – relying entirely upon His mercy and truth, through the righteousness of Jesus, for free and full forgiveness, and for deliverance from the power and practice of sin!
Lord, we earnestly beseech You to give light to Your redeemed ones, and to enable us to walk in Your light! We pray that You may cause us to know, by heart-felt experience, that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin! Amen.
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