“Don’t you know who I am?” It’s a cliché movie phrase that always seems to preempt a well-known, important person making the common person feel small and insignificant. In television and movies, this question is usually answered quickly and with some sort of humorous plot twist.

In 1 John 3:1-2 the tables are reversed. It is us, the common man asking the important man, God, the question “Do you know who I am?” God answers us with a resounding “Yes!” For God has known us and loved us from the very beginning, from before we were even born to this earth, He has known us. Not only has He known us, but He knows exactly what we will be, what we will do, and all the potential we have to share who He is with others.

When God sent us his son, He wanted to be sure that we knew him. He made sure that Jesus came into this world just as we had, as a common man, born from a common woman. Jesus was sent to set the example of who we are and who we should be: showing love to everyone, important or common.

The words “abide” or “abides” are used six times in these few verses from John’s first epistle. It makes you think of the well-loved hymn, “Abide with Me” (LSB 878.) It uses the word “abide” the same way as this text.

“Abide” means to dwell or “to live or reside in a place.” It means more than a passing thought or action, but rather it is a belief that becomes a part of us. It dwells (lives) in our minds and hearts.

So what is so important that John finds the need to use this word repeatedly? The study notes in the Lutheran Study Bible reveal “it is necessary for salvation to believe what God’s Word teaches concerning the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. One cannot have the Father without holding to the Son and also to the Spirit.” John is strongly disputing the notion, common in his day, that Jesus was not the true Son of God.

Our world is not that much different from John’s first century world. There is God’s truth which John had faithfully taught his “little children” from the beginning. And there are the liars – the antichrists – who lead people away from God.  

By Norma Muller

 Do not cling to sin and the daily temptations of the world, but cling to Christ and through God’s grace, we have life everlasting. This is the message that John is bringing to us. It is an easy concept to embrace in its totality, but day-by-day and temptation by temptation, we need to keep these words in the forefront of our thoughts or the Devil will lead us to sinful thoughts and sometimes sinful behavior.

Some of us learned of Jesus’ love and forgiveness of sin at an early age, probably because family members supplied them early access to God’s Word. I did not have family members who granted me that early access. I was in my 50’s when that occurred. Still, God’s Word found me and will find us wherever we are.

At first glance, this scripture would seem to have little to do with the nativity of our Lord and yet, there is a thread that connects the Apostle John’s epistle with the opening of his gospel.

We meet ‘Him who is from the beginning’ in John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Now in Christ Jesus we have a new beginning, one that was planned by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. While all of one substance, only the Son would experience the anguish of separation from God. When the sin of the world fell upon Him on the cross, God the Son vanquished sin in our place – something we human beings could not do it on our own.

By Gary Ames

I absolutely love my job. Just ask me about it sometime. I am a paraprofessional and for the last two years, I worked with kids with severe and profound special needs. I definitely felt it was my calling to help, teach, nurture and love that particular group. Jesus’ light shone through me in all that I did. I felt very content and comfortable with my place there.

I was thrown a curveball this year when I was moved to a different classroom. I questioned a lot of things in this move. I was happy where I was. There are times I feel these kids don’t really need me as much. However, this scripture really moved me.

We have a term at school for kids who have lot of behavior problems and come from bad situations. For lack of a better word, they are “broken.” Many come from homes where there is no positive role model or safe and secure environment to live. I love all these children with my whole heart because my heavenly Father has given me the gift to do so. I am there to give hugs and an encouraging word for any situation. I am a positive and shining light in their world.

By Jennifer Caspersen

It’s an apparent contradiction. John writes that his “new commandment” is really not new at all. And he’s right. The overtones in this passage from John’s first epistle are supposed to point us back to John’s gospel where Jesus says, “A new commandment I give you… just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” (Jn. 13:34)

But what’s new about that? The Levitical law instructs, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Lev. 19:18) Jesus himself repeats this command earlier in His ministry. So what’s new about the command to “love one another”?

The stakes are new. “Just as I have loved you” means so much more in the light of Advent. We are called to love to a higher standard. Love like our Savior. Love like One who put heavenly glory aside to become a servant of all. Love like One who humbled Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross.

These verses are perfect as we await Christmas: the celebration of contradiction. We await the One who was born, yet who is eternal. We await the One born of a virgin. We await the One who orchestrates the universe, but didn’t reserve room for Himself in a Bethlehem inn.

By Joshua Brakhage

Jesus was sent to live with us and die for us. Jesus was sin free and preached the way of righteousness. Jesus would allow himself to be crucified for our sins that we might live by faith in Him.

Jesus was not persecuted for ill deeds. He was considered a threat to those in power. They feared people turning from them to Him. We see this today with more and more attacks on Christianity.

gesundheit

We cannot love Jesus and live in darkness. We have come to know Him and we should keep His commandments. We should carry His ministry forward to others.

John’s epistle teaches us, “whoever keeps his word, in him the love of God is truly perfected.” We know we won’t keep his Word perfectly. It is impossible for us to live without sin. But Jesus kept every commandment, and in Him alone is love truly perfected.

And we await that arrival of perfect love, as we look toward Christmas, and Christ’s eventual return. Through his word and sacraments, Christ keeps us one with himself. As members of Christ’s body, we are never alone.

Father I pray that the Holy
Spirit will guide my actions
that I can serve as a
messenger of God’s love and
Jesus is the way to life
everlasting. Amen.

By Harold France

Our family’s Christmas celebration won’t be complete until we sing “Joy to the World.” It’s my mother’s favorite Christmas hymn, and she’s not alone. According to the Dictionary of North American Hymnology, “Joy to the World” is the most published Christmas hymn in North America. (In case you’re curious, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” is #2.)

we are faithful and just, but because He

This perfect picture of grace should bring joy to every sinner’s heart. Telling ourselves we don’t need God’s full and regular forgiveness is a lie. And why believe a lie when the truth is so much more beautiful? A believer’s heart is cleansed from all unrighteousness.

It’s funny that many popular recordings of “Joy to the World” leave out the third verse. Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, Disney, and even the VeggieTales versions omit the verse that begins, “No more let sin and sorrow grow.” Our scripture today seems to clearly tell us that forgiveness from sin in Christ is our prime reason for joy in this world of sorrow.

Jesus comes to make His blessings flow, as far as the curse is found – in hearts young and old, rich and poor, unschooled and educated. In hearts tainted by vanity, greed, lust, jealousy, rage, and hatred. Repentant hearts are cleansed from all unrighteousness. Repeat the sounding joy!

Jesus, the great Joy of our
hearts, we thank you for
the forgiveness you offer.
Help us share this joy to
the world. Amen.

By Joshua Brakhage

We hear these words many Sundays as part of our worship. Have we really stopped to think about the message they send to us? At first these words may sound harsh, but the real message that God is telling us here is pretty simple and great news!

I often joke with my family, telling them that, as a youth, I was a perfect child for my parents. This is hardly the truth. It really is a joke if anyone tries to convince themselves that they don’t ever sin and that they have no need of forgiveness. We so often think better of ourselves than we should. One look in the mirror can quickly bring us back to reality.

The great news is this: undeserving as we all are, all we have to do is ask for God’s forgiveness and it’s done. Nothing else. No penance to pay. No offering to make, as in Old Testament times. Just confess. No questions asked. No matter what the sin. The death and resurrection of the Christ-Child has already paid the price.

By John Meinders

As a church musician, I have had the privilege of learning and playing many wonderful hymns that speak to people’s hearts. One of my favorite contemporary hymns is “I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light” by Kathleen Thomerson.

 I want to walk as a child of the light; I want to follow Jesus.

God set the stars to give light to the world; The star of my life is Jesus.

In Him there is no darkness at all; The night and the day are both alike.

The Lamb is the light of the city of God. Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

 The image of Jesus, shining within our hearts, reminds me of the motion picture, “E.T.: The Extraterrestrial.” As the little alien “came back to life,” his heart within his tiny body began to glow. Nothing could contain the light within E.T. Elliot, the young boy noticed the glow and knew something special was happening.

As forgiven children of God, should our hearts not glow even brighter than a mere movie character? Christ’s blazing light within us, cannot be contained. It shines forth in our lives.

First John was written by John, one of Jesus’ original twelve disciples. John is also the author of the Gospel of John. John was clearly dearly loved by Jesus (Jn. 21:20) – and along with Peter and James, they had a special relationship with Jesus.

John opens his first epistle similarly to the way he began his Gospel, emphasizing that Christ is eternal, that Jesus came into the world as a human, and that he, John, was an eyewitness to Jesus’ life. John had lived with Jesus, having personal, physical contact with Jesus. John knew beyond any doubt that Jesus would bring light and life to us.

But there were doubts. Errors. Confusion. Some in the early church had no trouble believing Jesus was God, but doubted He was truly human. As an eyewitness to Jesus ministry, John was qualified to teach the truth about Him. The readers of this letter may not have seen or heard Jesus themselves, but they could trust that what John wrote was accurate.

We’re like those second and third generation Christians who though we have never personally seen, heard, or touched Jesus, we can trust the eyewitnesses who spoke the truth about Jesus as written in the New Testament.

By Norm Zanter