Because relationships matter most of all #2: Jesus, be the centre

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. 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. 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. We write this to make our joy complete. 1 John 1:1-4

John starts with Jesus. This is the opening of the letter and Jesus is the first subject that he talks about. Jesus is the centre of the Christian faith. Jesus is where it all starts.

Jesus was there at the beginning of time, at the beginning of Creation. John spells this out at the beginning of his Gospel –

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  John 1:1-3

Jesus is not an optional extra. Jesus is part of God. Jesus is God. Without him, we would not be here. Without him, none of this would be here. Jesus is life – without him, nothing lives.

And John can write about Jesus with authority because he was there. He met Jesus in the flesh. He walked with him and talked with him and ate with him. He witnessed Jesus’ teaching and his miracles. He saw it all, heard it all, experienced it all.

John can attest to the incarnation – God taking on human flesh. This was hugely important at a time when the humanness of Jesus was being called into question. Some of the early Christians found it so difficult to get their heads round Jesus being God and man at the same time that they diluted the message to make it easier to accept. Having known Jesus, there was no way John could accept this position. And as one of the few left alive who had known Jesus so closely, John was one of the only ones in a position to speak with authority about the human nature of Jesus.

‘I know because I was there.’

This is where the life is.

This is where the joy is.

Living in relationship with the Father and the Son is the best way to live, the only way to live.

It’s all too easy to lose sight of the significance of Jesus’ life here on earth. We focus on his death and resurrection and lose the wonder of what it was for Jesus to be wholly God and wholly man. Maybe it’s time to re-read an account of Jesus’ life – one of the Gospels – to remind yourself of how it looked for God to walk this earth.

And in writing this, I’m reminded of the song ‘Jesus, be the centre’. That’s what this passage is all about.

Jesus, be the centre.

Be the reason that I live, Jesus.