Do you remember the moments when you first met people? A thousand of those memories flooded my mind this weekend. Unforgettable faces and voices fill our hearts as we remember the people who have changed our lives. Joy fills our lives as we fellowship with other believers.
John remembered. Then he wrote it down. The Gospel of John tells us the story of Jesus’ first encounter with the beloved disciple. John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” John and Andrew followed Jesus home. Then they kept on following him . . . all the way to a cross and an empty tomb.
In his first letter to the early Christians, John reminds them of his encounter with Jesus. These stories were not made up by clever writers. Our New Testament was written by people who saw Jesus face to face. What did they see in Jesus? Life. They heard Jesus, saw him, touched him, and then told everyone. When the religious authorities told them to stop talking about Jesus, John and Peter said, “We can’t stop talking about him. Arrest us, beat us, kill us. But we won’t stop talking about Jesus.”
When we believe the New Testament accounts of Jesus, we find fellowship with other believers, the Father and Jesus. To know Jesus is to be filled with joy. When did you meet him? You should definitely tell someone. The same Jesus who rose again to life is bringing us to life today.
