I John 1

John spent time at the feet of Jesus.  He knew Him in a way that we can only imagine.  His testimony begins with this, " what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled...."  

John and his fellow disciples walked with Jesus on dusty roads and grassy hills.  They heard His stories and His prayers.  They saw the miracles.. of bread, multiplied in their own hands; of lepers being made spotless; of a withered hand restored to normal use... They touched the hand of Jesus and felt the nail prints with their own fingers.  They saw and felt and heard.. and now they proclaim, "the Word of Life". 

Jesus was and is Life - "manifested to us".  Eternal life. He who was "with the Father" was made known, rendered apparent; openly revealed; to mankind. The Greek word for manifested is phaneroo, from the base word phaino - to lighten or shine.   The Invisible was made visible. The Immortal was made human.  He who is Light, came to shine in the darkness.  Life is revealed in Light.

This is the essence of John's message.. " God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all." 
Light - phos.. to shine; to make manifest; luminousness. Light makes known... reveals.. manifests.  It makes apparent what is already there... although it may have once been hidden in the darkness.  Darkness - skotos - shadiness; obscurity;  shadow... absence of light.

"If we say that we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness ( in the shadows.. in the absence of light), we lie and do not practice the truth."

The Truth is that Jesus is Light.
The Truth is that none of us is without sin.  " If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 
The Truth is that  " If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 
The Truth is that if we say we are not sinners, we are the liars, not God.

John writes "so that our joy may be made complete."  He writes so that the Truth, which was personally  made known to him, could be also made apparent to us.  Life, real life, is obscured  by darkness.. and is only made known when the Light comes to chase away every shadow. That Truth is absolute and complete joy!

Father in heaven, how we thank You for the gift of Light, in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Thank You that He came to cleanse us from all sin, by the shedding of His blood.  Let Your Light shine on us and flow over us, chasing away every shadow, that we might walk in the Light as He is in the Light. Forgive us our sins. Purify our hearts. Help us to have fellowship with one another in truth and in love. Help us to obey Your Word with whole hearts.  Thank You. Amen.