Easter Season · Third Sunday of Easter · Year B
1 John 3:1-7
Children of God
April 11, 2027
Overview & Insights
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1)
This section of 1 John is unified by the idea of the children of God: who they are and how one can identify them by their lives. It is a passage dominated by ethics, particularly an ethical concern for righteousness and sin. It compares two “families”: the children of God and the children of the devil. In the background, as always, are the Elder’s opponents, the secessionists, whom he strongly contrasts to his own “dear children.”
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Commentary
Commentary on 1 John 3:1-7 Working Preacher
Scholarly read of what it means to be called children of God now while our future likeness to Christ is still hidden.
1 John 3 Commentary: The Love of God and the Life of Love Enduring Word · David Guzik
Verse-by-verse evangelical treatment of divine adoption and the ethic of purity that follows from it.
1 John 3:1 Commentaries BibleHub
Classic commentators gathered on the Father's bestowed love and the church being unknown by the world.
1 John 3:1-7 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching
Reformed commentary on being called God's children now and John's refusal to treat sin casually.
Background & Word Study
1 John 3:1 Interlinear BibleHub
Greek word study of teknon (children) and the verb for the love the Father has given us.
Books of 1-3 John Summary: Overview Video BibleProject
Animated overview of the Johannine letters, framing their themes of love, truth, and fellowship.
1 John Enter the Bible
Luther Seminary introduction to the letter's setting, opponents, and central themes for background.
Animal Sacrifices in the Bible and the Connection to Jesus BibleProject
Explains the sacrifice and sin-bearing background behind verse 5, that Christ was revealed to take away sins.
The Church Fathers
Sermons & Reflections
Questions preachers ask
What is our destiny in 1 John 3?
We are already God’s children, and though what we will be is not yet made known, “when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1–3), the hope All Saints celebrates.
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