Please read the passage before reading the commentary.
Let me paraphrase.
In the beginning, the Word of God came to live among us, and we saw his glory. The first disciples saw and heard the Word among us. They came to know Jesus Christ as the Word of God and the Son of the Father. They had great joy and passed that joy on to us. They also endured great suffering from those who did not accept the word proclaimed to them.
That age of persecution has passed, as have the first disciples. Now, we are passing on the word and the joy that the word brings, onto the next generation, to you and your children. It is important that this word be spread to all times and places so that the whole world can have the joy that we have.
We want all to share the same joy we have known.
The word of God has given un fellowship, fellowship not only with one another in our community, but also fellowship with the Father and the Son. The word of God has given us joy and we want to share that joy with you so that our joy may be complete. Our joy will not be complete without jour joy; we are in this all together.
The author, known as John, wrote, not to pass the time of day, but to support his community in a time of struggle and danger. The author knew that it is only by faith in the word spoken to them that the community could have the joy he experienced.
The whole letter is an expression of the author’s concern for the salvation and joy of his people. For us, who are celebrating Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ, the author presents us a study on the word of God. The Jesus born in Bethlehem, is the same Jesus who died on the cross, rose from the dead, and is presented to us as the Word of God. We have the same concern that the author had for passing the joy on to the generations to come. First John will be our usual reading for weekdays for the next two weeks.