August 17: Thoughts on John 1:10-13

"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
~ John 1:10-13

"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him"

Jesus Christ walked among us. He was God, through Whom the very world was created, and yet when the world came across Him, they didn't know what to make of Him. Most didn't honor Him as the Creator. Some who claim to be Christians still don't. But this much is clear: the Bible tells us that the world was created through Christ, but it didn't know Him. Do you have children? Your children were created through you. Can you imagine if one day, just out of nowhere, your precious little boy or girl didn't know you anymore, if you went to him or her and they looked at you like "who are you and where's my mommy"? How heartbreaking would that be? That's the way Jesus felt when He came here. God's own people, the Jews, for the most part did not receive Him. They didn't recognize Him for who He was and is.

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

But - and here's a transition - to those who DID receive Him, Jesus gave them the power and the right to become children of God. That's amazing. When the children of Israel turned their back on the Lord, the Lord opened the door wider and gave anyone who received Him and believed in His name the power to become the children of God. This verse tells us that while relationship with God used to be determined by blood and kinship (i.e., Hebrew descent), now it is determined by God Himself. We may not be the "natural" children of God, but we do have the right to become His "adopted" children (Romans 8:15; Ephesians 1:5) through Jesus. And when you're adopted, as I'm sure any adopted child can tell you, you are legally no different than any natural child. You have a right to your inheritance as a child of God.

What is that inheritance? Eternal salvation (1 Peter 1:4).

Who does it go to? The children of God (John 1:12).

How do you become God's child? Believe in His name and be born again of God (John 1:12-13).