Advent Day 5 – New Life
John 1:10-13
Sonja S.
He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him.
He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name,
who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
John’s gospel does not begin with the birth of Jesus. John presents Jesus as God incarnate – fully God, existing before creation. John 1:3 tells us that Jesus created everything that exists in this world. Therefore, it belongs to Him. When sin entered the world, God told man that He would send One who would “bruise Satan’s head” or deal the fatal blow to the power of sin over humanity. Now the time had come – the Son of God, Jesus Christ, was “in the world.” But by this time sin had corrupted man, leaving him self-centered, power-hungry and believing only in his own wisdom. The people God had chosen to serve Him, Israel, thought the promised One would come in power and restore their nation to glory and prominence and place their leaders in high places.
“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” (John 1:10) How could they? A baby, born to poor parents from Galilee (definitely the wrong side of the tracks); born in a stable in Bethlehem, was not at all what they expected. He had no power; no prestige. He was a “nobody”!
When, as a young man, He began His ministry, only the average people saw anything special in Him. The Jewish leadership saw only that He didn’t fit their idea of who the Messiah would be. He did not support their leadership or teach the way they taught. “He came to that which was his own (the world was His creation), but his own (the people of Israel) did not receive him.” (John 1:11)
This did not change God’s plan. It was already in motion through the coming of Jesus. God is holy and righteous. Sin had to be dealt with justly. Only God could do that and, at the same time, save humanity from eternal death. That was why Jesus had come. God knew that many in Israel, and the world would not accept His plan because their sin blinded them. But His plan foresaw a body of people who would see their need for a Savior and believe in Jesus, who fulfilled all the words of the law and the prophets. They would acknowledge who He was, place their faith in Him and yield to His authority. “ Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— “ (John 1:12)
God chose to freely give everyone who put their faith in the salvation Jesus offered through His perfect death the authority to become a part of His family, God’s children. How could that be?
Becoming God’s child did not involve human DNA or an act accomplished by people. God gave the believer a new life by placing His divine nature (the Holy Spirit) into him when he believed and was saved. We are “children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:13). What mercy! What grace!
Drawing by Kinzie, 5th grade.