John 1 NIV
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. 11 He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him. 12 Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’ ”) 16 Out of His fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known.
First off this book was written by the Apostle John who is not John the Baptist. Two different John's. John the Baptist was the same age as Jesus, born about 6 months before Jesus. Mary and Elizabeth (John the Baptist mother) were cousins so John and Jesus were related. I do not believe, however, the boys knew each other growing up.
The Apostle John was the youngest of the 12 disciples. He refers to himself as "the one Jesus loved". He outlived the other apostles and was the only one to die of natural causes. The other apostles all died martyrs. Two verses that I think are key in this passage are verse 10 and verse 12. Let's look at verse 10 first.
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.
Here is another reference to Jesus being present when the world was created. Why did the world not recognize Him? They had the prophetic scriptures written hundred of years earlier and as good Jews they knew the scriptures. They had memorized the scriptures. They anticipated Him. Yet they had become so blind by their own pride, puffed up by their own knowledge and had twisted scripture with their own laws when Jesus stood right in front of them they could not recognize Him as the Messiah.
12 Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
All who receive Jesus become children of God. Not some who receive Him, not a few who receive Him, not the elect who receive Him, ALL who receive Him. As I've said before "All means all and that's all all means". All means me, all means you, all means Sam down the block. All. We become children of God. His kids, His family, His little ones. Born of God. Born again. Before I became a Christian I laughed at that phrase "Born again". To me, being "Born again" meant you were a wacko Jesus freak holy roller. When I was "saved", that moment I accepted Jesus and invited Him into my life and heart, I understood what it meant to be "Born again". It's not just professing your faith in Christ, it's deciding to make Him the center of your life and trying to live your life in a way that pleasing to Him.
If you've accepted Jesus as your Saviour, are you living your life in a way that is pleasing to Him?
Blessings, Cecilia
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