Jesus Was In The World – The World Did Not Know Him

-December 10, 2021-

Good morning, happy Friday,

“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.”

(John 1:10-12).

This portion of John’s gospel is so sad and yet so glad at the same time. For those who reject Him it is tragic; but for those who do receive Him it is ecstatic, an extreme contrast. It is the same today. As much as things change, the more they stay the same, especially when come to the human heart.

Our Savior was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. My spiritual teacher and mentor Bill MacDonald aptly wrote in his Believers Bible Commentary, “From the time of His birth in Bethlehem until the day He went back to heaven, He was in the very same world in which we now live. He had brought the whole world into being and was its rightful Owner. Instead of recognizing Him as the Creator, men thought that He was just another man like themselves. They treated Him like a stranger and an outcast.”

Things haven’t changed one bit. Though Christmas is all about Christ and His birth, people have substituted Santa Claus, parties, commercialism, and the like for the true meaning of Christmas. Just as the world in His day did not know Him, it does not know Him today. How sad!

Not only does the world not know Him, but when they hear of Him, they don’t receive Him. He came to His own (or as it can be translated, “His own things or domain”) and His own did not receive Him.” This refers in particular to the Jews, God’s earthly people, the very ones who should have recognized and embraced Him. Instead, they refused and rejected Him. Isaiah 53:3 says of the Messiah, “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”

So few, compared to the myriads of people living today, have received Christ as Lord and Savior. The devil is working non-stop to keep people from believing in Him. Still, people are being saved today, both here in America and especially in many other parts of the world. This makes our hearts glad.

John goes on to us, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in His name.” This includes us. We are so blessed, privileged, and honored to be believers in Jesus Christ. As John 1:13 says, “who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” This causes us to rejoice!

It reminds us of the great hymn and Christmas Carol, “Joy to the World,” by Isaac Watts. He wrote, “Joy to the world! the Lord is come: Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing. And heaven and nature sing.” May our hearts be filled with joy this Christmas as we celebrate our Savior’s birth. We know Him and have received Him. We know the true meaning of Christmas that began in a manger, and culminated at the cross and in the empty tomb. He is alive at the right hand of God and is coming again.

Have a blessed day and Christmas season. Merry Christmas to all. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean