by John Hwang
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 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
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who trust and receive Jesus as their Savior, and those who don’t. Here, in John 1:10-13, John makes the contrast between the two groups. First, in verse 10, John speaks of the world in general, then in verse 11, a nation specific. In verse 10, John reminds us that Jesus is God the Creator, and He made the world and everything in it. Yet, the general created population of humanity did not recognize Him when He came to earth. Rather than understand His true identity, the world simply regarded Him as either a “good” teacher” or a “religious prophet” or a “crazy man” or a “blasphemer” and continue to worship and serve their pagan idols and deities. In verse 11, we see that the nation of Israel went a step further: ”they rejected Him”. They, of all people, should have recognized and received Jesus since their Old Testament Bible had been announcing His coming sinceGenesis 3:15. There are over 300 clear predictions about His coming in the Old Testament. Yet, because of the hardness of their hearts, the Jews rejected Him, and continued to live in spiritual darkness.
John 1:12-13, however, turns a corner. Here, John refers to a remnant in Israel that did recognize and receive Jesus as Savior. He describes them as being “born of God”. This is regeneration. In physical birth, people are “born of Adam”, and enter the world as sinners (Romans 5:12). In spiritual birth, people are “born of God”, and become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is a miracle: “Children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:1-3) become “Children of God” (John 1:12).
Regeneration is a supernatural work of God. This fact is emphasized in John 1:13. We cannot change ourselves: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil” (Jeremiah 13:23 NIV). God, however, can: “What is impossible with men is possible with God”(Luke 18:26-27). God is mighty to save. God alone saves. Psalm 3:8 says, “Salvation belongs to the LORD”. InIsaiah 43:11, God declared, “I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior.”
Understanding our need for regeneration, we need to start trusting in Jesus alone for salvation. John 1:12 says, “to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”. “Receiving” is “believing”, “believing” is “receiving”. The moment this happens, a person is born of God, becoming a child of God.
Question: “Are you a child of God?” “Have you experienced the miracle of the new birth?” If your answer is “no”, then I encourage you to start believing in Jesus today as your one and only Savior. He is God, and He alone saves. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
