“He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. Yet to all who received Him, He gave the power to become sons of God, to those who believed 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

It is an amazing thing that God the Son, the Creator of the world, was in the world, and yet the world did not recognize Him! Jesus Christ, God Himself in human flesh, came into this world, and the people of this world did not know Him or acknowledge Him to be who He truly is.

Of course, nothing is different today. People still do not know or recognize Jesus for who He is. He made us and redeemed us, and yet we, by nature, do not acknowledge Him as our Creator or our Redeemer.

Jesus, the promised Messiah and Savior, came to His own people — to those who had the promises of God’s Word and looked for His coming — but they did not receive Him. And today as well, He comes through His Word to those who have known and heard the promises, but still, people are unwilling to receive Him.

But to those who do receive Him — to those who trust that in Him and for the sake of His blood shed on the cross for the sins of all mankind, God is gracious toward us and forgives sins — God has given the right and privilege to be His children.

As the Scripture says, “You are all sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27).

However, our receiving of Jesus as the Messiah and Savior is not the result of our natural birth or bloodline. It is not because we were born to Christian parents or were raised in a church. It’s not even the result of our own will or decision. Rather, it is the gracious working of God the Holy Spirit in our lives. Through His Word, God reveals Himself to us and reveals to us Jesus as God the Son and our Savior, leading us to trust in Him for forgiveness and life.

It is as God’s Word says: “Yet to all who received Him, He gave the power to become sons of God, to those who believed 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.”

We give You thanks, O Lord Jesus Christ, for graciously revealing to us that You are both our Creator and our Redeemer. We thank You for going to the cross and paying in full for our sins and the sins of the world so that we might have forgiveness of sins and everlasting life through faith in Your name. Thank You for moving us to trust in Your name and for giving us the right and privilege to be called children of God. Amen.

[Scripture is quoted from The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.]