Scripture to Read: John 1:11–13
When Christ first came to this world, He came to His chosen people, the nation of Israel. The Israelites, especially the religious leaders, knew the prophecies in the Old Testament about their coming Messiah. There are around 360-plus prophecies about the coming Messiah in the Old Testament. So, when Christ came to this world, He came just as the prophets had foretold. But even with God’s Truth, here is what God led John to write about the Jews of Jesus’ day, John 1:11–13, “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Christ came, and many of the Jews refused to receive Him as the promised Messiah. Though they knew the prophecies, the darkness of their sin-filled hearts kept them blind to the Truth (Christ) being there with them. But there were some Jews who received Christ and surrendered to Him as Messiah and Lord. And, as God’s Word says, those who received Christ were adopted into God’s family as His own. God clearly shows us in John 1:13 that salvation has nothing to do with our family lineage but is all about walking according to His will. God’s perfect will was to send Christ and show us His love (Romans 5:8) through His life and death.
Challenge & Application
• Why did so many of the Jews miss Christ as the promised Messiah written about in the Old Testament?
• Why do so many people still miss Christ as the One True King, God, and Savior of this sin-filled world?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!