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John 1:10-13 Believing in Jesus Christ

Introduction: Let me remind you, first of all, of the purpose which John gave for writing this book. “these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” I have believed many things which I have read without any more evidence than the words of the author. But whether I believe these books or not will not effect my eternal destiny. What we read in the Gospel of John must be believed or else we will spend an eternity in a terrible place of torments called the lake of fire.

John began his gospel by taking us back to eternity past back to before the world ever existed. He has told us about the deity of Jesus and about John the Baptist’s witness to the fact that Jesus is the Christ. In our text today John sums up for us the story of Jesus’ life. He will tell us what Jesus came to do and the reaction of men to his coming. Let us learn from this text that God requires of man belief in Jesus as the Christ the savior of men.

Vs. 10 “He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.”

I. God walked among men in a form that would require faith on mans part for men to know Him. In chapter four of this gospel Jesus told the woman at the well that God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. You can not see a spirit. You can not see God. You can only see a manifestation of God. God manifested Himself to Adam in the garden of Eden. He manifested Himself to Abraham. He manifested Himself to Jacob and to Moses and to Joshua, to Isaiah and Ezekiel. As spirit God he has always been in the world. This verse states “and the world was made by him”. He has shown himself to man through the act of creation. The psalmist said that the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handy work. God has revealed Himself to men through nature. Man can look closely at the things of this world and see abundant evidence of the existence of God through the obvious fact that creation shows intelligent design. This verse goes on to say “and the world knew Him not”. Why did the world not know Him. I am talking about Jesus walking on the earth among men and they did not know who he was. His birth had been fore told by the prophets of the old testament. His birth was announced by angels to Mary, Joseph and to the shepherds in the field. The Magi from the east believed the writings of the prophets and came to find the Christ child. Simeon and Anna believed in the coming messiah and rejoiced as they held the Christ child. These all believed and because they believed they knew Him. Isaiah wrote of the Christ that “he hath no form nor comeliness and when we see shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him”. Jesus came in the form of a normal human being with average looks. There was nothing about his appearance that would cause people to know he was God in human flesh. Later in this chapter we will see Nathanael believing in Jesus not because of what he saw but because of the words which Jesus spoke. God requires men to have faith. The only way to know God is to believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Repeatedly in scripture we see examples of men believing in Jesus not because they saw him but because of His works. Nathanael will believe because he heard Jesus’ words, the woman at the well will believe because of the words of Jesus, the disciples on the road to Emmaus knew him in breaking of bread not by sight. Thomas said he would not believe unless he touched the nail prints and put his hand in the place where the spear pierced his side. Thomas was told by Jesus that those who believe without seeing are more blessed than those who believe having seen.

11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

II. The majority of the world did not know Jesus for who He was. In verse 11 we see that even the nation which He had blessed and called His very own would not accept him for who He was. It was Jesus who had delivered them from Egypt and who had sent word to them by the prophets about His coming to them. Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. Notice that the prophet Zechariah begged the nation of Israel to rejoice greatly at the coming of their Lord and savior and king. But He came to them and they received Him not. They refused to believe. They would say of Him “is not this the carpenter’s son”. They would say “thou art not yet fifty years old”. Jesus is way more than fifty years old and he was not the carpenter’s son. He looked like a Jew and he spoke their language yet they refused to receive Him. Mark 6:4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. Jesus did many marvelous works in the sight of His own people yet the majority refused to receive Him. They refused to believe. They saw the evidence and knew what the prophets had foretold but still refused to receive Jesus as their savior.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Some people did receive Jesus as the Christ, the savior of men. John received Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Matthew, Mark, Luke, Peter, Andrew, James, Philip, Thomas, Thaddeus, Nathanael, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Zachaeus, Joseph, Nicodemus, Elizabeth, Zacharias, John the Baptist, Simeon, Anna, to name a few, all received Him. I have received Him as my savior. The word translated “power” in verse 12 means authority, privilege or right. Those who received Him were given the privilege of becoming the sons of God. This verse explains to us what it means to receive Jesus Christ. It says that those who received him believed on His name. The believed that He was who He claimed to be. They believed His message concerning sin and repentance. They believed He had the power to save. They accepted His free gift of eternal life. Because they were willing to repent and believe in His name they were given the right, the privilege, the authority to become the sons of God. In verse 13 we shall see that becoming the son of God involves a birth. Jesus will explain this process to Nicodemus in chapter three.

13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Those who receive Jesus are born again. They are born of God. God causes them to become a new creature. Verse 13 makes it plain that this birth is not of blood. The blood of bulls and goats has nothing to do with this birth. The blood line has nothing to do with this birth. In Jesus day they boasted that they were of Abraham’s seed. Yet this verse states that it has nothing to do with blood or blood line. Nor does the will of the flesh have anything to do with this birth. The desire of the flesh is contrary to the will of God. The fleshly or carnal man does not seek God. Mans desire or will has nothing to do with this birth. Man can only have this birth by the grace of God. We are granted this privilege to become the sons of God by the grace of God. There is no merit on our part whatsoever. It is all God’s doing.

Conclusion: We have learned from this text that God requires faith, trust, belief on our part. The vast majority of the world do not know Jesus for who He truly is. The vast majority of Israelites today do not accept Jesus for who He is. There are a few who have received Jesus Christ as the savior. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. What will you do with Jesus. Will you allow Johns purpose for writing these things be accomplished in you. Will you believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that believing you might have life through His name?