John 1:10-13, Children of God
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Bible Study Reading John 1:10-13
V. 11–The Jews are God’s chosen people. In spite of God speaking to them through prophets and telling them to watch for the Savior, the Jews did not recognize Jesus as the promised Messiah.
Do you ever think about what it would have been like to live in Jesus’ day? What would it be like to see Him performing miracles and hear Him preaching.
The Jews were all waiting for the messiah; they were looking for a king like David to crush the Roman empire and restore the nation of Israel. This was the way they read the prophecies.
As God’s chosen people, the Jews should have recognized Jesus as the promised Messiah and as God walking among them. They did not recognize Him, so they mocked Him, scorned Him, and eventually crucified Him. During all three years of Jesus’ ministry, the Jews were trying to find a reason to kill him.
Jesus could have handed out miracles to every Jew. He could have forced them to recognize and believe that He is the promised Messiah. When Jesus walked on earth, He didn’t force anyone to believe, and Got still won’t force anyone now.
V 12. “all who received him” is a statement that includes Gentiles. Even before Jesus walked on the earth, non-Jews could have faith, and be saved by their faith. Rahab, Job, Abraham, and Isaac are all examples of this. If belief in the coming of a Savior could save, how much more can belief in the Savior who came save Gentiles now?
v. 13 juxtaposes being born of man to being born of God.
- our human birth has made us physically alive, but sinful by nature (Romans 5:12)
- Jesus is God’s first born Son.
- Jesus lived a sinless life.
- Through belief in Jesus we become spiritually alive and gain eternal life.
Being born of God requires belief in Jesus. Our physical bodies (born of man) are passing away, but being born of God means to become spiritually alive and to have eternal life. Being born of God means that you can fit back into God’s ideal plan for human beings (constant fellowship as described in Genesis before sin entered the world).