In John 1:11, we read:
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
The phrase “his own” speaks to the Jewish nation and God’s covenant people who had long enjoyed the benefit of the promises, blessings, revelations and protection of God. Although it may be a bit challenging to envision in our spiritual minds, Jesus came to his own people and own nation but they received him not. This verse shows us something more and beyond just mere ignorance as contemplated in verse 10. To “[receive] him not,” reflects the intentional and conscious decision to reject Jesus and to refuse to acknowledge Him as the Messiah.
The Apostle John guides us to a greater appreciation that Jesus as the Word appeared in the flesh and “dwelt among [them]” as both fully God and fully man. Jesus preached among them as the Word. He performed miracles by feeding thousands. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind and made the lame to walk. He cast out demons and protected those from convenient self-righteous prosecution and judgment like the woman who was caught in adultery. He even by the word of his power raised his friend Lazarus from the dead. Despite all that was seen, heard and experienced, His own (both culturally and religiously) rejected and despised Him. Where have we too refused to accept Jesus as Our Lord and Savior and yield to His Word and purpose in our lives? I am talking beyond our single confession of faith when we receive Him as the Lord of our lives but our confession of Him moment by moment to just abide in Our Father’s perfect will.
It is easy to criticize the audacity of those who at that time rejected Jesus. But God has not licensed or called us to condemn or convict. Indeed, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but are mighty to the pulling down of spiritual strongholds (including those strongholds of religious and self-righteous condemnation) by comprehending “it is written.” When we connect with “it is written,” we learn that the Pre-incarnate Logos anticipated His own rejection as written in Isaiah 53:1 – 12. Before the Apostle John’s written account in Chapter 1 of his book, the Word had already been written through the Prophet Isaiah who described the Messiah as the Suffering Servant. As the Pre-Incarnate and Infallible Word, Jesus anticipated his own rejection but He still came to die for us that we might be restored in proper relationship with Our Father. Oh, how great is His Love for us!
When Jesus arrived on the scene and began his three year public ministry, the Jewish nation was under the yoke of Roman oppression (the yoke of military, political and socio-economic bondage). The yoke of Roman bondage is the model of Western empires and the prelude of colonialism, capitalism and materialism. Under this yoke, the Jewish nation was rightfully looking for hope but a popular and convenient view emerged of the expected Messiah that was not consistent with Scripture. Rather than rightly dividing the Word, the nation had been mid-educated to look for a glorious and victorious Messiah who would establish the everlasting kingdom of God in chronological contradiction to scripture (i.e., they were for looking for the Second Coming of Christ first).
They weren’t looking for the Messiah prophesied by Isaiah as the Suffering Servant. They didn’t want the humble, lowly, donkey riding, don’t have a place to lay his head, no formal education, low class, come from a bad neighborhood, don’t have a job right now, travelling evangelist, so-called miracle worker, hanging with 12 men who just walked off their jobs to follow him, and with the audacity to heal on the sabbath Messiah. Instead, the Jewish nation was looking for the Messiah who would rule on the throne of David forever and would be the right-then deliverer from Roman oppression. But Jesus was simply and exceedingly beyond His own (i.e., God’s covenant people) expectations.
Too often, many today reject Jesus because He isn’t packaged right, He isn’t branded right, He’s not on the right social platform or He isn’t being discussed in the right social networks. As prophesied by Isaiah, Jesus has no beauty or majesty to attract them to Him. There is nothing in His appearance that they should desire Him. Indeed, many may reject him now because: He didn’t have a contemporary civil rights message like Dr. King; He didn’t have the superstar ability to soar and beautifully dunk a basketball like Michael Jordan; He didn’t have the good looks like Denzel Washington; or He didn’t have the charisma and political presence like former President Barack Obama. However, as Jesus reminded his disciples for the third time in Luke 18:31 – 34, his immediate destination was not to the throne but to the cross. Oh, how much love did he have for us to give up His life and shed His blood on that rugged cross to forever blot out our sins!
As we proclaim the good news of His love, we should also be fully committed to preaching and teaching the whole counsel of God and that the Word anticipates not only our blessings but at times our rejection too. The adversity that we often face in life has nothing to do with our external circumstances or physical distinctions but is a direct consequence of our faith in Jesus Christ. Yes, those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. It is written in Luke 21 (NIV):
10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.
13 And so you will bear testimony to me.
14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.
15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.
17 Everyone will hate you because of me.
18 But not a hair of your head will perish.
19 Stand firm, and you will win life.
Yet, in the face of the circumstances of life and with the full comprehension that those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, we should have a great confidence in Him to stand firm and to win life. Now, let us come to know Jesus Christ beyond our own expectations of Him. By faith, let us now accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior with the loving knowledge that we have been bought with a price and therefore, we should glorify Him in our own bodies. Like the Apostle Paul, let us also declare that we are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ (we won’t dare reject Him) for it is the power of God unto salvation to every that believes and therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall live by faith. To God be the Glory!