The Great Rejection and the Divine Reception Text: John 1:9-13
Introduction: The World's Verdict
We live in a world that prides itself on its open-mindedness, its tolerance, and its supposed wisdom. It is a world that has set itself up as the ultimate judge of all things. Every philosophy, every religion, every truth-claim is brought before the great tribunal of autonomous man, and he strokes his chin and delivers his verdict. And the verdict on Jesus Christ, delivered consistently for two thousand years, is a resounding "No."
Our passage today describes the historical ground zero for this rejection. It is the story of the Creator entering His own creation, the Author walking onto the stage of His own play, and the King visiting His own subjects. And what was the response? He was met with blank stares, with hostility, and with the slammed doors of human hearts. The world did not know Him, and His own people did not receive Him.
We must not imagine that this is simply an unfortunate historical misunderstanding. This is not a case of mistaken identity that could have been cleared up with a better public relations campaign. No, this is a moral verdict. The darkness hates the light, not because it is uninformed about the light, but precisely because it understands what the light is and what it reveals. The rejection of Jesus Christ is not an intellectual problem; it is a rebellion of the will. Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.
But in the midst of this universal, global rejection, John reveals a stunning counter-movement. He shows us a divine and sovereign intrusion. While the world was busy saying "No," God was busy saying "Mine." While men were exercising their supposed free will to reject their Maker, God was exercising His truly free will to regenerate and adopt a people for Himself. This passage, then, is a tale of two wills: the impotent and rebellious will of man, and the omnipotent and gracious will of God. And it is in the clash of these two wills that the central drama of salvation unfolds.
The Text
There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone.
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
He came to what was His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
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,
who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
(John 1:9-13 LSB)
The Universal Illumination (v. 9)
John begins by identifying Jesus as the one, ultimate reality behind all lesser lights.
"There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone." (John 1:9)
John the Baptist was a light, a lamp, but he was not the Light. Jesus is the "true" Light, the original of which all other lights are copies. He is not just one option on a spiritual buffet line; He is the source of all truth, beauty, and goodness in the universe. Everything that is true in any other philosophy or religion is a borrowed truth, a reflected light, stolen from Him. He is the light from behind the sun.
Now, this verse has been a playground for Arminians and universalists for centuries. They seize upon the phrase "enlightens everyone" and argue that God gives every person a little spark of divine grace, a common ability to choose Him if they want. But this is to rip the verse out of its context and ignore the whole testimony of Scripture. The Bible is clear that the natural man is not dimly lit; he is stone-cold dead in the dark (Eph. 2:1). He does not need a dimmer switch turned up; he needs a resurrection.
So what does this mean? It means that Christ, as the Logos, is the source of all revelation. He shines on every man in two ways. First, through general revelation. The heavens declare His glory. The conscience of every man bears witness to His law (Romans 1-2). No one can plead ignorance. The light shines on them through the created order and their own moral constitution, and their response is to suppress that truth in unrighteousness. The light shines, and they shut their eyes. Second, this refers to the public, historical manifestation of Christ in His incarnation. His coming into the world was a universal event with universal implications. The light of the gospel is to be preached to every creature, and this light confronts everyone, either as a light of salvation or as a light of judgment. The light comes to all; the reception of that light is another matter entirely.
The Tragic Irony of Rejection (v. 10-11)
The next two verses describe the great cosmic tragedy: the Creator is rejected by His own creation.
"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to what was His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him." (John 1:10-11 LSB)
Here we have a heartbreaking series of concentric circles. First, "He was in the world." The transcendent God, the Logos, entered into the realm of time and space. But the irony is staggering: "the world was made through Him." He wasn't a tourist; He was the architect visiting His own building. The very dust He walked on was His own creation. The air He breathed was His. The men who hated Him were sustained by His power. Yet, "the world did not know Him." This is not intellectual ignorance. The Greek word for "know" here implies experiential, relational knowledge. The world looked at its Maker and saw nothing to desire. This is the essence of cosmic treason.
But the focus narrows. "He came to what was His own." This refers to His own property, His own domain, specifically, the land of Israel, the city of Jerusalem, the temple. This was the place He had set apart for Himself. And even more intimately, He came to "those who were His own," His own people, the Jews. They were His chosen nation, the recipients of the covenants, the law, and the prophets. All of it was a giant arrow pointing to Him. And when He arrived, what did they do? "His own did not receive Him." They, who should have known Him best, rejected Him most vehemently.
This is a profound indictment of the fallen human heart, whether religious or irreligious. The pagan world did not know Him, and the covenant people, who had every advantage, did not receive Him. Left to ourselves, this is the universal human response to God. We want His world, but we don't want Him. We want to be masters in a house that is not ours.
The Sovereign Grace of Reception (v. 12-13)
Just when the story seems to end in total rejection, John pivots to the glorious exception. The darkness is total, but it is not triumphant. God has another plan.
"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," (John 1:12 LSB)
Notice the word "But." This is one of the great gospel conjunctions. Man's rejection is met with God's "but." In the midst of the "many who did not," there are the "as many as did." And who are they? They are those who "received Him." This receiving is defined as "believing in His name." To believe in His name is not mere intellectual assent. It is to trust in His person and His work, to embrace Him for who He is, the eternal Word, the Creator, the Lord.
And what is the result of this reception? "To them He gave the right to become children of God." This is astounding. We are not naturally children of God, except in the sense of being His creatures. By nature, we are children of wrath (Eph. 2:3). But here, God gives the "right" or "authority" to become His children. This is a legal transaction. It is adoption. God, the offended judge, declares the guilty rebels to be His beloved sons and daughters. This is a status we could never earn or achieve. It is a gift, bestowed by grace.
But where does this receiving, this believing, come from? Does it bubble up from the goodness of the human heart? Is it the one thing we contribute to our salvation? John slams the door on that idea with a sledgehammer in the very next verse.
"who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13 LSB)
This verse explains the origin of the faith mentioned in verse 12. Those who believe are those who have been "born" again. And John is meticulously clear about the source of this new birth. He gives us three things it is not, and one thing it is.
First, it is "not of blood." This means salvation is not a matter of heredity. Being born into a Christian family or a covenant nation does not save you. You don't get into the kingdom through your bloodline. This was a direct shot at the Jewish assumption that their physical descent from Abraham guaranteed their place with God.
Second, it is not "of the will of the flesh." The "flesh" in Scripture refers to our fallen, sinful human nature. This means our salvation does not originate from our own desires, our own sinful cravings, or our own initiative. The fleshly will is enslaved to sin; it cannot and will not choose God (Rom. 8:7-8).
Third, it is not "of the will of man." This is even more specific. It's not about your husband's will, your father's will, or even your own vaunted "free will." Your decision for Christ is not the ultimate, determining factor in your salvation. Why? Because you would never make that decision unless something else happened first.
And what is that something else? They are born "of God." This is the source. This is the cause. The new birth is a unilateral, sovereign, supernatural act of God the Holy Spirit. It is a spiritual resurrection. God does not wait for you to make the first move. He doesn't woo you and hope you'll say yes. He invades the tomb of your heart, He speaks His creative word, "Let there be light," and He raises you from the dead. Your faith, your receiving of Christ, is not the cause of your new birth; it is the evidence of it. You believe because you have been born again. God is the great initiator. Salvation is of the Lord, from beginning to end.
Conclusion: The Great Divide
This passage presents us with the great divide that runs through all of humanity. It is not a divide between the religious and the irreligious, the Jew and the Gentile, the moral and the immoral. It is the divide between those who are born of the will of man and those who are born of God.
The world, in its pride, thinks it stands in judgment over Christ. But the reality is the other way around. Christ stands in judgment over the world. His presence, His light, forces a choice. It reveals what is in the heart. And the natural heart, left to itself, will always reject Him.
The only hope any of us has is the sovereign grace described in verse 13. Has God done this work in you? Have you been born from above? The evidence is not found in your pedigree, your feelings, or your own willpower. The evidence is found in verse 12: Do you receive Him? Do you believe in His name?
If you do, then rejoice. For your faith is a gift, a sign that God has already acted on your behalf. He has given you a new birth, a new family, and a new name: child of God. He has done this not because of anything in you, but entirely because of His own good pleasure. And because He is the author of your faith, He will also be the finisher of it. He who began this good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.