He Came to His Own
John 1:9–11
SERMON • Jesus divides history and humanity into two kinds of people: those who believe in Him and those who do not. When the eternal Son of God entered the world he had made, most people rejected him. But all, who by God’s grace, welcomed Jesus were welcomed into God’s family. The same is true today.
In the CBS reality TV show "Undercover Boss," the CEO of the fast-food restaurant Checkers went incognito as a regular worker to see what things were really like in his franchise. What he discovered was alarming. While training alongside an employee, CEO Rick Silva observed his newly hired manager badgering and eventually threatening to beat an employee for not working hard enough. Silva was so appalled by the behavior he witnessed that he took the manager outside, broke character, and confronted him right there—a rare occurrence on the show.
In our text today, John 1:9-13, we see something similar occurring. The eternal Son of God, the founder and CEO of the universe going undercover and entering the world he had built and owned. And yet in a twist even reality TV couldn't come up with, when he revealed his identity and pulled off the mustache and shades, he was accused of being an imposter, scorned, despised, and murdered. When he returns, he’s going to set everything right. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until the final season to see all of this take place.
Text Introduction
Our text (vv.9–13) occurs in the middle of a carefully structured introduction to the gospel. The first 18 verses form this introduction and take on a poetic structure, in fact, in the original language. There are eight stanzas in John's intro, like eight clusters of verses in a Pink Floyd song that goes on for at least seven minutes, with several lengthy theological riffs that leave you feeling anything but "Comfortably Numb." John's intro acquaints us with the hero of the story. He tells of the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ – both divine and human, heavenly and earthly.
As you may remember, the poem began in v.1 by announcing the divine origin of Christ:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
The Logos in Ancient Greek Thought
It's important to know that when John wrote of Christ being the "Word" (or Logos), the Greeks had already for three centuries celebrated an eternal Logos, for example, in Cleanthes’ Hymn to Zeus, the god of sky and thunder in ancient Greek religion, who was thought to rule as king of all other gods on Mount Olympus. The Greek poet Cleanthes praised: “The universal Word, that flows through all, and the light celestial. One Word—whose voice alas! the wicked spurn.”[1]
Ancient Greek philosophy was concerned with answering the ultimate questions of reality, the ultimate truth that lies behind everything. Over time, as philosophers such as Heraclitus, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle pondered these questions, they came up with a term to describe this ultimate reality, and the term was logos. The logos came to be understood as that which gives life and meaning to the universe.
Critics of Christianity sometimes point to John 1 and the use of Logos referring to Christ and say, "See? Christianity was just borrowing from ancient religions.” But this idea misses John's point entirely. John isn't borrowing from common Greek mythology, he's correcting the Greek mythology of his pagan contemporaries. He's exalting Christ above Zeus as the true Logos—the true God of gods, the true King of kings and Lord of lords, Creator, Life-giver, Life-Sustainer, and Ruler of the universe.
But what is our text chiefly about? In the preceding verses, John has already attributed two chief functions to Christ the eternal Word, in vv.4–5:
He is the life-giver, both natural and spiritual
(2) He is the light-giver; that is, he's the revelation of God to us.
Our text of vv.9-13 is John's overview of how Jesus' world responded to the arrival of this life-giving and light-giver. Here's a hint: it wasn't pretty. This is the main idea of the text.
Our creator was a stranger in the cosmos he created.
This profound statement is echoed in verses 9–10 which state:
"The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him."
John presents Jesus in verse 9 as "The true light, which gives light to everyone." In his gospel, John is particularly focused on the concept of light, which he equates with true knowledge of God, of ourselves, and of our world. He frequently uses various forms of the word "knowledge" in his gospel, 131 times to be precise. Additionally, he mentions "truth or true" approximately 49 times, and "light" or "darkness" about 31 times.
Knowledge is Possible only because of Christ, the Word
Human beings have an inherent desire to know and understand ourselves and our world. This curiosity is the essence of science. It involves observing, hypothesizing about the how and why of events, testing hypotheses, refining them into scientific theories, and ultimately establishing verifiable theories as scientific laws. Humans, who refer to themselves as homo sapiens, or 'wise man', contrast themselves with the instinctual and largely irrational animals that inhabit our world. In a world where humans yearn for knowledge, Christ is revealed as "The true light" (verse 9) which enables humans to truly know. Jesus is the one who makes true knowledge possible.
The Psalmist David expressed this sentiment by writing, "For with you (God) is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light." (Psalm 36:9). This means that in God's light, we gain insight; in His revelation, we attain knowledge; in understanding His truth, we comprehend the realities of our world. Similarly, Colossians 2:3 states that in Jesus Christ "are contained all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Therefore, to receive and believe in Jesus is to gain access to true knowledge of God, ourselves, and our world.
Faith & Reason
There is a common misconception among critics of Christianity that there is a dichotomy between faith and reason, suggesting that one can have either faith or reason, but not both. Faith is often misunderstood as "belief without evidence." While it is true that the term is sometimes used in this manner, the Biblical interpretation of faith is quite different. Biblically, faith is seen as "the embrace of divine revelation." It involves believing and receiving what God has revealed, not as a leap into the dark, but as a step into the light.
True faith is more than just trust in God; it is also an inner attitude or disposition of openness to whatever he reveals. Hebrews 11:2 puts it as: "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God." Faith, therefore, is a prerequisite for true knowledge. This concept is elegantly summarized by the 11th century Christian philosopher, Anselm of Canterbury, who said, "I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but rather, I believe in order that I may understand." This highlights the tragedy that Christ, the giver of life and light, was and is often rejected.
An Illustration: Two Scientists Hypothesize about a Crane Operator
Suppose two scientists are watching a construction crane for the first time working on a high-rise building project. Both scientists can equally study the machine's movements, calculate the forces and angles and vectors and leverage; they can even get close enough to sample and test, analyze, and classify the types of metals and rubber and hydraulic fluid that comprise the crane's makeup. But suppose one scientist looks up and sees a man in the control box a few hundred feet up in the air. He waves and the crane operator waves back. In fact, the crane operator tosses to the ground a copy of the blueprints for the building project that he's using, complete with a description of the proposed uses of the project once complete.
The other scientist doesn't see the crane operator, nor does he feel a need to look for one. And thus he disbelieves that a crane operator even exists. When he reads the blueprints, he doubts their authenticity. He claims, rather, that the blueprints must have been written as a political power-play by the civil elite in order to manipulate people into thinking there is actually "purpose and meaning" behind the building project. In his view, the crane is likely eternal, the product of random forces in a mysterious universe, and it operates based on physical laws that randomly took shape against all odds as a result of a massive explosion eons ago.
“An unbelieving observer can have a deep knowledge of the machinery but still miss the whole point of it all…. The problem is not mere ignorance of truth but an aversion to truth, and a preference for sin and darkness.”
But the second scientist believes he's seen sufficient evidence of a crane operator, and that the blueprints are legitimate, and that based on what is written in them he's able to know not only the mechanics of the crane, but the answers to the ultimate questions about the origin, purpose, and destiny of the project itself. That's what biblical faith provides, in a sense. Both observers can study the same processes, handle the same materials, even analyze the same blueprints, but a receptive attitude to the evidence makes all the difference in understanding the truth of the matter.
An unbelieving observer can have a deep knowledge of the machinery but still miss the whole point of it all.
In The Weight of Glory, C. S. Lewis wrote, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else.” Christians are the kinds of people who not only see the glory of Christ in Scripture but by him see everything else as it really is.
But John would have us know that our problem runs much deeper than mere ignorance. If light or knowledge were the root problem of mankind in rebellion to Christ, then Jesus would have just needed to set up rabbinical schools to educate the masses. But the problem is not mere ignorance of truth but an aversion to truth, and a preference for sin and darkness. We all by nature stand in need of not only light but spiritual life.
We naturally reject truth in preference for lies.
Verse 11 of John's Gospel states, "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him." This verse highlights a major plot that unfolds throughout the book. John depicts Christ's progressive self-revelation being met with increasingly intensified rejection, particularly by "his own people," the Jews, and especially the Jewish leaders representing the religious establishment. Wilson Knight describes John’s Gospel as portraying Jesus “silhouetted against a world of formalized religion, hypocrisy, envy, evil, and suffering” [2].
As the story progresses, the theme of revelation and rejection reaches its pinnacle in the event of Jesus' execution. Early in the Gospel, Jesus gains a rapidly expanding number of followers after performing several miracles: turning water into wine in John 2, performing miracles in Samaria and healing an official's son in John 4, healing a 38-year-old man born lame in chapter 5, and multiplying loaves and fish to feed thousands in John 6. However, in the latter part of John chapter 6, everything changes. Jesus begins speaking plainly about himself, and the crowds, once healed and fed, soon fall away. John 6:66 records: "After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, 'Do you want to go away as well?' Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.'" Thus, Jesus' self-revelation of his true identity scandalizes most but is received by some. And the same is true today.
Isaiah Saw the Eternal Word in a Vision
Many today are okay with the idea of Jesus as an ancient rabbi who advocated love for one's neighbor. However, far fewer embrace Jesus as Christ and creator of the world. Few relish the idea that Jesus claimed to have existed before the patriarch Abraham, as we read in John 8:58. Even fewer can stomach Jesus' claim that the famous vision in Isaiah 6 was about himself. Isaiah saw a vision of Jehovah, high and lifted up, enthroned in the temple of heaven, with Seraphim proclaiming God as "holy, holy, holy," and the earth "full of his glory." Yet, in John 12:41, Jesus speaks of this as referring to himself, a claim that would be blasphemous unless true.
The rejection of Jesus' self-revelation reaches its height in John 19, when Pilate, attempting to stir pity for Jesus, is met with rejection by the Jerusalem crowd. John 19:14–16 narrates: "Pilate said to the Jews, 'Behold your King!' They cried out, 'Away with him, away with him, crucify him!' Pilate said to them, 'Shall I crucify your King?' The chief priests answered, 'We have no king but Caesar.' So he delivered him over to them to be crucified."
But we must not think that, apart from God's saving grace, we would not have joined the crowds in their rejection. Jesus is constantly sacrificed on the altars of our misplaced priorities. Will you today have Jesus rule over you, or will you nail him afresh, as it were, on the crossbeams of your own making?
The Cry of Modern Man: “Crucify Him!”
The cry of modern man may not be "We have no king but Caesar," but it certainly includes "Away with this man, we have no King but... science! Away with this man, we have no King but sexual freedom! No king but career advancement! No king but financial security! No king but food and drink and fleeting pleasures! No king but healthy, happy children, and 'we'll be damned, God, if you ever let anything bad happen to them!'" Yet, in God's profound mercy, in many cases, He does not allow people to continue in such a Logos-belittling, Christ-rejecting state of mind but intervenes and brings people humbly to Christ, the definitive answer to our greatest needs. This is our gospel conviction.
Christ welcomes fools and foes into his family.
In verse 12 of the Gospel, it is stated, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." This verse emphasizes that those who accept the testimony of Jesus are granted the right or authority, a privilege of being adopted into the family of God himself. The apostle Paul echoes this teaching in Galatians 3:26, which says, "In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith." Essentially, when we receive the revelation of Christ by faith, understanding the truth about God, ourselves, and the world, we enter into a parent-child relationship with God as our Father.
However, it's important to note what must be true for us to believe and be adopted into God's family, as highlighted in verse 13. This verse reads, ". . . who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God."
Christ Gives Life & Light
The dual roles of Jesus as the LIGHT and LIFE-giver correspond to our two greatest needs. As the source of LIGHT, Jesus meets us in our spiritual DARKNESS, and as the source of LIFE, He meets us in our spiritual DEATH. This allows us to receive the knowledge of God with new life and spiritual capacities. In other words, a transformation of the heart precedes receiving Christ; birth precedes belief.
John uses the term "birth" to describe this process. To be "born of God" is to experience the granting of new, spiritual life. It's an act of God, not a result of human lineage, logic, or effort. Ephesians 2:8–9 supports this, stating, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Confession of Christ is a Divine Miracle
Consider Peter's confession of faith in Jesus in John 6, where he declares, "Lord... we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." This belief stems from a transformation within Peter, as indicated by Jesus' own explanation for Peter's faith in John chapter 6. Jesus says in John 6:35, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." Yet, Jesus acknowledges a problem in verse 44, stating, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." This implies an inherent inability in fallen humans to believe in Jesus without divine intervention. Jesus further elaborates in John 6:64–65 and 6:67–69, explaining that belief in Him is granted by the Father. This is further confirmed in Matthew 16:17, where Jesus tells Peter, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." Therefore, faith in Jesus Christ is the result of God's saving work in our hearts, leading John to conclude that those who welcome Jesus into their world are born of God.
We must contemplate how we should respond to Christ today, recognizing the transformative power and divine origin of faith in Him.
Our Response? We welcome Christ into every part of our world.
I'm increasingly convinced that mature faith in Christ involves welcoming Christ into every part of our lives. It means "full surrender." And we should do this on a daily basis. Since the new year, I've made it a part of my morning routine before heading to work. My goal is to verbally, consciously, intentionally surrender my health, my wife, my daughters, my job, my savings, my time, my mind, my everything to my Lord and Savior.
We're often okay spending a couple of hours at church once every week or two. But do we verbally surrender our time, 365 days, to his full disposal? Do we welcome or resent the King of the cosmos intruding into our personal world? We're okay giving some money to good causes. But do we open our hands and daily surrender our jobs, our savings, our retirement plans to God to give, to take, to interrupt, to use as he deems best? Do we trust God enough to utter such words?
We're okay talking about anything under the sun with our classmates, kids, or coworkers. But do we surrender our conversations to Christ as "Lord of our words," so that we speak only what honors him? Do we use our words to speak the gospel? To speak of judgment to come and of salvation in Christ?
The Son of God, the true Logos, took on flesh not only to observe our disorder, our chaos, our animosity but to suffer under it and to be punished for it... in order that he may speak life and light into our darkness and death.
And the promise is sure: "to all who receive him, who believe in his name, he gives the right to become children of God." ❖
References
Leland Ryken, Words of Delight: A Literary Introduction to the Bible (Ada, MI: Baker Academic, 1993), 452–453. Kindle Edition.
Ibid., 384.
