Become Children of God! - December 26th, 2011

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:10-13

History and Context:

The book of John is the fourth Gospel and it is believed to be the last written. John was one of the inner three of Jesus' disciples and referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved". John seemed to have written his Gospel for those who had already known the story of Jesus. He focuses on the meaning of the events rather than the events themselves. There is also a strong focus on the words and teachings of Jesus, specifically on Jesus' claims about Himself. These claims are best known as the seven "I am" statements. John probably wrote this Gospel in Ephesus somewhere around 70 AD.

 

The Text:

This may not be a popular verse read at Christmas time but really it is relevant to Christmas. Jesus Christ came to the world which He Himself made, but that very same world did not receive Him. The very people who He calls His own rejected Him. Even so He gave us this opportunity, that if we do accept Him, we have the right to become children of God. That is an amazing opportunity! We can be children of the Most High Creator of the universe! All we have to do is accept Jesus Christ, yet so many do not.

 

The Challenge:

You may be one who has rejected Him. The great thing about this offer is that no matter how much you reject Him, as long as you are alive, the offer is still open. He is still there with His arms open to you and all you have to do is accept Him. The Christmas season is the perfect time to make this decision because we are celebrating Jesus coming to this earth as a baby, but also as a Savior. Join the celebration! Accept Him for who He is. His promise is that when you accept Him you will be born again of the Spirit into His family. You will be a son or a daughter of God!

 

The Prayer:

Lord, I accept you as my Savior! Come into my life and allow me to be born in your Spirit. Start showing me how to live and give me the power to follow. In Jesus' name, Amen!