Young People's Group

AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM

by Pastor Mitch
April 14, 2013

The Lord Jesus As The True Light

From the beginning of time, the Lord Jesus has been shining forth His light within the soul of man.

“That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” 
John 1:9

When we were born as human beings, there is an instinct within us that distinguishes us from animals. It is the ability to know what is good and evil. This is something that the Lord gives to every human created by Him. Furthermore, when the Lord Jesus came into this world, He brought the special light of grace and truth to the people. It was prophesied in the text ofIsaiah 49:6 that He will be a light to the Gentiles. In John 8:12 the Lord Jesus declared that He is the light of the world. He will shine the light of the gospel upon the hearts of men. People are meant to see the Lord Jesus as the true light.

Rejected By Men

1. Rejected By His Creation

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.” 
John 1:10

Even though the Creator of the world (John 1:3) shone forth as light before His creation, sadly, they still rejected Him. The world, everything and everyone on it, was made by the Lord Jesus. It would have been a natural instinct for His created beings to recognize Him as their Creator. And yet because of spiritual darkness, they did not recognize Him as their Creator and Lord. They could not perceive Him for who He is and thus rejected Him.

2. Rejected By His Own People

“He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” 
John 1:11

The Lord Jesus also came to His own people, the Jews of the nation of Israel, and yet they did not recognize nor receive Him. The Lord Jesus had appeared to them from the times of Exodus as the Angel of the Lord. He led the people of Israel through the wilderness for forty years with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 14:19). He was the One who went before them to fight against their enemies (Exodus 23:20-23). When He finally came to be their Messiah in person, they did not acknowledge Him as their Messiah. Israel rejected Him. How very sad!

Receiving The Lord Jesus Christ

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, 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 1:12-13

Whoever is willing to receive the Lord Jesus, He will give them the right to become children of God. All the blessings and privileges that were meant for Israel and more are now available to those who would come to receive Jesus. It is given to those who would have a genuine faith in the name of the Lord Jesus. On the one hand, there is our part is receiving Jesus and believing in Him. On the other hand, there is God’s part in enabling us to be born again. The work of being born of God is not by which family we are born in or by any human physical act. Salvation includes the idea of God begetting us as His children. Young people, have you received Jesus and continued to believe in His name? If you have, let’s be thankful that we have been given the privilege of being His children.

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