Welcome Valley Bible Studies

Lesson 3: John 1:10-13

John 1:10-11
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Related Scriptures:
Genesis 1:1
Isaiah 53:3-6 (an Old Testament Prophecy about Jesus)
Matthew 13:53-58
Matthew 23:37 (Jesus is speaking.)
Luke 13:31-35
John 7:5
John 8:59
Colossians 1:9-17 (especially verse 16)

Background Information
Jesus came unto His own. This refers to the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people. Jesus was Jewish, but the Jewish nation rejected Him. The relationship between Jesus, Jew, and Gentile is complicated and beyond the scope of this study. Remember, the fact that some of the Jews of Jesus’ day rejected Jesus is not a reason for looking down on Jews. Countless Jews do and have put their faith in Jesus Christ just as even more countless people of other races have rejected Him. In the end, it is a personal thing--will you personally receive Jesus as Lord and Savior or do you also refuse Him?

Questions
  1. Who does our text say made the world?
  2. Consider the answer to question 1 and what you read in Colossians 1:16-17. Is the doctrine of creation part of the doctrine of salvation?
  3. What does denying the role of Jesus as Creator say about His role as Savior?
  4. Who did Jesus come to?
  5. How did they respond to Him?
  6. How have you responded to Him?

John 1:12-13
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Related Scriptures
John 3:14-15
Romans 8:14-17
2 Peter 3:9
1 John 3:1-3

Background Information
Based on the Greek language the New Testament was written in, John 1:12 uses the word power in the sense of “authority”. While the word used does include the ability to become a child of God, it especially refers to the right to do so. The use of the word sons in these Scriptures is broad enough to include both males and females. Anyone who receives Him has the right to become a child of God.

Questions  
    1.   In the first part of this lesson, what did the people to whom Jesus first came do?
  1. What has God given to those who do receive Jesus?
  2. a) Of those receiving Jesus, which ones get this power? b) Is anyone who receives Him left out? c) What words from the Scriptures we’ve looked at support your answer to b)?
  3. Notice the word “born” in verse 13. It relates to being a child of God. We will study this concept more in John 3. For now, whose decision was it that those receiving Jesus should be spiritually “born” or “become the sons of God”?
  4. If God made this decision, who can overrule it?

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