Will You Receive Jesus?

Daily Devotional – Saturday, December 24, 2022
He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
John 1:12 (NKJV)

In Daniel 9:25, the prophet had foretold the exact time of the Messiah’s birth. In addition, Prophet Micah identified Bethlehem as the city where the Anointed One would be born. God did not leave His people in darkness.

Unprepared to Receive the Messiah

One would have expected, then, that the Jews to be ready to receive the Messiah. Matthew, though, presents a different picture. It took the visit of foreigners from the East (the Magi), for the Jewish to realize that the Saviour was about to be born.

“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2). How embarrassed the religious leaders must have been? Suddenly they remembered Micah’s prophecy on the birth of the Messiah (Verse 6).

His Own Did Not Receive Him

Because of their ignorance of prophecy, their prejudices and their misconceptions, the Jews missed the most important opportunity God had given them. Here is John’s indictment of his compatriots: “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:12).

Does the attitude of the Jews make you angry with them? Do you pity them for ignoring prophecy, rejecting the Messiah and eventually killing Him? How could a people be so naïve and rebellious?

I Am Coming Quickly

Now, let us flip the coin. Here is the second last verse of the Bible: “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”” (Revelation 22:20). The Messiah of the First Century is coming back to earth as King and Conqueror.

Just as with the First Advent, God has provided clear signs of Christ’ second coming. In Matthew 24, Jesus described signs in the natural and spiritual realms that will precede His return. Which prophecy remains unfulfilled?

Will You Receive Jesus?

In Second Timothy 3, Paul predicts about Christians, “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (verse 5) before Jesus returns. Those words describe perfectly the religious leaders who rejected Jesus.

We are the modern-day Jews. Jesus is coming back. How prepared are we to receive Him? It will be sad if our history will read; “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” May the commemoration of His first coming remind us that Jesus is coming again.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, I receive You once again in my life even as I look forward to receiving You when You return.