Foundations for a Strong Family
“God doesn’t have any Grandchildren”
John 1:11-13
This week and for the next several weeks, at schools all across the nation, students will be receiving their diplomas following 12, 13, 14 or more years of school. (Or in some cases, 11, like Diane Flath, who is graduating a year early today from Horicon High School.) It used to be that at most every graduation ceremony there was a special guest who would give a commencement address. Words of wisdom to those students who were passing from school to work, from being a child to being an adult, from being dependent to independence. In some cases the speeches were very good, but few were ever really listened to. Most students just want to get their diploma and get out. Most parents are thinking more about the food for the guests after the ceremony than the words being uttered by the speaker.
Some commencement addresses have been very important. Winston Churchill first used the phrase “Iron Curtain” at a graduation ceremony in Fulton, Missouri in 1946. Just this last week, President George W. Bush gave a powerful speech on the necessity of each community to come to the aid of the less fortunate at the commencement ceremonies at Notre Dame. But most are not remembered, and most are not memorable.
A couple of years ago, there was a popular recording of an advice column, written as a commencement address, that was given an instrumental background. The speech was simple phrases of advice,
Very few high schools even have a commencement address any longer. It seems to have gone the way of the invocation and benediction – a victim of modern times. But with my own daughter Nicole graduating today, I have given a great deal of thought to what I might say if I were given the opportunity to share a word with the students at Horicon or Mayville High Schools today.
If I had to come up with one phrase, one bit of advice to give to the graduates of our schools today, what would it be? What is that one thing that makes all the difference, that will put all other issues of life into context?
It would be this: Know Jesus.
Now, you might be thinking, well, “I know Jesus.” Well, maybe you do. But before you shut me off, and go to sleep thinking this is just another of those typical churchy sermons, let me show you a couple of things.
There is a passage of scripture that I want us to take a look at for just a few minutes. It is found in the story of Jesus that was written by one of His closest friends. His name was John, and the gospel he wrote bares his name. So turn to John, the first chapter. We are going to focus our thoughts this morning on verses 10-13.
He [Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 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 man, but of God.
Now on first reading, you might think, “OK, that sounds about right. Jesus came, He was rejected by the majority of the people, but for the few who believe, they become children of God. And you’d be right, but before we just quickly pass over this verse, I believe there are some stunning statements here.
First, take a look at the first two verses -
He [Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
It is an amazing thing to think that this One who came and lived on the earth was the one though whom the earth was created – Colossians 1:16 tells us that “by Him all things were created that are in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, … all things were created through Him and for Him…”
And verse 10 tells us that that world, which He created, did not know Him. The world did not recognize Jesus for Who He is. I have a friend whose daughter goes to school at St. Norbert’s. Every summer the Packers have their mini-camp at the college there. She said that one day, during the summer, she was walking up to a building, and a man opened the door and held it for her. She said, “Thank you,” and walked in, and was half way down the hall before she realized that it had been Reggie White holding the door! Now magnify that about a bazillion times, and you have some idea of what happened when Jesus came – it was a total fly-by! The earth, by and large, did not recognize it’s Creator God. And as I said before, that’s probably not news to most of us.
But the next verse is more personal. It says, “He came to His own and His own did not receive Him.” The wording here does not imply a missed identity, as much as a rejection. The word “receive” means to “lay out the welcome mat.” But Jesus did not get that, he got a cold shoulder, a door slammed in His face – and by His own people!
Now, there were many examples of this happening, but let me take you to one early example of this rejection that Jesus endured. Turn back a few pages in your Bibles to Mark, chapter 6. Jesus has been traveling around the countryside of Israel for quite a while by the time we reach Mark chapter 6. Mark chapter 3 tells us that His following has grown to include people from all over the nation, huge crowds are now gathering to hear Him speak, and to have him heal them. He has performed many miracles, including raising a little girl from the dead just prior to returning to his hometown of Nazareth. Let’s start with verse 1 of Mark 6.
Then He went out from there and came to His own country [sound familiar?], and His disciples followed Him. And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? And what wisdom is this, which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, the brother of James, Joses, Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.”
Here we see Jesus coming to His own, and His own not receiving Him. Now pay close attention – their rejection was not because they didn’t know who He was, but because they thought they knew who He was! You see; they had known Him all their lives. They were very familiar with Him. They knew His name, they knew the sound of His voice, they knew His face. But their familiarity with Him caused them to lose sight of Who He really is. The fact that they knew Him from childhood caused them to not really know Him at all.
In verse 4, Jesus says to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his own country among his own relatives, and in his own house.” Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief.
Sometime when you are looking for an interesting study of the life of Christ, go through the gospels and find all the times that Jesus was amazed. We saw one a couple of weeks ago, on Mother’s Day, when we saw the amazing faith of a gentile woman who would not quit asking until Jesus healed her daughter. There are other examples of Jesus being impressed with the faith of people, most often with the faith of gentiles. But here we see Jesus being left open jawed at the unbelief of His own people. The NIV says, “He was amazed at their unbelief.”
I have a friend who has a screen saver on his computer in his office that says, “Don’t amaze Jesus today!” It’s because of this verse. Jesus was amazed that these people - his own community, his own family, even in his own house - he was not welcome. “He came to His own, and His own would not receive Him.”
“BUT” –
There is a very important three letter word at the beginning of John 1:12 – “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”
Those who did receive Jesus – those who believe in His name, were made children of God – and this brings me to the second truth that I want you to grasp this morning. God has no grandchildren.
God has no grandchildren. What do I mean by that? Simply put, it means that the faith of your parents, or your nation, or your church will not gain you entrance into heaven, or make you a child of God.
Last week I was talking to a man here whose son was being confirmed in his mother’s church. Earlier in the week, this dad had gone to watch as his son was tested on his knowledge of the catechisms that he had to learn in order to be confirmed. When the pastor asked, “When did you become a believer?” one of the students answered, “When I was baptized as a baby!” And the pastor went on to the next question.
Whoa! Back up the faith train! You want to tell me how a baby becomes a believer? You want to show me from scripture where it says that we can be saved by the faith of our parents? Don’t even bother to look – it ain’t there! God has no grandchildren! Your parents faith doesn’t make you a child of God. Your nationality does not make you a child of God. The church you are baptized in, or confirmed in, or take communion in, does not make you a child of God – THINK ABOUT IT! It’s common sense! If anyone in all of human history would have been a “believer by umbilical cord” it would be the people we just looked at in Mark 6, they were Jesus’ brothers and sisters! They came from the same womb of Mary that Jesus came from (sorry to my Catholic brethren, but I just read the Word for what is says!) – surely if anyone could ever be a child of God based on their parent’s heritage, it would be James, and Joses, and Simon, the brothers of Jesus, and yet it was exactly their unbelief that left Jesus amazed.
If ever people deserved to be children of God based on their nationality and religion it would have been the Jews, right? They were God’s chosen people. Jesus was their Messiah. They went to the Temple in Jerusalem – surely they would have deserved to be a child of God by nationality or religion. But they were not children of God – only those who believed on Jesus were made children of God.
You know, sometimes I think Jesus is still amazed. I think He looks into our homes, and our nation, and He sees a people who have such a great heritage, and who have such familiarity with Himself, and yet there is so little genuine belief. Sure there’s lots of knowledge. People know His name, they recognize His image from the Biblical account, they even know His voice when they hear His words read, and yet I think He must be sometimes open jawed in amazement at the unbelief.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”
Children of God – not grandchildren. Not children of God because mom and dad believe. Not children of God because they were baptized. Not children of God because of their church or national heritage. Children of God because they believe in His name.
Look at that last verse:
Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Not of blood – being a child of God is not inherited like a royal title.
Not of the will of the flesh – no matter how much your parents, grandparents or husband or wife want it, no other person can make it happen for you.
Not of the will of man – no other person, not even your pastor or Sunday school teacher, can make you a child or God. Though they might be willing to give anything to see that happen.
It is something that only you can do for yourself.
Today, in this place, at this time, Jesus has come to His own. He has come to your heart. Will you lay out the welcome mat, and receive Him. Will you believe in His name and allow Him to make you a child of God? Or will you not receive Him, and close the door, and leave Him marveling at your unbelief?
And so, Class of 2001, first class of the 21st Century: