Rejected

John 1:10-11 - He 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. 

How sad. Jesus, the Son of God, and His own rejected Him. These people walked with Him, listened to Him, but when the words got too difficult or they couldn't understand them, they rejected them and Him. That's a mirror image of some today who receive Christ, who turn from their old lifestyles, and because they don't look the same as before, because they do things differently, think differently, adopt new attitudes or ways of doing things, those who knew them before this change reject them. Jesus knew some would reject Him; I should realize not all I say will be received. And...I should not be intimidated. We don't have to agree on everything, do we?

As followers of Christ we change. It happens. It is meant to happen. From sin to righteousness. Some change more quickly than others, but changes do occur. If you've experienced the saving grace of Christ will you know what I am talking about. I may be judged by those who do not. I'm sorry that it happens.

Jesus was rejected by His own. Why? Because of His claims in John 1: 

• I am the bread which came down from heaven.
• No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.
• He who believes in Me has everlasting life.
• I am the bread of life...which your fathers ate in the wilderness
• The bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.
• Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.
• I live because of the Father, so he who feeds of Me will live because of Me.
• He who eats this bread will live forever.

I wrote about who to turn to in difficult times last week. When we have a taste of who He is, when we have fed of Him, when we have taken the time to know Him personally through His word and not just what we learn in church, we cannot turn anywhere else. When the disciples heard all that Jesus said above, many turned away from Him. They actually said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" (v. 60)

Well, I say, who can understand what I say these days? Am I a crackpot? Are others hearing me in the way the disciples heard Jesus? (I hope you realize I am not saying I hold a candle to Jesus in any way...) Am I being rejected because I stand by my beliefs? Part of me doesn't want to be rejected, but there's a part of me that realizes it will happen. Why? Because it is a "hard saying" and those who don't know Jesus will say, "who can understand it?" 

Here's the rest of the story...Jesus knew what the disciples were grumbling about and He said, "Does this offend you?" (v.61) If I am only reiterating what the Bible tells me, what Jesus tells me in red letters, does this offend? Jesus did not let offense stop Him. I hope I will not either. If we have been touched by God and born into new spiritual life, the Holy Spirit has taken residence within us. We have been given the words that bring us life. We have believed. We have chosen to take the same path as Christ.

Jesus could very well have said this...Galatians 4:16 - Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth? But these were not His words. He chose not to argue but continue to speak what was the truth. The Apostle Paul spoke these words. He spoke them to a group who once listened to him as he told them the truth of who Christ was but now were beginning to listen to others with opposing views. Isn't that happening today? Not ALL roads lead to God. That is truth but some will reject this. The disciples faced rejection, like Jesus. We will face the same. 

I like what Peter had to say...Jesus was a stumbling block to unbelievers. There are some today who stumble when it comes to knowing Him. They stumble over the words of truth; they are maybe hard words to hear or maybe difficult to understand so they become an offense. And those speaking those words can also be rejected. 

1Peter 2:7-8 - Yes, He is very precious to you who believe. But for those who reject Him [He is] "The stone that was rejected by the builders [but has] become the cornerstone." And the Scriptures also say, "He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that will make them fall."