The Rejection of Jesus & God's Good Plan

Back in the day, people would talk about the “perspicuity” of the Bible - which simply means that the Bible is clear, understandable, not confusing. Now days, it sounds rather strange to use a confusing word like perspicuity to refer to the simplicity and clarity of the Bible. Anyway, the principle still stands - God revealed Himself in a clear and understandable Word. 

This past Sunday at EGBC, we tackled John 1:11. A verse that seems simple enough, but in actuality took a bit of work to understand. The verse is short and simple - He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” Pretty simple. Pretty straight forward. Yet, the theological weight of these few words is massive. John is referring to so much of the Old Testament. John is getting us close to the heart of God to redeem all peoples through Jesus Christ. God’s gospel is on full display. Think with me for a moment:

• God’s plan all along was to create a nation that would bless the nations (Genesis 12:1-3)
• The nation that God created was a rebellious nation that would continually wrestle with God (Genesis 32:24-28)
• A nation that was called to walk by faith and obedience because God had redeemed them (Exodus 20:2-3)
• A nation that would refuse time and time again to submit to the One True God (Isaiah 1:4)
• A nation that was so hardened in their sin, they crucified the Messiah (Acts 2:23)
• A nation that God would make jealous by creating for Himself another nation, another people (Deuteronomy 32:21 & 1 Peter 2:10)

You see, God’s plan all along was this: I’m going to create for myself a people, a people from which the Christ will come - the Christ who will conquer sin and death and redeem humanity from the curse of sin. But in order for Christ to conquer sin and death, He must be rejected. He must be despised. He must be crucified. So, God created a people that He knew would reject the Messiah. A people that would continually wrestle with God. A people that would continually rebel against God. A people that would ultimately kill the Son of God. This was the eternal plan of God - that Christ would live and die in the place of sinners. The death of Jesus was not a divine accident, it was the exact thing God had planned. 

But here is the beautiful thing, God has always been about making for Himself a people from every tribe, language, people, and nation (Revelation 5:9). The rejection of Jesus by the nation of Israel opened the door for God to make for Himself a new people who were not a people (Deuteronomy 32:21). A new nation that was not a nation (1 Peter 2:10). God has been planning to make for himself a people called “the Church” from all eternity. The Church is the people of God from every tribe, language, people, and nation. The Church is not God’s secondary plan, but it was exactly what He has been planning all along.

So in the simple statement of John 1:11, He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him, the eternal plan of God was on display. God’s good plan was for Jesus to be rejected all the way to the cross. God's good plan was for Christ to come to His own, but for His own to shun Him. God's good plan was to call people from every tribe to Himself. Even in the rejection of Jesus, God was accomplishing His good plan. 

Let us rejoice in God’s good plan and then let us proclaim that glorious gospel that more might come to know Him! 

Thankful for God's glorious Gospel Plan - 

Pastor Justin