S – He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 

John 1:11–13 ESV

O – Commentary:

In some ways this is one of the saddest verses in the Bible. The Logos went to His own home but He had no welcome. Jesus went to His own people, the nation Israel, but they as a whole rejected Him. In rejecting Him, they refused to accept Him as the Revelation sent by the Father and refused to obey His commands. Isaiah long before had prophesied of this Jewish national unbelief: “Who has believed our message?” (Isa. 53:1)

1:12. That unbelief, however, was not universal. Some received Jesus’ universal invitation. To all who accepted Jesus as the Revealer of the Father’s will and as the Sacrifice for sin, He gave the right to become children of God. The word “right” (exousian) is a needed improvement over the KJV‘s “power,” and “children” (tekna) is better than the KJV‘s “sons.” People are not naturally children of God but can become so by receiving the gift of the new birth.

1:13. The new birth does not come by natural descent (lit., “of bloods”), nor is it the result of a human decision (lit., “the will of the flesh,” i.e., the natural human desire for children), nor is it the result of a husband’s will. The birth of a child of God is not a natural birth; it is a supernatural work of God in regeneration. A person welcomes Jesus and responds in faith and obedience to Him, but the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit is “the cause” of regeneration (3:5–8)

 Edwin A. Blum, “John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 272–273.

A – Jesus was rejected by his own people and is also rejected today.  People make a choice on accepting him as God or they do not.  Those that do become children of God with the benefits of being a “family” member.  This is a work of the Holy Spirit.  We cannot do it.  God alone does the work in us so we can be in relationship with him.

R – Heavenly Father, you are God.  We choose you today and aceept that Jesus is your son, God in human form.  We want the relationship with you that accepting Christ offers.  We want that relationship to grow and flourish today.