“His Own Received Him Not”

The apostle John opens his account of the life of Jesus Christ with some macro-observations. After telling us that Jesus was with God from the beginning and that He created all things, John laments the irony of Jesus being ignored and even rejected during His mortal life:

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Which 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

We are all children of God, and in that sense, we are all His people. “His own” might also refer in particular to the children of Israel, whose ancestors had made intergenerational covenants with Him. But as John testified, Jesus can give us power to be born again, entering a special relationship with God.

After the Savior’s death, a group of people in the Americas heard His voice. He introduced Himself using language from John’s preface:

I came unto my own, and my own received me not. And the scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled.

And as many as have received me, to them have I given to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name, for behold, by me redemption cometh.

3 Nephi 9:16-17

To receive something, is to take possession of it. To receive someone is to greet them, to welcome them, and to invite them into your life.

In two revelations received by Joseph Smith in April and May 1829, Jesus described Himself in similar terms: “I came unto mine own, and mine own received me not” (Doctrine and Covenants 10:57, Doctrine and Covenants 11:29-30.)

It’s tragic to think that we would fail to accept the greatest gift ever offered to us, because we failed to greet and welcome the Giver. Jesus sees us as His own. We are His people, and He wants to help us grow closer to Him and to our Father in Heaven. That gift is not divisible from Him. We receive the gift when we receive the Giver. We receive the salvation when we receive the Savior.

Today, I will receive Jesus. I will welcome Him into my life and strive to live in a way that honors Him. I will open my heart to receive the transformational gifts He offers to me.