John 1:12-13

God loved His creation with a love so great that  He  offered His only begotten Son to die in our place so that anyone who believes in Him will share an everlasting life in His kingdom. Christ within is our greatest  gift. 

Lord help me to be a peacemaker in a world of division.

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

When we sing that song from the core of our human connection, we play a role in making a difference. “Human history is a history not only of cruelty,” Howard Zinn reminds us, “but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places–and there are so many–where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”

I’ll give John O’Dononhue the last word. “There is a kindness that dwells deep down in things; it presides everywhere, often in the places we least expect. The world can be harsh and negative, but if we remain generous and patient, kindness inevitably reveals itself. Something deep in the human soul seems to depend on the presence of kindness; something instinctive in us expects it, and once we sense it we are able to trust and open ourselves.” SabbathMoments 

John 1:12-13

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: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. The New King James Version

Emphasizing that the glory of Jesus, the Word, is the same as the glory of God the Father. The Greek term monogenēs, meaning “one and only” carries the sense of uniqueness and special beloved status. John’s use of monogenēs foreshadows the emphasis on the intimate relationship between Jesus and God the Father. Jesus is the unique and beloved Son of God, sent from God to fully represent the Father on earth and reveal the Father and His plan for salvation in a previously unparalleled way. The Son reflects the Father perfectly and perfectly carries out His will. The close relationship of Father and Son means their works and will are in perfect unity. Alluding to two central attributes of the divine character used throughout the old testament steadfast love and faithfulness. Jesus embodies the ultimate expression of God’s covenant loyalty and unmerited favor toward the world that rejected Him. Faithlife Study Bible

The phrase believe in His name occurs three times in the Gospel of John. Name does not refer to the term by which He is called, but to what His name stands for—the Lord is salvation. 

In this context, the phrase means to believe that Jesus is the Word, the life, and the Light—that is, He is the Christ, the Son of God. To them He gave the right refers to the legitimate entitlement to the position of children of God. 

By believing, undeserving sinners can become full members of God’s family. This new spiritual birth is not of blood, that is, by physical generation or by parents. Nor is the new birth of the will of the flesh, that is, by personal effort. Neither is the birth of the will of man, that is, something done by another individual. Each person must individually trust Jesus Christ for eternal life. It is a gift to be received, not a reward achieved through any human effort. The NKJV Study Bible

The Son of the Highest was here in this lower world. He was in the world, but not of it. He came to save a lost world, because it was a world of his own making. Yet the world knew him not. When he comes as a Judge, the world shall know him. Many say that they are Christ’s own, yet do not receive him, because they will not part with their sins, nor have him to reign over them. 

All the children of God are born again. This new birth is through the word of God as the means, and by the Spirit of God as the Author. By his Divine presence Christ always was in the world. But now that the fulness of time was come, he was, after another manner, God manifested in the flesh. But observe the beams of his Divine glory, which darted through this veil of flesh. Men discover their weaknesses to those most familiar with them, but it was not so with Christ; those most intimate with him saw most of his glory. Although he was in the form of a servant, as to outward circumstances, yet, in respect of graces, his form was like the Son of God His Divine glory appeared in the holiness of his doctrine, and in his miracles. 

He was full of grace, fully acceptable to his Father, therefore qualified to plead for us; and full of truth, fully aware of the things he was to reveal. Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary

Mark 1:22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

John 11:52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.