John 1:10
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
John 1:10
This verse highlights Jesus’ presence in creation and in the world’s daily life. “He was in the world” affirms Jesus’ pre-incarnate presence and ongoing involvement with creation. “The world was made by him” echoes the Prologue’s cosmic creed: the Word (Logos) is the divine agent of creation. Yet the world fails to recognize or welcome Him—“the world knew him not.” This dual reality captures the tension of the Incarnation: God enters as a vulnerable, relational being, while humanity often remains spiritually deaf and blind, absorbed in its own concerns. Culturally, John is addressing a Jewish-Greco-Roman milieu where divine activity was often mediated through power and ritual; here, God chooses humble means—embodiment, proximity, relationship.
The verse foregrounds the incarnation as both creation and re-creation. It shows a God who both creates and enters creation to redeem it. Recognition matters: knowledge of God is not automatic; it is relational and often resisted. This passage challenges human pride (to see without seeing, to know without knowing) and invites humility to receive revelation from God’s Word made flesh.
How do we experience “the world knew him not”? In practice, the same dynamics show up today: people miss ordinary, generous acts as glimpses of the divine; systems ignore the source of life; we can become numb to God’s work in everyday scenes. Practical responses:
- Re-engage creation and culture with wonder: notice ordinary gifts (a child’s question, a neighbor’s kindness) as potential sightings of God’s presence.
- Cultivate hospitality and listening: give others space to speak about their experience of life and God.
- Revisit your own assumptions: who in your circle might be missing Jesus because of misperceptions about Christians or church?
Cross-References
- Colossians 1:16-17
- John 1:3
- Romans 1:20
- Hebrews 1:2
- Proverbs 3:5-6