"He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him' (John 1:11)
Jesus performed miracles and signs. He healed the sick, raised the
dead, quelled storms of nature, fed the multitudes and exercised absolute
authority over the spirit world-yet He wasn't accepted as Israel's
Messiah.
One might think that with those credentials, He would be automatically
proclaimed Messiah. We are told, however, that "He came to His own [people],
and His own did not receive Him" (John 1:11). After a 3 1⁄ 2-year
ministry, only 120 followers were there for the miraculous beginning
of His Church (Acts 1:15).
One of the prophecies about the Messiah foretold that He would be "despised
and rejected by men" (Isaiah 53:3). The great works Jesus did that brought
about His popularity in the country were not enough to overcome the
disfavor He incurred from the religious authorities-or enough
to secure loyalty from the fickle hearts of the common man.
His mission and His teachings were at cross purposes to those who
held high positions in the nation, and His purpose was also misunderstood
by most of those who saw and heard Him.
What were the Jews looking for?
The Jews were acquainted with many of the prophecies about the Messiah,
the chosen or "anointed one" as the word means in Hebrew. They firmly
believed that the Messiah would be a strong and glorious earthly king
who would deliver them from their Roman oppressors and form once again
a great and independent Jewish kingdom. The wise men who came from the
east seeking the newborn Jesus inquired at Jerusalem, "Where is He who
has been born King of the Jews?" (Matthew 2:1-2).
