He came to His ownThis phrase refers to Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, who came to the Jewish people, His own ethnic and religious community. The Jewish people were chosen by God as His covenant people, as seen in
Genesis 12:1-3 with the call of Abraham. Throughout the Old Testament, God established a unique relationship with Israel, giving them the Law, the prophets, and the promises (
Romans 9:4-5). Jesus' coming to His own fulfills numerous prophecies, such as
Isaiah 7:14 and
Micah 5:2, which foretold the Messiah's arrival. Geographically, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, and ministered throughout Judea and Galilee, areas central to Jewish life and worship.
and His own did not receive Him
Despite the anticipation of a Messiah, many Jewish leaders and people did not accept Jesus as the Christ. This rejection is a recurring theme in the Gospels, where Jesus faces opposition from the Pharisees, Sadducees, and other religious authorities (John 5:43,Matthew 21:42). The cultural expectation of a political liberator clashed with Jesus' mission of spiritual salvation and kingdom of God proclamation. This rejection was prophesied in passages likeIsaiah 53:3, which speaks of the Messiah being despised and rejected. Theologically, this rejection highlights the broader human condition of sin and the need for divine intervention, as well as the opening of God's covenant to the Gentiles, as seen inActs 13:46 andRomans 11:11.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Jesus ChristThe central figure of this verse, Jesus is the Word made flesh who came into the world He created.
2.
His OwnRefers to the Jewish people, God's chosen nation, who were expected to recognize and receive their Messiah.
3.
RejectionThe event of Jesus being rejected by the very people He came to save, highlighting the tragic irony of His mission.
Teaching Points
Understanding RejectionRecognize that Jesus' rejection was part of God's redemptive plan. It serves as a reminder that following Christ may also lead to rejection by the world.
The Importance of Receiving ChristEmphasize the necessity of accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. Rejection leads to spiritual loss, while acceptance brings eternal life.
God's Sovereignty and Human ResponsibilityWhile God is sovereign, humans are responsible for their response to Jesus. This verse challenges us to examine our own response to Christ.
The Fulfillment of ProphecyJesus' rejection fulfills Old Testament prophecies, affirming the reliability and divine inspiration of Scripture.
Evangelism and PerseveranceDespite rejection, believers are called to persist in sharing the Gospel, trusting that God will work through their efforts.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of John 1:11?
2.How can we receive Christ when others "did not receive Him" (John 1:11)?
3.What barriers prevent people today from accepting Christ as in John 1:11?
4.How does John 1:11 connect with Isaiah's prophecy about the Messiah's rejection?
5.In what ways can we ensure our community welcomes Christ today?
6.How does John 1:11 challenge us to share the Gospel more effectively?
7.Why did His own not receive Him according to John 1:11?
8.How does John 1:11 challenge the concept of chosen people?
9.What historical context explains the rejection in John 1:11?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from John 1?
11.What occurred on Holy Tuesday before Easter?
12.What did Jesus mean by 'A prophet lacks honor'?
13.What defines being part of God's people?
14.Why do many perish if God wills none to?What Does John 1:11 Mean
He came•John 1:11 opens with action: “He came.” The eternal Word did not stay distant; He stepped into time and space.John 1:14 reminds us, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us”.
•Galatians 4:4 explains that “when the time had fully come, God sent His Son,” underscoring divine timing and purpose.
•Philippians 2:6-7 shows the humility behind the arrival: He “emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant.”
• Every step of Jesus’ earthly journey—His birth in Bethlehem, His ministry in Galilee, His walk to Calvary—fulfills the Father’s plan (Luke 19:10).
to His own• The phrase points first to Israel, the covenant people. Jesus Himself said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).
•Romans 9:4-5 lists Israel’s privileges: covenants, promises, patriarchs—through whom “proceeds the human descent of Christ.”
• “His own” also hints at creation in general (John 1:3), yet the primary focus here is the nation chosen by God (Deuteronomy 14:2).
• By coming “to His own,” Jesus honors every pledge God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (John 4:22).
and• This tiny connector holds tension: expectation on one side, response on the other.
• Scripture layers anticipation—prophets, sacrifices, festivals—all pointing forward (Luke 24:44).
• The “and” signals that a response is coming; it invites us to pause and ask, “How will His own react?”
His own did not receive Him• Tragically, the promised Messiah meets rejection. Isaiah foresaw it: “He was despised and rejected by men” (Isaiah 53:3).
• Jesus laments inJohn 5:43, “I have come in My Father’s name, and you have not received Me.”
•Luke 19:41-44 shows Him weeping over Jerusalem’s blindness to “the things that would bring you peace.”
• Yet this rejection becomes the doorway for wider mercy.Acts 13:46 records Paul turning to the Gentiles after Jewish opposition.Romans 10:21 echoes God’s patient heart: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
• Individually, the issue remains: Will we personally receive or refuse the One who came?
summaryJohn 1:11 compresses the Gospel story into a single verse. The eternal Word “came”—a literal, historic entrance into our world. He came “to His own”—honoring covenant promises to Israel and revealing God’s heart to creation. The small word “and” holds a dramatic pause before the heartbreaking reality: “His own did not receive Him.” That rejection, foreknown by God, opened salvation to anyone who will believe (John 1:12). The verse invites every reader to move from refusal to reception, embracing the One who first came embracing us.
(11) He came, as distinct from the "was" of the previous verse, passes on to the historic advent; but as that was but the more distinct act of which there had been foreshadowings in every appearance and revelation of God, these Advents of the Old Testament are not excluded.
His own is neuter, and the same word which is used inJohn 19:27, where it is rendered "his ownhome." (Comp.John 16:32, margin, andActs 21:6.) What then was the "home?" It is distinguished from the "world" ofJohn 1:10, and it cannot but be that the home of Jewish thought was the land, the city, the temple bound up with every Messianic hope. Traces of this abound in the Jewish Scriptures. Comp. especiallyMalachi 3:1, "The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple." (See alsoLuke 2:49, Note.) . . .
Verse 11. - It is not without interest that the ideas contained in these verses did not need a second century to evolve them; they were current in Paul's letters, a hundred years before the date assigned by some to this Gospel. Here the question arises - Has no more direct approach been made to our race than that which is common to
every man? Undoubtedly the whole theocratic dispensation would be ignored if this were not the case - and consequently the evangelist continues the recital of the peculiarities and specialties of the approach of the Logos to the human understanding.
He came unto his own possession (
εἰς τὰ ἴδια). Here all expositors agree to see the special manifestation of the Logos to the house of Israel, which is called in numerous passages of the Old Testament, God's own possession (
Exodus 19:5;
Deuteronomy 7:6;
Psalm 135:4;
Isaiah 31:9).
And his own (people)
received him not (
παρέλαβον;
cf.κατέλαβεν of ver. 4, and
ἔγνω of ver. 10). Here, again, the most astonishing, direct and prominent illustration of such a statement is seen in the historic ministry of the Lord Jesus, in the terrible record of his rejection by his own people, by his own disciples, by the theocratic chiefs, by the assembled Sanhedrin, by the very populace to whom Pilate appealed to save him from murderous fury. But the significance of the prologue is to my mind missed, if the earlier agelong rejection of the ministry, and light of the Logos, nay, the perpetual and awful treatment which he continually receives from "his own possession," be not perceived. There was a Divine and special sense in which the perpetual coming of the Logos to the world was emphasized by his gracious self-manifestations to the people of Israel. The great Name of Jehovah, the Angel of the presence, the manifestations to Abraham, to Moses, to David, to Elijah, to Isaiah, and Ezekiel; the Shechinah glories, the whole ministry of grace to the house of Israel, was a
perpetual coming to his own peculiar possession; but yet the sum total of their history is a continuous repudiation and lapse. They rejected the Lord, they fell in the wilderness, they were turned unto other gods, they went a-whoring after their own inventions. They knew not that God had healed them. The great things of his Law were accounted strange things to them (compare Stephen's apology for an elaborate exposition of this thought). The same kind of treatment has continually been given by the world, and even by those who have boasted of standing in the special lines of his grace. This suggestion cannot he fully expanded here. Chrysostom
in loco calls much attention to the argument of the Epistle to Romans (
Romans 2:12;
Romans 9:30, 32;
Romans 10:3, 12).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
He cameἦλθεν(ēlthen)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2064:To come, go.toεἰς(eis)Preposition
Strong's 1519:A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.[His]τὰ(ta)Article - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.own,ἴδια(idia)Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 2398:Pertaining to self, i.e. One's own; by implication, private or separate.andκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.[His]οἱ(hoi)Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.ownἴδιοι(idioi)Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 2398:Pertaining to self, i.e. One's own; by implication, private or separate.{did} notοὐ(ou)Adverb
Strong's 3756:No, not. Also ouk, and ouch a primary word; the absolute negative adverb; no or not.receiveπαρέλαβον(parelabon)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 3880:From para and lambano; to receive near, i.e. Associate with oneself; by analogy, to assume an office; figuratively, to learn.Him.αὐτὸν(auton)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.
Links
John 1:11 NIVJohn 1:11 NLTJohn 1:11 ESVJohn 1:11 NASBJohn 1:11 KJV
John 1:11 BibleApps.comJohn 1:11 Biblia ParalelaJohn 1:11 Chinese BibleJohn 1:11 French BibleJohn 1:11 Catholic Bible
NT Gospels: John 1:11 He came to his own and those (Jhn Jo Jn) 
