What does it mean that the world knew Him not (1 John 3:1)?

But though the Son of God has come into the world, His light radiantly beaming upon the creation He Himself had brought into being, yet “the world did not know Him.” Of course this is the world of intelligent beings, but insensate because of sin. Sad comment on the dreadful blinding power of evil over men's minds!

The result, however, in itself is, and can only be, condemnation by reason of opposition of nature; for, as we are told, "He was in the world, and the world was made (or, brought into being) through Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not; but as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to those that believe on His name; who were born not of blood, nor of flesh's will, nor of man's (ἀνδρὸς) will, but of God." What infinite and loving condescension that He, the eternal Word, the true Light, should be in the world14 — the world which receives its being from Him! How dense its ignorance that the world knew Him not, its Creator! But He had one place on earth which He was pleased to regard as His own peculiar ( τὰ ἴδια )15: there He came; and ( οἱ ἴδιοι ) His own people (it is not said knew Him not, but) received Him not! It was rejection, not ignorance.

But Christ was unrecognized. Man, the object of His grace, understood not who He was that had come into this world. "He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not." (John 1:10.) It was utterly ignorant of its Creator, who trod its paths. What a comment is this upon human wisdom! How it explains the thoroughness of the difference between the life of man fallen and the life which is in the Son of God!

When Jesus was in the world, the Light was shining in Him here for all to see. He had come into the world His hands had made, yet He was unknown by the men of this world. This clearly revealed the state of the world, and of the men who composed it. The whole system of the world, and of the men who composed it. The whole system of the world, in all its departments, was estranged from God, and the proof is found of their being ignorant of His presence. They were so blind, under the influence of the god of this world, that they could not recognise the creator of the world when He came into their midst. Such is man by nature, the result of sin having entered into this world by his disobedience.

"Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." When once you come to grace, we have the Father spoken of again. We are called God's children because we really are so. "Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." Who? Now by the "Him" is meant Christ. The world knew Him not: it does not know us for the same reason. We have the same life and character that He had. The world cannot recognise and own what is of Christ in us, because it did not recognise it in Christ. It is extremely remarkable and blessed for us to see this Man, the humblest man that ever was, and to find out what He really was, that God really became a man. The Word was God, and was made flesh.

First of all, John speaks here of the present: "See what love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God!" (verse 1). He shows us the greatness and especially the manner, the nature of his love. It has already become effective on us. Already today we are called, and are, children of God. But the world still knows nothing about it. It sees nothing special in us. This is because it has no relationship with Christ and sees nothing special in Him. The family of God is a mystery to them.

When the Son of God came into the world He was unknown to the world, for the world did not apprehend who He was as God’s Son, as the true Light or as the Eternal Word. With Israel it was different, they did not receive Him, their leaders saying, “This is the Heir, come let us kill Him, and the inheritance will be ours.” God saw to it that there were those that did receive His Son, and “as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the children of God, even to them that believe in His Name” (John 1:12).

We have exulted in that side of the chapter and will exult in it more and more as we see greater things in it than we have hitherto seen, but there is another side to it and solemn statements occur in it, which when they strike us in their full force grieve and shock us. We are told in verse 10 that “ the world knew Him not ,” though He had made it; in verse 26, “ the Jews knew Him not ,” though He stood in their midst, the Messiah and King of that long-favoured people. And even John the Baptist had to confess, “ And I knew Him not ” (v. 31), and again, “ I knew Him not ” (v. 33), When the Son of God came, He was not welcomed by the world. He was unknown and a stranger in it. The world that owed its existence to Him did not know Him; the religionists who boasted in their knowledge of God did not know Him, and even John could not by any natural power that he possessed perceive who He was, He needed a revelation from heaven to enlighten him. These are solemn and searching facts.

The eternal life was not understood by men. The world did not recognize Jesus when He was in it. His life was of a character diverse from that which is natural to mankind. The fallen life derived from Adam and the eternal life that was with the Father, have nothing in common. The motions of His heart, the principle of His actions, the object of His words, were all from another source, not of this world. The world knew Him not, and to this day remains in its ignorance of Him.

"He was in the world, and the world was made by him." (Verse 9) The world therefore surely ought to have known its Maker. Nay, "the world knew him not." From the very first, man, being a sinner, was wholly lost. Here the unlimited scene is in view; not Israel, but the world. Nevertheless, Christ did come to His own things, His proper, peculiar possession; for there were special relationships. They should have understood more about Him — those that were specially favoured. It was not so.