John 1:10 – He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
What makes this scripture so powerful is this, creation, which of course includes the physical world, knows Him. How do I know that? Creation announced His birth with signs in the heavens. Creation itself is groaning anticipating His return. Creation also responded at His death and resurrection. At His death the sun refused to shine, when He rose from the dead the earth trembled and shook in agreement. Every part of creation responds continually to Him; the wrath hurls through space at exactly the right distance from the sun to support life on earth, the ocean waters and their tides go only so far at His command, the seasons of the earth are also regulated by His word and the heavens bring their rain to water the earth as the Lord decrees. It is only humans in their fallen state that don’t know Him and harden their hearts to His commands. Here is how Augustine describes this verse.
“Which world was made through him that did not know him? I mean, it wasn’t the world that was made through him that did not know him. What exactly is the world that was made through him? Heaven and earth. How can it be that the heavens did not know him, when during his passion the sun was darkened? How was it that the earth did not know him, seeing that it quaked as he hung there? But “the world did not know him,” the world whose prince is the one of whom it is said, “Behold, the prince of this world is coming, and in me he can find nothing.” Bad people are called “the world,” unbelievers are called “the world.” They got the name from the thing they love. By loving God, we are made into gods. So by loving the world we are called ‘the world’.”
John went on to say that even in our fallen condition there is hope for us. He has poured out His grace on all that believe and each one that calls on His name becomes a child of God. It is in receiving Him that we become partakers of His fullness and begin to drink in His grace upon grace. So now we can join together with the rest of His creation as we groan in anticipation of His return to the earth.
