JOHN 10
John 10:19-33
"The Jews who heard these words were again divided. Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”"
With all that Jesus was teaching and doing, the Jews were divided in their ideas about his identity. So they gathered around and asked Jesus to clear up the controversy -- was he the Messiah or not? A straightforward answer probably would not have convinced them, however, because they had already made up their minds. So Jesus said, in effect, "What I say won't make a difference because you do want to hear it. And that's because you don't believe in me -- you are not my sheep". Next, Jesus stated who he was by summarising the effects of the Gospel. Those who know him have eternal life, will "never perish" and are secure in his care. Then Jesus closed by giving one of the clearest affirmations of his divinity in the whole Bible, saying "I and the Father are One".
The Jews who were against Jesus got the point -- his claim to be God was unmistakable. The religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus because their laws said that anyone claiming to be God should die. Nothing (despite all the miraculous signs & teachings) could convince them that Jesus's claim was true. So they picked up stones to kill him, declaring, "We're stoning you... for blasphemy! You a mere man, claim to be God".
Getting Personal
- What difference does Christ's divinity make in how you think and how you act?
- What would you say to someone who says "I believe Jesus was a good moral example and teacher, but he was just a man?
- Has the evidence truly convinced you that Jesus is more than a man -- that he is, in fact, God in the Flesh?
"We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life". 1 John 5:20, NIV
Prayer
Lord our God, we turn our faces to you and plead with you to come to us earthly and often struggling people. May we find strength in the Lord Jesus Christ, through whom redemption is promised to us all. May your kingdom at last be revealed and everything change for the better even though we do not see it yet. May we always honour your name above all others, for you are our Father and we want to hold fast to your grace that lets us call you Father. In our troubled times we want to have enduring faith that you can bring a new time when good shall at last emerge from all the distress. Grant that every broken and needy person may experience your help, your grace, and your salvation, and may know that these always surround us, if only our eyes are open to see and recognize them. So we want to thank and praise you at all times, and at last know the joy of eternity, to your glory and honor. In Jesus name. Amen.
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