I and the Father are One
John 10:22-42
Jesus identified as Christ by the works He did
#Christ
Published November 25th, 2022; Updated December 9th, 2022
Devotional_2022Nov22
Main point summary
Discourse_2022Sep10
Phrase_2022Aug24
Devotional_2022Nov22
A few weeks ago a Muslim friend and I enjoyed Chinese food at a local restaurant and happened to talk about Jesus. My friend spoke respectfully and nobly about Jesus, but he would reject that Jesus claimed to be God. We talked about John 10:22-42 yet even the clear indicators in this passage that Jesus is God, were not evident to him. He was looking for a simple sentence in which Jesus himself declares His deity without the need for any interpretation. The conversation with my dear friend led me to think about the Jewish leader's question in John 10:24. Why didn't Jesus give a straight simple answer to the question 'Are you the Christ'? Could it be that the Jew's understanding of Christ was not compatible with the actual Christ present among them? Was the Lord refraining from a simple 'I'm the Christ' because they misconceived who the Christ would be? Did they annotate 'the Christ' with ideas and concepts not true to His presence? Would it not be misleading to affirm to the Jews of His messiahship if they expected Christ to free them from the yoke of Roman occupation, while in truth, Christ came to free, on a deeper level, all repented sinners from spiritual bondage to sin? This freedom was a victory that would be won through the apparent defeat of substitutional death by crucifixion which did not fit the Jews' expectations of Christ. They looked for a Christ that would feed their national pride in Judaism. To see the true Christ, on the other hand, required humility and the knowledge of the need for forgiveness of sins. If the question of who Jesus is comes to you, what would your answer be? How would one guard against misconceptions of Christ? May the Lord Jesus reveal Himself to you and me just as He is while we continue in humility and prayer to saturate our minds and hearts in His word with His great works.
notes
Main point summary
Jesus answers the Jewish leader's question indirectly, namely that His works declare Him to be Christ which should be obvious to all who see them because they carry the signature of God the Father. The Jews sought to stone and arrest Him for that answer. Jesus went away, across the Jordan and people believed in Him there.
Discourse_2022Sep10
editing
NT
John 10:22-42
esv
mine
At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, h in the colonnade of Solomon.
So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are i the Christ , j tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe . k The works that I do l in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but m you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. n My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. o I give them eternal life , and p they will never perish , and q no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father , r who has given them to me, 1 s is greater than all , and no one is able to snatch them out of t the Father’s hand. u I and the Father are one .”
questionanswer
v The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.
Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father ; for which of them are you going to stone me?”
The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but w for blasphemy , because you, being a man, x make yourself God .”
actionresult
Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in y your Law, z ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be a broken— do you say of him whom b the Father consecrated and c sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming ,’ because d I said, ‘ I am the Son of God ’? e If I am not doing the works of my Father , then do not believe me; but if I do them, f even though you do not believe me, believe the works , that you may know and understand that g the Father is in me and I am in the Father .”
h Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
progression
temporal
He went away again across the Jordan to the place i where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but j everything that John said about this man was true.” And k many believed in him there.
words
Works
Jewish authorities
A quotation from Ps 82:6 The psalm was understood in rabbinic circles as an attack on unjust judges who, though they have been given the title “gods” because of their quasi-divine function of exercising judgment, are just as mortal as other men. If it is permissible to call men “gods” because they were the vehicles of the word of God, how much more permissible is it to use the word “God” of him who is the Word of God? NET notes
This is the place in which the early church would spend time together and God worked miracles through the Apostle's. Acts 3:11, 5:12
The high priest asked the same question when Jesus was on trail and charged him with blasphemy. Mt 26:63
Jesus did not ask for blind faith. There was clear evidence that Jesus was the Christ. His works matched the promise of the Messiah in old testament scripture.
Andrew was convinced that Jesus was the Christ. He brought Peter to Christ. 1:41
Jesus' claim of Messiahship was not without bases. The works He did clearly testified of Him being the promised OT Messiah. Jesus does not ask for blind faith. He is not unreasonable. One can only believe Him if there is revealed knowledge about Him. The proclamation of Him and His works are hence absolutely essential for all Christians.
discourse
Phrase_2022Aug24
John 10:22-42
Jesus in Jerusalem at the Feast of Dedication
At that time
Temporal
of Dedication
the Feast ... took place
at Jerusalem.
Locative
It was winter,
and Jesus was walking
in the temple,
Locative 1
in the colonnade
Locative 2
of Solomon.
The Jewish Rulers disbelieve Jesus Identity and Authority
around him
So the Jews gathered ... and
said
to him,
Destination
“How long
will you keep us
Ground
in suspense?
Context
If you are the Christ,
Condition
tell us plainly.”
Content
Jesus answered them,
Answer
“I told you,
and you do not believe.
Result
The works that I do ... bear witness about me,
in my Father’s name
Manner
but you do not believe
Concessive
because you are not
among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice,
and I know them,
and they follow me.
I give them eternal life,
and they will never perish,
Negative #1
and no one will snatch them
Negative #2
out of my hand.
who has given them
to me,
My Father, ... is greater than all,
and no one is able to snatch them
Negative #3
out of the Father’s hand.
I and the Father are one.”
The Jews picked up stones again
to stone him.
Purpose
Jesus answered them,
“I have shown you many good works
from the Father;
Source
for which of them are you going to stone me?”
The Jews answered him,
“It is not for a good work
Negative
that we are going to stone you
Disadvantage
but for blasphemy,
being a man,
because you, ... make yourself God.”
Jesus answered them,
“Is it not written
in your Law,
‘I said, you are gods’?
of God
to whom the word ... came—
If he called them gods ... and Scripture cannot be broken—
whom the Father consecrated
and sent
into the world,
do you say of him ... ‘You are blaspheming,’
because I said,
‘I am the Son
of God’?
If I am not doing the works
of my Father,
then do not believe me;
but if I do them,
even though you do not believe me,
believe the works,
that you may know
Advantage
and understand
that the Father is
in me
and I am
in the Father.”
Again they sought
to arrest him,
but he escaped
from their hands.
Many who heard John the Baptist believed Jesus
He went away again
across the Jordan
to the place where John had been baptizing
at first,
and there he remained.
And many came
to him.
And they said,
“John did no sign,
but everything that John said ... was true.”
about this man
Accompaniment
And many believed
in him
phrasing
Comments
SiPaulP
Disclaimer: The opinions and conclusions expressed on this page are those of the author and may or may not accord with the positions of Biblearc or Bethlehem College & Seminary.