Christ the Renewer

John 10:22-42.

THE RENEWER

John 10:22-23

22At that time the Feast of Dedication [Hannukah] took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, [stormy?] 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.

Hanukkah was a time of renewal.

Marked the rededication - renewal - of the temple, altar,and people

165 B.C. Judas Maccabee and his family led the revolt against the despotism of Greece. The Jews were able to secure their own rule under the reigning Empire and maintain their One-God only religion.

At the time of sanctification/purification, there was only enough oil for one day, but God kept the lampstand burning for the full eight days.

Here, now Jesus, the renewer of all things is walking through the temple.

The Jews are awaiting the Messiah who will come and make all things new.

Unfortunately, they weren’t looking to be healed of their blindness or forgiven of sin. They were looking to be vindicated for their self-assessed righteousness and their “holy” living!

THE RELIGIOUS

John 10:24

So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." [speak boldly]

Were they asking because they wanted to believe in Him, or because they wanted to catch Him?

“If you are the Christ?” sounds a lot like, “If you are the Son of God”

Also, their expectations were wrong about the Messiah.

They wanted victory and the bloodshed of their mortal enemies.

Jesus came to bring liberation from immortal enemies!

THE RESPONSE

John 10:25 -30

25Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do* in my Father's name bear witness about me,

26but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep.*

27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.*

29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.*

30I and the Father are one."

*PSALM 96:6-11

Here again, Jesus claims His deity.

I think they were looking for a human deliverer with divine favor.

They were not expecting this divine deliverer in human form.

Jesus also differentiates between His own sheep and not His. Once again, His sheep are marked by their knowledge of Him and obedience to Him. The Jews believed that they were God’s sheep because they were born Jews - but Jesus has preached right along that that’s not good enough. If you are truly God’s you must act like you are.

God is good and His people are too!

THE REACTION

John 10:31

The Jews picked up stones again to stone him.

That was the typical reaction for such a claim.

Probably why you didn’t have a lot of Jews running around claiming to be God. That’s what Antiochus Epiphanes claimed when he instituted pagan sacrifices in the temple. That’s why the Jews had revolted 200 yrs before and why they were now celebrating this feast of renewal!

The difference here is that Jesus truly is God.

This isn’t the first time they recognized His claims and certainly isn’t the first time they attempted to stone Him.

THE REDIRECT

John 10:32

Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?"

Jesus, once again, appeals to His works as proof/evidence of who He is.

He was not making empty claims, In fact, He didn’t make alot of outright claims - He mostly did was He was sent to do: saved people and set them free!

THE RETORT

John 10:33-34

33The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God."

THE REBUTTAL

John 10:34-38

34Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'?

PSALM 82:6

35If he called them gods to whom the word of God came--and Scripture cannot be broken--

The understanding of Psalm 82 at that time was that God showed up to those He had called out and gave them His law.

In Hosea 11:1, God said, “out of Egypt, I called my son”

The Jews were to be God’s own people, the sons of God!

Their own religious views kept them from the revelation of who they were and what they had - religious views can keep you from revealed position and possession

36do you say of him whom the Father consecrated [dedicated] and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?

37If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me;

38but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."

THE REACH

John 10:39

Again they sought to arrest [grab; seize] him, but he escaped from their hands.

THE RETREAT

John 10:40-42

40He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained.

41And many came to him. And they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true."

42And many believed in him there.

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THERE WERE THOSE WHO REFUSED TO BELIEVE - AND TRIED TO SEIZE AND KILL JESUS, AND THERE WERE THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN HIM.

Not everyone will believe in Jesus.

Not everyone will hate Jesus.

Jesus did not compromise His message or who He was.

We must not compromise who we are in Christ Jesus, who Jesus is, or His message.

Acts 20:26-36