Proven by Works

Intro.

Last week we opened the second half of John 10.22-42

John 10:22–42 LSB

22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the Portico of Solomon. 24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us openly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these bear witness of Me. 26 “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 “My 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. 30 “I and the Father are one.” 31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 “If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and continue knowing that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39 Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp. 40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. 41 And many came to Him and were saying, “While John did no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in Him there.

Remember why the Jews were asking Jesus this question?

Were they asking genuinely? NO

How did Jesus respond to their questioning?

In Whose hands are the flock of God?

Both the Father’s hands and the Son’s hands

This is to show equality in power in and strength, because Jesus was able to do the same in protecting them as the Father would do.

Thus, Jesus says, “I and the Father are one!”

Remember, not that they are exactly the same Person, for They are two Distinct Persons but of one divine Essence and Nature nature.

A very fleeting glimpse of this kind of unity which the Father has with the Son and vice versa is found within marriage — two distinct individuals, who are not the same as one another in any way, somehow are now become as one together in their marriage. This is but a glimpse of the immense, and mysterious, glory found in the unity of the Trinity together.

Jesus is here making yet another claim to deity, saying that He and the Father God are one together.

What was the reaction of the Jews to this claim?

The Accusation

John 10:33–42 LSB

33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 “If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and continue knowing that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39 Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp. 40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. 41 And many came to Him and were saying, “While John did no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in Him there.

They accuse Jesus of blasphemy — what would the grounds for this accusation be?

If one is not God, yet claims to be equal to God then this is a blasphemous statement.

Jesus replies to them by citing their “law,” but He is not referring to the Torah. Here, Jesus is making a general reference in calling all of the OT the “law,” and it citing Ps. 82.

“Gods”? What do you make of Jesus quoting the Psalm here? What is He possibly saying?

Now, this is a bit of a confusing passage and has much conversation surrounding it. In the Hebrew, “sons of the Most High” is Bene ha Elohim and this is a controversial phrase among scholars.

Either this refers to angels, or it refers to mankind who are the people of God or His representatives before humankind in some capacity.

Jesus is using a form of teaching common to the day which was used to show if something is true of a lesser, it is also inherently true of the Greater.

Holman Concise Bible Commentary One with the Father (10:22–42)

Jesus responded to their anger by pointing back to the Old Testament where, in accord with the worldview of the ancient Near East, rulers and judges, as emissaries of the heavenly King, could be granted the honorary title “god” (

Is this commentator states, these Jews to whom Jesus spoke were comfortable with the title gods being applied to whomever Asaph was referring in Ps. 82, yet they were accusing Jesus of blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God!

“The Father is Greater than all … I and the Father are one.” Here, Jesus is claiming to be greater than all these other beings who are called gods whether they be angelic or rebellious men given authority over Israel as judges, and He makes it clear that He is so far above them as is the Father who is “greater than all!”

This question that Jesus asks them is a doubling down on the claim that He and the Father are one.

The lesser — the ones in the Psalm — are comfortably recognized by these people as called gods by the Lord, and yet the One whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world — who being one with the Father is thereby the greater — is being accused of blasphemy.

Some would say, “Jesus claims to be the Son of God, not God Himself!”

Jn. 1.14 — “the only begotten of the Father”

What does “begotten” mean? Why is it important for us here?

“I and the Father are one”

Then, after saying this — that He is greater than those referred to as gods in the Psalm and therefore it most assuredly is true of Christ to be the Son of God.

Jesus is greater than these gods as being one with the Father, and He shows us how we can know — what is the evidence?

His works!

He says, “If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me, but if I do them … believe the works so that you may know that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”

Remember the purpose statement of John’s Gospel: “That you may believe,” and John specifies that He wrote these miracles of Jesus to bring about belief! John 20.30-31.

Notice also, that all this is directly related to the relationship that Jesus has with the Father

Sanctified and sent

Doing His works

Unified as one together

And Jesus is saying that we must believe at the very least the works He does, so that we will “know and continue knowing” that He is unified as one with the Father, the only begotten, and truly “God with us.”

Conclusion

The point, I believe, is this: Jesus is the True God and therefore is greater far above all else! He has proven by His works, He has blatantly told us.

By faith we believe on Him, either taking Him at His word or trusting the evidence of His works.

As such, Christ is deserving of all honor and glory and praise! This weekend is Good Friday and Easter, the time where the minds of men and women all over the world are remembering the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus — the ultimate work proving His deity.

Church, we are His flock, and He is our King, Savior, and God. Never let go of your holy faith, and let us ask ourselves often, “How can I today serve and honor my Lord who died for even me?”