Jesus and the Father

Introduction

Jesus has been talking with the Jews about the fact that he is the “Good Shepherd.” Last week we saw two things about the sheep of the good shepherd.

The Good Shepherd knows each of his sheep.

And the sheep of the Good Shepherd know the shepherd’s voice.

Last week we ended with verses 19-21. There we read that the people were “again” divided about whether Jesus was from God or from the devil.

That brings us to our passage for today. If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn to John chapter 10—Yes we are sill in the 10th chapter. We’ll begin reading with verse 22.

Time Marker

John 10:22 NIV

Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter,

John begins this section with giving us two significant time markers (v. 22):

First, he says that the time was during the Festival of Dedication.

This festival is better known to us as Hanukkah. Hanukkah is an 8-day festival often called the festival of lights. It is held in December to commemorate the rededication of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem in 165 B.C.

It was winter (since the festival is held in December it would obviously be “winter”).

Jesus’ Activities

John 10:23 NIV

and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.

Jesus was in the temple courts.

Specifically he was walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.

Solomon’s Colonnade was a covered portico located in the outer court (known as the Court of the Gentiles).

It was a large area measuring some 1,433 feet long by 49 feet wide, and made of pure white marble and adorned with cedar panels.

This long walkway was often used for informal teaching and preaching, and as a meeting pace for individuals that wanted to discuss Scripture before or after religious rituals.

The Jews question Jesus

John 10:24 NIV

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.”

First, gathered around Jesus—the idea is that they surrounded him.

Question One—How long are you going to keep us in suspense?

Question Two—Are you the Messiah?

They are asking to come right out and plainly, clearly answer their question.

Jesus’ Answer

John 10:25 NIV

Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,

I did tell you! But you do not believe (v. 25a).

Not only did he already answer the question, but his works answer the question (v. 25b).

John 10:26 NIV

but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.

The problem is that the Jews did not believe him, because they are not his sheep (v. 26)

John 10:27 NIV

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Definition of Jesus’ sheep:

Jesus’ sheep listen to Jesus’ voice (v. 27a).

Jesus knows each one of his sheep (v. 27b). The Greek word ginosko—to know intimately, personally.

Jesus’ sheep follow him!

John 10:28 NIV

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

The reward for being Jesus’ sheep:

Jesus gives them eternal life (v. 28a).

They will never perish (v. 28b).

No one can snatch them out of the hand of Jesus! (v. 28c).

God the Father is the guarantor of this reward:

John 10:29–30 NIV

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.”

The Father gave the sheep to Jesus (v. 29a).

The Father is greater than all (v. 29b).

No one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand (v. 29c).

And by the way, Jesus and the Father are one! (v. 30)

The Jew’s Response

John 10:31 NIV

Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him,

They picked up stones to stone Jesus. This is a clear picture that they completely understand what Jesus is saying.

But just so we know that they understood the implications of what Jesus was saying Jesus clarifies their intentions in verse 32.

John 10:32 NIV

but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

Jesus Questions the People’s Intentions

Jesus makes a statement: He reminds them that he had done a lot of really good works (v. 32a). They knew this.

He also reminds them that his ability to do good works (and thus the deeds themselves) came from God the Father (v. 32b)

Then he asked them which of his good works were they objecting to, and thus stoning him for (v. 32c).

The Jews answer:

John 10:33 NIV

“We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

They were not going to stone Jesus because of any of his good works (v. 33a).

Rather they were going to stone him for “blasphemy” (v. 33b).

The Jews themselves clarify the “charge” (v. 33c). They were going to stone Jesus because as a mere man, he claimed to be God (cf. 10:30) (v. 33d).

John 10:34 NIV

Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’?

Jesus Challenges Their Knowledge of Scripture

Quoting Psalm 82:6, Jesus is going to challenge their charge of blasphemy (v. 34a).

Psalm 82:6 uses the term elohim to refer to someone other than the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

If this is true, then they should not be upset when he says he is God’s Son (v. 35a).

John 10:35 NIV

If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside—

Their very accusation is disavowing part of God’s Holy Scripture, and that cannot be done! (v. 35b)

John 10:36 NIV

what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?

After all, God set Jesus apart for His service, and sent Jesus into the world (v. 36a).

How then can they accuse God’s messenger of blasphemy (v. 36b).

Modern scholars face the same struggle that the scholars of Jesus’ day faced. Namely, what is the identity of the “gods” of Psalm 82:6?

Today the most popular view is that they were Israel’s judges who were functioning as God’s representatives (little gods of sorts—cf. Ps. 82:1-4) on earth (i.e. human).

An alternative interpretation argues that the “gods” are actually divine beings from the heavenly council, not humans. The speaker in the passage is the God of Israel standing in the council among the lesser elohim, and God announces that the elohim of the council are His sons, but because of their corruption, they will lose their immortality. This view contends that the “word of God” in the original context is the specific utterance of Yahweh to His council members, who are the recipients of that word—not the Israelites at Sinai or any other group of Jews.

The first interpretation remains more widely accepted in contemporary biblical scholarship and is how Jesus himself employed the passage in John 10, using it to defend his claim to deity by noting that even human authorities can bear the title “gods.”

John 10:37 NIV

Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.

Jesus asked why they were accusing him of blasphemy (asking for the grounds of their accusations) (cf. 10:36).

Now, Jesus issues his own challenge: If Jesus is NOT doing the works of the Father, then they should not believe in him (v. 37).

John 10:38 NIV

But 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 in the Father.”

But if he is doing the works of the father, at lease believe the works (v. 38a).

Believe the works, even if they do not believe Jesus (v. 38b).

They need to believe the works that Jesus did, so that they may know and understand that God the Father is in all that Jesus is doing (v. 38c).

And so they will know that Jesus is in (connected to) the Father (v. 38d).

Same Reaction from the Jews!

John 10:39 NIV

Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

Once again they tried to seize (Gk. seize, take into custody, grab, or catch) Jesus (v. 39a).

But once again, he escaped their grasp (v. 39b).

Jesus Leaves Jerusalem

John 10:40 NIV

Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed,

John gives us a scene change:

Jesus leaves Jerusalem

He goes back across the Jordan (v. 40a

He goes back to the place where John the Baptizer had baptized people early in Jesus’ ministry (cf. Jn. 1:28) (v. 40b).

Referring back to John 1:28, most scholars believe Jesus went to the area southeast of the Sea of Galilee around Bethany.

Jesus stayed there for a while (v. 40c).

John 10:41 NIV

and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.”

Were told that “many people” (Gk. many, great number, numerous) were coming to Jesus (v. 41a). This has the idea of large multitudes of people.

They were amazed saying that John (their local hero) never performed any signs (v. 41b).

Yet, what John said about Jesus was true (cf. Jn. 1:26, 27, 30, 34) (v. 41c).

John 10:42 NIV

And in that place many believed in Jesus.

As a result, many that were in that place believed in Jesus (v. 42).

So What

Today, many people in our world have a hard time understanding how Jesus and God can be one in the same.

Yet, back in verse 31, Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” This verse has has been discussed throughout the years. But what does it actually mean?

When Jesus declares that he and the Father are one, he is asserting that he and the Father share a unified nature and essence. As far as the Jews were concerned this statement functioned as a direct claim to his divinity.

Yet, this statement says more than simply suggesting his philosophical unity with the Father. The statement is Jesus’ claim of equality with God in power. Thus, he was not simply the Father’s messenger or prophet. Furthermore, Jesus reinforced the idea that he was more than simply a messenger when he identified himself as God’s Son with the right to claim this title by stating the Father sent him.

The claim of sonship also directly implies that he existed with the Father before his incarnation (cf. Jn. 1).

One of the most curious parts of this story is that the Jewish leaders rejected Jesus based on their understanding of the words that he spoke (v. 33) . Yet, Jesus NEVER challenged or corrected their understanding of his words.

Truly, they understood perfectly the claims that he made with his words.

Like the people of Jesus’ day, what they believed about him determined whether or not they believed in him, or rejected him.

Honestly, it is no different today. If you believe the signs that he performed and accept his word then you may be able to believe in him.

But if you deny the signs that he performed and you don’t accept his words then you will not believe in him.

So the question this morning is simple: Do you believe in the signs and words of Jesus?