Again the Jews picked up rocks to throw at him. Jesus said, “I have made a present to you from the Father of a great many good actions. For which of these acts do you stone me?”
The Jews said, “We’re not stoning you for anything good you did, but for what you said—this blasphemy of calling yourself God.”
Jesus said, “I’m only quoting your inspired Scriptures, where God said, ‘I tell you—you are gods.’ If God called your ancestors ‘gods’—and Scripture doesn’t lie—why do you yell, ‘Blasphemer! Blasphemer!’ at the unique One the Father consecrated and sent into the world, just because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I don’t do the things my Father does, well and good; don’t believe me. But if I am doing them, put aside for a moment what you hear me say about myself and just take the evidence of the actions that are right before your eyes. Then perhaps things will come together for you, and you’ll see that not only are we doing the same thing, we are the same—Father and Son. He is in me; I am in him.”
They tried yet again to arrest him, but he slipped through their fingers. – John 10:31-39 MSG
Fascinating reflection on Jesus engaged in a challenge/riposte situation. Jesus calls on His works as the evidence of His status as God’s Son and thereby sharing the same honour as the Father. The basic premise is that if they cannot accept what He is saying, they might think about accepting Him because of the works He was doing. While I like that premise I have to be careful for the anti-christs that come along and fake doing well to obtain followers.
Jesus was really contending against a fake zeal for the law, that is how He kept His cool when rocks and stones were in the people’s hands. Their fake concern for the honour of God was more of a religious horror, or even an imagined one.
Just look at Jesus – I imagine Him dressed in a fashion that would describe Him as poor, down and out, despicable – how could such a one like this profess Himself to be the Messiah and entitle Himself to such honours as declaring Himself to be the Son of God?
I know the multiple times the Father has honoured His Son already – He sanctified Him and sent Him into the world. While I have read stories of people to whom received the word of God, Jesus Himself was the Word.
What a dishonour for the Jews to be found in this situation. If Jesus was only honouring Himself, His honour was nothing. The same thing goes for me – it is Jesus’ honour I want, my own honour has no value whatsoever.
Father, I need the Holy Spirit and I need the Word to communicate so effectively in my world. Give freely as I step out in faith.
Erwin (evanlaar1922)
Sixty-six books in a year 