Day 22: John 10:22-42

Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 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.”

Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;no one will snatch them out of my hand. 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.”

Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 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’? Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 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.” Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” And in that place many believed in Jesus.

Jesus caused a stir – quite a stir. As he traveled through Judea and Samaria, he forced people to make a decision about him. There seemed to be three responses that may be true of him. This was true 2,000 years ago, and the same is true today. As C.S. Lewis asserts, Jesus was (and is) either the son of God, or he is a liar, or he is delusional. Jesus really didn’t give people options other than these three.

The Pharisees questioned Jesus’ claim to be God’s son. Jesus’ response to them was very interesting. He said,

“My people know me.

They see the works of the Father being done through me

and believe that I am his son.

Those who don’t know me are not my people.”

There seems to be a condition of the heart that either lets people believe in him or allows them to reject him. The people who readily received him saw his works, heard his teaching, and believed. Those who rejected Jesus were unable to reconcile his words and actions with their previously held beliefs.

We ought to live in such a way as to never construct a mental barrier that would keep us from believing anything the Lord wants for us.

 Lord, help us to follow you,

 to listen to you,

 to believe in what you are doing.

Even when to do so means

 that we see you in a new way.

Never let us become so set in our ways

 that we fail to hear your voice

 in what you are saying today.

 Doug Boquist | Lead Pastor