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Thursday, April 2nd
John 10:19-42
Again the Jews were divided because of these words. Many of them were saying, 'He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?' Others were saying, 'These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?'
At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, 'How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah,* tell us plainly.' Jesus answered, 'I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Creator's name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Creator has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Creator's hand.* The Creator and I are one. The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus replied, 'I have shown you many good works from God. For which of these are you going to stone me?' The Jews answered, 'It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.' Jesus answered, 'Is it not written in your law,* "I said, you are gods"? If those to whom the word of God came were called "gods"-and the scripture cannot be annulled- can you say that the one whom God has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, "I am God's Son"? If I am not doing the works of my Creator, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand* that the Creator is in me and I am in the Creator.' Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. Many came to him, and they were saying, 'John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.' And many believed in him there.
How many times did Jesus actually tell them who he was? He states in this passage and numerous others exactly who he was and the "religious leaders" of his day did not want to believe him. Perhaps they had a hard time wrapping their brains around the fact that someone who was raised in their midst, who grew up around their children, who went to temple and received the same teachings and education that all Jewish males did in their region could be the messiah. Do you think they knew his family, his half brothers and sisters, his mother and stepfather?
What about Jesus' actions and his words made them so angry they wanted to stone him for blasphemy? Wouldn't you think if someone healed the sick, opened blind eyes, made the lame to walk, healed leapers and raised people from the dead they would believe he was at the very least a prophet? And why couldn't someone performing good and healing "works" be the messiah?
The passage of scripture Jesus quotes is from Psalm 82: 6 'I say, "You are gods", children of the Most High, all of you.' He quoted the word, their "law" to them and stated it was God who was the power behind the works and to at least believe "the works" if they could not believe who he was. Their response was to try and arrest him. If we would put ourselves in the shoes of Jesus for a moment, we probably would be thinking, "What do I have to do here to catch a break!" for someone to believe what I am saying and doing? Will anyone believe me? Can you hear the plea in his words?
Jesus retreated at that moment, and went back to the Jordan where John had been baptizing and proclaiming who Jesus was. Many came to him there and recognized that while John didn't perform miracles, everything John said about Jesus was true. Thanks be to God many believed in him there.
My hope for today and for the rest of our lives is that like those who met Jesus at the Jordan we too will believe in him. That we will believe in the power of his message and resurrection that continues as we display the love and compassion of Christ to all people. As true followers of Christ, may we minister the same grace and mercy he gave to us toward others every day, and be blessed. gmc
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