Understand Who I Am by My Works

Lesson #174

We come to a text that I find very difficult to clearly explain. “Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” (John 10:34 – 36 ESV). The reference to “gods” is from Psalm 82:6, but that doesn’t help me and I don’t find real insight from commentaries at the level I want to write here. There was something about what was said that the Jews seem to understand that caused them to back off a bit. What Jesus said doesn’t lead to any conclusion that resolved the matter, but was a maneuver on his part to keep the stones from flying and gives him time to say more on the matter.

“If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 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 am in the Father.” Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands” (John 10:37 – 39 ESV). Jesus wants them to seriously consider his works and if they do not sincerely believe he is doing the works of his Father, then they shouldn’t believe what he says. But, Jesus says, if I do the works of my Father and you don’t believe me, at least believe the works so that “you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” That was more than they could take, so “they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands” because it was not yet time for him to die as he had more work to accomplish. This is true for you and I as believers. If there is still work God wants to use us for, then our lives are protected from death until we are released. Jesus escapes from their hands and the Jerusalem story ends with anger, unbelief and murderous plans.

We next find Jesus across the Jordan where the atmosphere is much improved. “He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there” (John 10:40 – 42 ESV). Jesus goes to the place where John the Baptist had prepared the soil for his initial arrival and remained there for a while. John did no miracles, but simply said things about Jesus, which the people realized, after being with him, were true. Here faith had the opportunity to flourish and many believed in him there as we come to the end of chapter 10.

Prayer

Father, as I watch Jesus do the work of ministry among the people I can’t help but think about my brothers and sisters in other countries where they face persecution. In spite of the dangers they continue to witness with some who hear believing and others growing in hostility, just as it was with Jesus. Some are able to continue to do the work of ministry for some time and others are imprisoned or killed in a short time, but as with Jesus I believe they are able to continue until their work in finished. Why then does the western Christian seem to be an abnormality? Is it because our idols of safety and comfort have bound us?