John 10:22-24

 John 10:22-24

There are in this passage two assertions about Jesus that He affirms and which causes the Jews to reject him. The first is that He is Christ; the second is that He is God. When asked to plainly state if he were the Christ, Jesus refers to the signs He has done. There is a specific reference to healing the man born blind. Rather than assert this directly, why does Jesus refer to His signs? At this time of Roman oppression and during the Feast of Dedication, commemorating the defeat are the Syrians by the Maccabees, to assert His Messiahship could have led to an open rebellion. The Jews’ failure to see Jesus as Messiah was because these people were not the sheep belonging to this Shepherd. Jesus said that He and the Father are (note the plural) One (note the singular). This prompts the Jews to take up stones to kill him. 

Jesus argues that He is in fact God in a way that seems strange to our Western ears but was as clear as could be to His listeners. The reference is to Psalm 82:6, where judges who have the authority and the responsibilities of the word of God are called gods. If this is true, and the scripture is always true, how much more the One who is the very word of God-made flesh is in fact God? Jesus is not trying to dodge or evade the question. He was answering in a way that they understood from their own scriptures. They did understand, as indicated by the reaction of the Jews wanting to arrest him. From this point on, Jesus is marked for death by the Jews. Only popular support and hiddenness prevent the Jews from doing what they wanted.

"Lord, thank you that You were absolutely clear about Your identity.  AMEN"