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John 10:22-42
John the Beloved Disciple has painstakingly taken steps throughout his Gospel account to make it as clear and as plain as possible in communicating why he believes that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.
And as John writes today’s passage, I want you to listen to the people and think about their questions. Then think about what your response is to who Jesus is. Remember Jesus was a practicing Jew. Even here in today’s passage Jesus celebrated the Jewish festivals, and that’s where we find Him.
John 10:22-42 (NIV) Then came the Festival of Dedication (Hanukkah) 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.
There is so much that we can glean from this Scripture. It speaks volumes about Who Jesus is. But here is a thought today, Jesus is Who He is – we cannot change that. There is nothing that we can do to change who He is. What we are presented with is a choice.
Jesus has taught, taught, taught, and even here He teaches again. He asks the people who are asking a loaded question for a plain statement in this regard to make that choice. And He gives it to them – they have the ability to see and to choose between putting their faith and belief in Him or rejecting Him – the Word, the Way, the Truth, the Life. He doesn’t ask them to make their decision just on what He says, just on His verbal testimony. He asks them to also look at what He does – the signs and the miracles – then make a decision.
And you know, that’s really what we all do. Not only do we hear or read what Jesus said, we look at the evidence of what He did. And then we have a choice to make. It’s that ability to choose, which God never removes from our hearts.
This passage shows us how God initiates a call to come to Him. And when we hear that call we have a responsibility to choose Him or reject Him.
Here is what Laura Holmes and George Lyons say in the New Beacon Bible Commentary, John 1-12: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. © 2020 Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City. p. 268
“This Gospel emphasizes that just as Jesus is called, set apart, and given His purpose and vocation by God, so are we. Living into that call, by God’s grace, is the mission of those who believe (10:42).”
So my question for your today is simply this, what are you choosing to do which helps you to live into the call that God has placed on your life? What are you doing to walk in the Grace of God? What are you doing to serve Christ working alongside of God in His Kingdom? If you have trouble answering any one of those questions, today be a great day to rededicate your life to the service of the King of Kings and make Jesus your Lord and Savior.