22At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 24The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26“But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30“I and the Father are one.”
31The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” 34Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I SAID, YOU ARE GODS’? 35“If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37“If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp. 40And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. 41Many came to Him and were saying, “While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.” 42Many believed in Him there.
Interesting Words
Feast of the Dedication
An eight-day winter festival celebrated by the Jews in the month of December (aka. Feast of the Maccabees), Feast of Dedication. Today, this festival is called Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights and celebrates the Maccabean victory over the Seleucid king Antiochus Ephiphanes who profaned the Jewish temple.
suspense
(αἴρω Greek) – airó ► raise, take up, lift, take it out of the way, remove, [leave it up in the air] – Col 2:14; John 11:41;
testify
(μαρτυρέω Greek) – martureó ► bear witness, give evidence, testify – John 5:39, 15:27; John 19:35;
know
(γινώσκω Greek) – ginóskó ► come to know, learn, especially through personal experience (first-hand), sexual intimacy – Luke 1:34 KJV; John 10:14-15; 14:7; 17:7;
Cross References
▪︎ 1Cor 2:14; Jesus transforms our lives.
▪︎ 1Cor 2:15-16 – We have the mind of Christ.
▪︎ John 5:19, 14:10, 11 – Believe because of the works Jesus did.
▪︎ Ps 82:6-7 – Sons of the Most High.
Discussion Questions
1. What affect, if any, did the current feast have on the Jews’ attitude toward Jesus?
▪︎ The effect was probably minimal at best.
▪︎ The feast was very patriotic, celebrating the Maccabees and their victory for Israel over the Seleucids.
▪︎ It was like our 4th of July, celebrating the birth of our nation.
▪︎ It probably evoked a strong desire for a deliverer to free Israel from the oppression of Rome.
▪︎ It may have revived their desire for the coming Messiah and His Kingdom rule.
2. What was the intent of the Jews questioning Jesus?
▪︎ They knew of Jesus’ claims since they brought up the topic.
▪︎ They wanted clarification, but they really wanted it on their terms.
▪︎ They wanted the Kingly Messiah to commit to the overthrow of Rome.
▪︎ They didn’t really have time to learn or understand His teaching related to His mission as the suffering Messiah.
▪︎ Some, those who were teachable, were willing to spend the time reflecting on sin and their true relationship with God.
▪︎ Like today, people aren’t willing to spend the time thinking about such frivolous things as a relationship with God, helping those in need or even their own issues with sin.
3. How didJesus respond? What was His defense?
▪︎ He was certainly on task related to His role as the suffering Messiah
▪︎ He clearly defined the chasm between them and God.
▪︎ They were sheep without a Shepherd because of unbelief.
▪︎ In fact they were not even His sheep.
▪︎ They couldn’t get past the fact that He called God His Father.
▪︎ Jesus clarified this issue and once they understood Him clearly, they picked up stones to stone Him.
4. What are some charactistics of true sheep?
▪︎ They know the voice of the Good Shepherd.
▪︎ They follow Him and obey Him.
▪︎ God and Jesus know them intimately, by name.
▪︎ God gives eternal life to them, and they will never perish.
▪︎ The Jews clearly understood, just as people in cults today understand that they are on the outside and all they can do is lash out in anger.
5. How does the relationship from Jesus-to-God effect/transfer to our relationships?
▪︎ Jesus’ relationship with the Father transfers directly to us when we receive Christ as Savior and are filled with the Holy Spirit.
▪︎ We can only experience the truth of this as we grow in our walk with God and are sanctified in Him.
▪︎ The Jews did not understand the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit or the plurality of the Godhead (the trinity, Gen 1:3, ►).
▪︎ As we progress further into the end times, closer to the tribulation, conflicts with cults (Muslims, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, other cults, and the Jews) will continue to escalate and threaten true physical persecution.
6. This time when the Jews picked up stones to stone Jesus, He responded differently. How did He respond?
▪︎ He asked for definition of exactly why they were stoning Him, John 10:32. Since all His works were good, they had a difficult time.
▪︎ He didn’t just hide or run away, He confronted them with facts from Scripture.
► John 10:34 – Sons of God
► John 10:35 – Scripture can’t be broken.
► John 10:36 – Are you saying God can’t do it His way.
► John 10:37-38 – Don’t believe me, believe God’s works.
▪︎ John 10:38 – If The works are from God, then the process and the tool (Me) has to also be from God and be in sync with God.
7. How would you interpret John 10:34 and Ps 82:6?
▪︎ All who believe in Christ Jesus are sons of the Most High. This puts us in line with Moses and the Prophets, and puts them in line with those who stoned the prophets, and grumbled against Moses.
▪︎ John 1:14, 18 ► We are brothers to Jesus, who is the “only begotten” (the unique one).
▪︎ Col 1:18 ► “firstborn” from the dead, highest priority, preeminent one. From which we deduce we are of His family.
▪︎ Jesus is the chief Cornerstone, the precious, choice, Living Stone – 1Peter 2:4, 6. Of whom we are living stones, part of God’s house, acceptable to Him – 1Peter 2:5.