​"I Am the Son of God" (10:22–42)

"I Am the Son of God" (10:22–42)
This part of the story happened about two and a half months after what happened in John 10:1–21. John put them together because Jesus used the image of a shepherd and sheep in both messages.

The meeting (vv. 22–24). The "Feast of the Dedication," also known as Hanukkah, is in December, around the same time as Christmas for Christians. The feast celebrates Judas Maccabeus's rededication of the temple in 164 BC, after the Romans had desecrated it. This historical fact may have something to do with what Jesus said in John 10:36, when He said that the Father had set Him apart (dedicated) and sent Him into the world. The Jewish leaders were celebrating a big event in history, but they were missing a big opportunity right in their temple!

The leaders encircled Jesus in the temple, forcing Him to listen. They had agreed that it was time for a "showdown," and they didn't want Him to avoid the issue any longer. They kept asking Him, "How long are You going to keep us in suspense?" "Please tell us clearly: Are You the Messiah?"

The explanation (verses 25–42). Jesus told them again what He had already taught them. He stressed the testimony of His words ("I told you") and His actions (see John 5:17ff. and 7:14ff. for similar answers).

But this time, our Lord went much deeper in His explanation. He told the Jewish leaders why they didn't understand what He said what His works meant: they weren't His sheep. From a human perspective, we become His sheep by believing, but from a divine point of view, we believe because we are His sheep. We can't understand or explain this mystery, but we can accept it and be happy about it (Rom. 11:33–36). God knows who His sheep are. They will hear His voice and answer.

The sinner who is lost and hears God's Word doesn't know anything about divine election. He hears that Christ died for the world's sins and that he can have eternal life by trusting the Savior. He becomes a member of God's family and a sheep in the flock when he puts his faith in the Savior. He then learns that he was "chosen . . . in Him [Christ] before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4). He also learns that each saved sinner is the Father's "love gift" to His Son (see John 10:29; 17:2, 6, 9, 11–12, 24).

The Bible teaches that God's choice and our choice are perfectly balanced. We should not break what God has joined together.

Jesus then said that His sheep are safe in both His hand and the Father's hand. He promises that "they shall never perish" (John 3:16; 6:39; 17:12; 18:9). The false shepherds cause destruction (John 10:10, same Greek word), but the Good Shepherd makes sure that His sheep will never die.

There are many ways that God protects His sheep here. First, by definition, "eternal life" can't be conditional and still be eternal. Second, this life is a gift, not something we deserve or earn. If we were saved by His grace and not by our own good deeds, then we can't be lost by our "bad deeds" (Rom. 11:6). But most importantly, Jesus promised us that His sheep would not die and that His promise would not be broken.

Remember that Jesus was talking about real believers, not fakes. The pig and the dog will go back to sin (2 Peter 2:20–22), but the sheep will follow the Shepherd into the green pastures because they are clean animals. The false professor will discuss his faith and even his works, but he will never make it into heaven (Matt. 7:13–29). Many of us know people who said they were saved but then went back to sin. Their actions only showed that they never really trusted Christ in the first place. Jesus only promised safety to His real sheep.

As you read about our Lord's teaching on His ministry as the Good Shepherd, you see that He has three different kinds of relationships with His sheep. He has a loving relationship with the sheep because He died for them, and He has a living relationship with them because He cares for them. It is also a lasting relationship because He takes care of His sheep and doesn't lose any of them.

Our Lord said something that He knew would shock His enemies and make them want to fight Him even more (John 10:30). The religious leaders had asked for a "plain answer." "I and my Father are one" is one of the clearest statements of His divinity in all of Scripture. This was even stronger than what He said about coming down from heaven (John 6) or being alive before Abraham (John 8:58).

The term "one" does not imply that the Father and the Son are the same person. This means they are one in essence: the Father is God and the Son is God, but they are distinct persons. He is talking about unity, not identity. (See John 17:21–24 for language that is similar.)

The Jewish leaders knew exactly what He was saying! Some liberal theologians today attempt to make our Lord's words less clear, but the people who heard them knew exactly what He meant: "I am God!" (See John 10:33.) According to Jewish law, blasphemy had to be punished by death (see Lev. 24:16; Num. 15:30ff.; Deut. 21:22).

To stop their actions and prove their accusations wrong, our Lord used Psalm 82:6. The image in Psalm 82 is that of a court, where God has gathered the judges of the earth to warn them that they will also be judged one day. In Exodus 21:6 and 22:8–9, the Hebrew word "elohim" can mean "god" or "judges." It is also one of the names for God in the Old Testament. The Jewish leaders knew their language very well, and they knew that Jesus was telling the truth. If God called judges "gods," why should they stone Him for calling Himself the same thing?

John 10:36 is important because it confirms twice that Christ is God. First, the Father set the Son apart and sent Him into the world. Second, Jesus said with confidence, "I am the Son of God" (see John 5:25). He gave them the "straight answer" they wanted, but they didn't believe it!

Could they have had faith? Jesus asked them to believe, even if it was just because of the miracles He did (John 10:37–38). If they believed in miracles, they would know the Father, and that would make it possible for them to know the Son and have faith in Him. It was just a matter of looking at the evidence honestly and being open to the truth.

Once again, they tried to arrest Him (see John 7:44; 8:59), but He got away and left the area for a long time He didn't go back to Jerusalem until "Palm Sunday," when He showed up as the King of Israel.

We don't know where Bethabara was, but we do know that John the Baptist worked there (John 1:28). It was on the other side of the Jordan River, about 18 to 20 miles from Jerusalem. Some maps show it almost directly across from Jerusalem, just east of Jericho.

What made Jesus go there? One reason was that it was a safe place to hide; the Jewish religious leaders were not likely to find Him there. It was also a good place for Him to get ready for His last week of public ministry, when He would give up His life for the sheep. He must have felt stronger for the suffering He knew He would have to go through when He thought about His own baptism by John and everything that happened to Him at that time (Matt. 3:13–17; John 1:20–34).

People kept looking for Jesus, and He kept helping them. It is significant that John the Baptist's testimony continued to yield results long after his demise. Many people came to trust the Savior because of what he said about Jesus Christ. John wasn't a miracle worker, but he was a faithful witness who pointed people to Jesus Christ. "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30).

Have you personally responded to the three great things our Lord said in this chapter?

He is the Door. Have you "entered in" by faith so that you are safe?

He is the Shepherd who cares for you. Have you heard Him speak and put your faith in Him? He gave His life for you, after all!

He is God's Son. Do you really think that? Have you given yourself to Him and received eternal life?

Remember His stern warning: ". . .  if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." (John 8:24).