Renewed Efforts to Stone Jesus
March 8, 2021
Commentary
Angered that Jesus would claim equality with the Father, these Jews “took up stones to kill Him” (v. 31). Jesus asks why his good work deserved such cruel treatment (v. 32). They claimed that they did not have a problem with His works. They objected to Him, a mere man, claiming to be God (v.33), blasphemy to them. They had ignored what Christ did and were judging Him on what He had said. He told them, if His works did not verify His claim, then they should not believe on Him (vv. 34-38).
Again, they wanted to arrest Him, but because of their hostility, He went across the Jordan river to Perea and did not return to Jerusalem until “Palm Sunday” (vv. 39-41). The common people continued to seek Jesus, as He continued ministering to them, “and many believed on Him” (v. 42).
We now come to the climax of Jesus’ public ministry. In a sense his ministry remained public until chapter 13, but this encounter was his last public teaching before the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Here He speaks as clearly as possible about himself and his opponents. This exchange was his last effort to get them to understand who He is.
The opponents in Jerusalem rejected him, but across the Jordan, many came to Him and believed (vv. 41-42). They had received John’s witness concerning Jesus. Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true (v. 41). Now, in all Jesus had said and done, the truth of this testimony had been made evident to those who are able to see.
Application
Jesus continued to minister to people, even when many were hostile to Him, right to the end of his life. Regardless of the circumstances I want to be able to minister right to the end of my life.
John 10:31– 42 (NET)
31 The Jewish leaders picked up rocks again to stone him to death. 32 Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jewish leaders replied, “We are not going to stone you for a good deed but for blasphemy, because you, a man, are claiming to be God.”
34 Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not perform the deeds of my Father, do not believe me. 38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may come to know and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” 39 Then they attempted again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches.
40 Jesus went back across the Jordan River again to the place where John had been baptizing at an earlier time, and he stayed there. 41 Many came to him and began to say, “John performed no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man was true!” 42 And many believed in Jesus there.