John 10:31-42
The Father and the Son Are One
Read the passage
31At this, the Jews again picked up stones to stone Him.
32But Jesus responded, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone Me?”
33“We are not stoning You for any good work,” said the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because You, who are a man, make Yourself out to be God.”
34Jesus replied, “Is it not written in your Law: ‘I have said you are gods’?
35If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—
36then what about the One whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world? How then can you accuse Me of blasphemy for stating that I am the Son of God?
37If I am not doing the works of My Father, then do not believe Me.
38But if I am doing them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works themselves, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father.”
39At this, they tried again to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp.
40Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had first been baptizing, and He stayed there.
41Many came to Him and said, “Although John never performed a sign, everything he said about this man was true.”
42And many in that place believed in Jesus.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Jesus' opponents pick up stones. He asks which of the good works He has shown them from the Father deserves this response. They say their objection is blasphemy: they believe a man is making Himself out to be God.
Jesus answers from Psalm 82. That psalm uses the word gods for those whom God addresses and judges. Jesus' immediate point is that the Scriptures His opponents accept already contain this language. They cannot dismiss His claim to be the Son of God without considering what Scripture says and who He is: the One the Father set apart and sent into the world.
He is not teaching that everyone is God or withdrawing His claim about the Father. He asks them to examine His works. If He is not doing His Father's works, they should not believe Him. If He is, those works give them reason to recognize that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father. His words and His actions belong together.
They try again to seize Him, but He escapes and goes across the Jordan. There, people remember John the Baptist's testimony. John performed no sign, yet what he said about Jesus proves true, and many believe. A witness does not need to draw attention to himself to be useful. John's words help people recognize Jesus when they meet Him.
Questions
1 Why do Jesus' opponents want to stone Him?
AnswerThey accuse Him of blasphemy. They believe that He, being a man, is making Himself out to be God.
2 Why does Jesus refer to Psalm 82?
AnswerIt shows that their own Scriptures use the word gods for those God addresses. Jesus asks them to consider this before condemning the One the Father set apart and sent for calling Himself the Son of God.
3 What does Jesus ask them to consider about His works?
AnswerWhether He is doing the works of His Father. Those works give them reason to believe His claim that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father.
4 How does John the Baptist's testimony help people across the Jordan?
AnswerThey remember what John said and recognize it as true of Jesus. Many believe, even though John himself performed no sign.
What This Means for Us
A difficult saying calls for careful attention. Jesus takes His hearers back to Scripture and asks them to consider His works. We can bring our questions to the text, read the surrounding verses, and ask for help without deciding in advance that we already know the answer.
John's example also encourages quiet faithfulness. We may not know when someone will remember a conversation about Jesus. Speak truthfully about Him, give room for questions, and let the attention rest on the Savior rather than on how impressive our words sound.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, help us attend to the works You did and the Scriptures You explained. Give us reverence for You as the Son sent by the Father. May what we say about You help others believe, as John's testimony did. Amen.