The Word This Week
John 10:22…
In Jesus’ final toe-to-toe skirmish with the rulers of the Jews, we see Jesus offering His final apologetic to the Jews about Who He is.
Jesus is not rejecting them, they are rejecting Him. Jesus never rejects anyone, and we see it here.
When we think of HOW MANY opportunities the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees had to hear from Jesus, it is astounding they rejected Him – yet we know they did. They would pay a high price for their rejection of Jesus, but in their closed minds they were desiring to inflict the ultimate price upon Jesus for rejecting THEM.
This is no friendly encounter, and still we see Jesus arguing for their hearts.
It is a couple months after verse 21, during the Feast of Dedication, when this encounter took place. John notes all Jesus was doing was walking through the temple in Solomon’s porch when he was accosted and surrounded by the Jews in an attempt to intimidate Him.
Intimidation does not work with God.
They ask Jesus the kind of question many ask to this day: “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Often people - even believers - will ask, “Why didn’t Jesus just straight-out declare Who He was?”
Of course, the obvious answer is: He did. Many times, and over and over again.
But Jesus was primarily content to let the scriptures speak for Him about Who He was. These supposed ‘men of God’ should have recognized Jesus better than anyone. The only reason they didn’t is because they didn’t want to.
In this final encounter, Jesus once again Jesus turns to the scriptures as His choice of identification, especially for these men who refuse to believe His word.
They are bluntly informed by Jesus they are not His sheep. They are in grave peril.
We know any time they choose to be they can be – and Jesus always holds out this hope, for them, and for everyone. (Even though He knew in just a few months’ time these same men would think they had killed Him.)
Pastor Bill
In Jesus’ final toe-to-toe skirmish with the rulers of the Jews, we see Jesus offering His final apologetic to the Jews about Who He is.
Jesus is not rejecting them, they are rejecting Him. Jesus never rejects anyone, and we see it here.
When we think of HOW MANY opportunities the scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees had to hear from Jesus, it is astounding they rejected Him – yet we know they did. They would pay a high price for their rejection of Jesus, but in their closed minds they were desiring to inflict the ultimate price upon Jesus for rejecting THEM.
This is no friendly encounter, and still we see Jesus arguing for their hearts.
It is a couple months after verse 21, during the Feast of Dedication, when this encounter took place. John notes all Jesus was doing was walking through the temple in Solomon’s porch when he was accosted and surrounded by the Jews in an attempt to intimidate Him.
Intimidation does not work with God.
They ask Jesus the kind of question many ask to this day: “If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Often people - even believers - will ask, “Why didn’t Jesus just straight-out declare Who He was?”
Of course, the obvious answer is: He did. Many times, and over and over again.
But Jesus was primarily content to let the scriptures speak for Him about Who He was. These supposed ‘men of God’ should have recognized Jesus better than anyone. The only reason they didn’t is because they didn’t want to.
In this final encounter, Jesus once again Jesus turns to the scriptures as His choice of identification, especially for these men who refuse to believe His word.
They are bluntly informed by Jesus they are not His sheep. They are in grave peril.
We know any time they choose to be they can be – and Jesus always holds out this hope, for them, and for everyone. (Even though He knew in just a few months’ time these same men would think they had killed Him.)
Pastor Bill