Day 1044: “But now I see” - John 10 vs 27 – 42

27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 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. I and the Father are one.” 31-32 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35-36 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came - and Scripture cannot be broken - do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming’, because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37-38 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

39-40 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41-42 And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there. John 10:27-42 English Standard Version

The section of John's gospel we're looking at started in Chapter 9 with Jesus healing a man who'd been blind from birth. It's hard to imagine what receiving sight must have been to such a man. He was suddenly seeing things of great beauty, such as the sky, the clouds, the hills and flowers. And while physical blindness keeps someone from seeing such beautiful things, spiritual blindness keeps us from even more. What was the wonderful truth that spiritual blindness was keeping those who were hostile to Jesus from seeing? (vs 27-30)

Jesus spoke of a place of absolute safety, as well as of an amazing union between Himself and those to whom He was bringing eternal life, and between Himself and God. Those whom Jesus rescues from sin are kept eternally secure in His hands, hands that were nail pierced for sinners, as well as in the hands of the almighty Father. That's the glorious truth that hostility towards Jesus keeps the eyes of a person's heart from seeing. How deep that darkness.

The implication of what Jesus said about Himself and the Father 'being one' wasn't lost on His hearers. “You, being a man, make yourself God!”, they cried out, and wanted to stone Him to death for what they saw as blasphemy. In reply, Jesus quoted a verse from Psalm 82:6. The implication of that verse was that people who are in positions of power to exercise judgment over others are in a similar position to God who has power to judge even nations. The point Jesus makes is that, if such a title could be given to mere mortals, how much more should it apply to the one who is the true and only begotten Son of God.

What were the two things Jesus pointed them to which ought to have opened their eyes to who He really is? Vs 34, vs 37-38.

He reminded them of God's written word, the Bible, and to think over all that is said of Him in it's pages. And He told them to look at the record of the miracles God had done through Him. The amazing miracles He did were evidence of the Father being in Him. And while spiritual blindness kept many from seeing who Jesus was, we read that some realized that everything John the Baptiser had said about Jesus was true, “And many believed in Him there.”

What a glorious truth it is where Jesus says that the Father had 'consecrated and sent Him' into the world. And what a glorious truth that 'no one is able to snatch' those who come to Jesus out of the Father's hand. It's as the famous hymn, Amazing Grace, says: “I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.” Oh the joy of such a soul.27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 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. I and the Father are one.” 31-32 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35-36 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came - and Scripture cannot be broken - do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming’, because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37-38 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

39-40 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41-42 And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there. John 10:27-42 English Standard Version

The section of John's gospel we're looking at started in Chapter 9 with Jesus healing a man who'd been blind from birth. It's hard to imagine what receiving sight must have been to such a man. He was suddenly seeing, for the first time, things of great beauty, such as the sky, the clouds, the hills, trees and flowers. And while physical blindness keeps someone from seeing such beautiful things, spiritual blindness keeps us from even more. What was the wonderful truth spiritual blindness was keeping those who were hostile to Jesus from seeing? (vs 27-30)

Jesus spoke of a place of absolute safety, as well as the amazing union between Himself and those to whom He was bringing eternal life, and between Himself and God. Those whom Jesus rescues from sin are kept eternally secure in His hands, hands that were nail pierced for sinners, as well as in the hands of the almighty Father. That's the glorious truth which hostility towards Jesus keeps the eyes of a person's heart from seeing. How deep that darkness is.

The implication of what Jesus said about Himself and the Father 'being one' wasn't lost on His hearers. “You, being a man, make yourself God!”, they cried out, and wanted to stone Him to death for what they saw as blasphemy. In reply, Jesus quoted Psalm 82 verse 6. The implication of that verse was that people who are in positions of power to exercise judgment over others, are in a similar position to God who has power to judge even nations. The point Jesus made was that, if such a title could be given to mere mortals, how much more should it apply to the one who is the true and only begotten Son of God.

What were the two things Jesus pointed them to which ought to have opened their eyes to who He really is? Vs 34, vs 37-38.

He reminded them of God's written word, the Bible, and to think over all that is said of Him in it's pages. And He told them to look at the record of the miracles God had done through Him. The amazing miracles He did were evidence of the Father being in Him. And while spiritual blindness kept many from seeing who Jesus was, we read that some realized that everything John the Baptiser had said about Jesus was true, “And many believed in Him there.”

What a glorious truth it is where Jesus says that the Father had 'consecrated and sent Him' into the world. And what a glorious truth it is that 'no one is able to snatch' those who come to Jesus out of the Father's hand. It's as the famous hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ says: “I once was lost, but now am found; Was blind, but now I see.” Oh the joy of such a soul.

JohnChris NelComment