Jesus said, “I and My Father ARE one.” (John 10:30-33) Jesus did
not say I and My Father agree. Or, for that matter, neither did Jesus say that
He and His Father agree to be one. What Jesus said was, “I and My Father
ARE one.”
And, if you note the reaction of the Jews here -- to
what Jesus was actually saying -- there was no mistaking His message. He knew
who He was -- God in the flesh -- and so did the Jews. This is why the Jews
wanted to stone Jesus. This was the message that the Jews could not accept.
Reading from the tenth chapter of John:
Jesus said, “I
and My Father are one.” Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus
answered them, “Many good works have I shewed you from My Father; for
which of those works do ye stone Me?”
The Jews answered
Him, saying, “For a good work we stone Thee not; but for blasphemy; and
because that Thou, being a man, makest thyself God.”
Did you catch what
was happening here? The Jews wanted to stone Jesus -- not because He healed the
sick -- not because He cast out demons in those who were afflicted -- not because
He comforted the lonely -- and neither because He associated with people within
society who at the time were considered to be outcasts.
The Jews wanted to
stone Jesus because He was making Himself to be God. (Not the Son of God as
many in churches today suggest with their religious doctrine of a trinity), but
as Almighty God in the flesh Himself. He who knew no sin becoming sin for you
and me.
We read the same
message about the identity of God in the first chapter of John:
“In the
beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The
same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him and without Him
was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the
light of men. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. And the Word
was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory -- the glory as of
the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.
Other scriptures
confirm this same point. A sampling includes:
“And without
controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed
on in the world, received up into glory.” (I Timothy 3:16)
“Behold, a virgin
shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call
His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with
us.” (Matthew 1:23)
“For to us a child
is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His
shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty
God, Everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
But I
digress. Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Feast of Dedication. It was winter.
He had been sharing a parable but there were those in the audience who did not
understand it. As a consequence, Jesus teachings were causing division. In the
following parable, we see that Jesus is using imagery and analogy to help
people understand who He is. But many of those who are listening, as we find
out later, do not have the ears to hear.
Still, Jesus
begins with a parable about sheep. He said that sheep will hear the Good
Shepherd because He calls His sheep by name, and leads them out. The shepherd
is not a thief or a robber that attempts to climb in some other way, but
because He enters through the door. Jesus continued.
“And when He puts
forth His own sheep, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they
know His voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him:
for they know not the voice of strangers.” (John 10:1-5)
This parable spake
Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which He spake
unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, “Verily, verily, I say unto
you, “I am the door of the sheep.” All that ever came before Me are
thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.” (John 10:6-8)
”I am the door: by
Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find
pasture. The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd gives His life for the
sheep.
But he that is a
hireling, and not the Shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf
coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees: and the wolf catches them, and
scatters the sheep. The hireling flees, because he is a hireling, and
cares not for the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am
known of mine.
As the Father
knows Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the
sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I
must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be One fold, and One
shepherd. Therefore doth My Father love me, because I lay down My life, that I
might take it again. No man takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself.
I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This
commandment have I received of my Father.” (John 10:9-18)
But these parables
were causing mass confusion to the point of division among those who listened.
Many of them said, “He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?” Others
said, “These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the
eyes of the blind?” When Jesus walked into Solomon`s Porch, the Jews came round
about Him.
These same Jews
asked Jesus, “How long does Thou make us to doubt? If Thou be the Christ,
tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered
them, “I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in My Father's
name, they bear witness of Me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of My
sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they
follow Me ... And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.
My Father, which
gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My
Father's hand. I and my Father are one...
... Say ye of Him,
whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemes;
because I said “I am the Son of God?” If I do not the works of My Father,
believe Me not. But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works: that
ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in Me, and I in him.
Therefore they
sought again to take Him: but He escaped out of their hand. And went away
again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there He
abode. And many resorted unto Him, and said, “John did no miracle: but all
things that John spake of this man were true.” And many believed on Him
there.” (John 10:30-38)
We need to believe
on Jesus too -- for who He is. Almighty God in the flesh, loving us so much
that He Himself, who knew no sin would bear the cross. Yes, the greatest love
story ever told. And the amazing part is that Jesus is still calling us to get
to know Him today.
Ask Jesus into
your heart. Study His Word daily. Become effectual in your
communications. Stand in the offering plate.
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