Daily Lectionary Readings:
Psalm 131, 132, 133
Jeremiah 26:1-16
Romans 11:1-12
John 10:19-42
John 10:19-42
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
19At these words the Jews were again divided. 20Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
21But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
The Unbelief of the Jews
22Then came the Feast of Dedication[a] at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ,[b] tell us plainly.”
25Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.”
31Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
33″We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’[d]? 35If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken— 36what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. 38But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” 39Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
40Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed 41and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true.” 42And in that place many believed in Jesus.
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If Jesus were a stand up comic, we would say that he is playing to a rough crowd. They leaders of the people continue to question him and his authority. They want plain talk and they assert that he is beating around the bush and not coming out clearly with his intentions. Jesus, on the other hand, insists that he has plainly told them but they have refused to believe. I think a good way to describe this situation is to say that they were at an “impasse.”
Each side feels that they have done what they should have done. They’ve said the right things. They’ve done the right things. Now the leaders have come to the point of frustration with Jesus. They are like a parent that is ready to pull out his hair because of the child that has asked for the 80th time “Are we there yet?”
The only problem, is Jesus is not the child that cannot understand what the parent is saying. Jesus, represents the Father and is clearly telling the “children” or sheep, what is expected of them. Unfortunately, they children are not ready to listen, let alone to obey.
These children were so unruly that they picked up stones and were ready to stone Jesus for what they perceived to be his blasphemy. But, once again he escaped their grasp. He crossed the Jordan to the place that John the Baptist had been preaching. He too, began to preach from this spot. The people once again began to come and hear him. They heard what he said. They knew what he had done. They believed in him.
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Prayer: Lord, help us to hear what you say, see what you have done, and give God the glory for it all.
