Section 88

Section 88 
FEAST OF THE DEDICATION
THE JEWS ATTEMPT TO STONE JESUS AND HE RETIRES TO PERÆA
(Jerusalem and beyond Jordan)
JOHN 10: 22-42

Setting:  feast of dedication (winter) = Hanukkah

More on Hanukkah:

"Hanukkah. It is generally believed that this feast was instituted by Judas Maccabeus when the temple was rededicated after being defiled by Antiochus Epiphanes, 165 b.c. It was a yearly feast, instituted by the Jewish people, and not one of the feasts of the Lord." -Believer's Bible

Lots of commentary on this passage where Christ points out that their law calls them "sons of God."

Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 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’?
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.”
 -John 10:34-38

"The Psalm was addressed to the judges of Israel. They were called “gods” not because they were actually divine, but because they represented God when they judged the people. The Hebrew word for “gods” (elohim) is literally “mighty ones” and may be applied to important figures such as judges. (It is clear from the rest of the Psalm that they were only men and not deities because they judged unjustly, showed respect of persons, and otherwise perverted justice.)" -Believers's Bible

"The Lord was arguing from the lesser to the greater. If unjust judges were called “gods” in the OT, how much more right did He have to say He was the Son of God. The word of God came to them; He was and is the Word of God. They were called gods; He was and is God." -Believers's Bible

"Since the civil rulers of a land are ordained of God (Rom. 13:1-7,  I. Sam. 24:6, 7), they were regarded as God's delegates or ministers, and as such the inspired Psalmist addresses them, calling them gods. Compare also Ex. 22:28. If it was not blasphemy to call those gods who so remotely represented the Deity, how much less did Christ blaspheme in taking unto himself a title to which he had a better right than they, even in the subordinate sense of being a mere messenger. The expression "word of God" is equivalent to "commission from God." Compare Luke 3:2, where John was commissioned. The Jews regarded the Scripture as final authority. Jesus asserted this view by stating that the Scripture could not be broken; that is, could not be undone or set aside. We may regard Jesus as here ratifying their view, since he elsewhere concurred in it--see Matt. 5:19. -Fourfold Gospel


We can not be taken from God against our will; but our will being free, we may choose to leave him. We can not be protected against ourselves in spite of ourselves.If that were so, no one could be lost.
-Fourfold Gospel

But you do not believe because you are not My sheep is a simple statement of fact about their conduct. It also reminds one of the ultimate mystery of God’s election (cf. Joh_6:37).  -BKC

When Jesus said, I and the Father are One, He was not affirming that He and the Father are the same Person. The Son and the Father are two Persons in the Trinity. This is confirmed here by the fact that the word “One” is neuter. Instead, He was saying They have the closest possible unity of purpose. Jesus’ will is identical to the Father’s regarding the salvation of His sheep. And yet absolute identity of wills involves identity of nature. Jesus and the Father are One in will (and also in nature for both are God; cf. Joh_20:28; Php_2:6; Col_2:9).bkc

"Quoting Psa_82:6, Jesus refers to the Old Testament, wherein judges were called gods because they held the power of life and death in their hands. "Doesn't Scripture say you are gods?" asked Jesus. "Why, then, are you so upset when I say I am the Son of God?"" -Jon Courson

v. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
v. 39 They sought again to take him: and he went forth out of their hand.
v. 42 And many believed on him there. 

"The word "there" stands in contrast to Jerusalem, which rejected Jesus." -Fourfold Gospel

Jesus escaped the city and went back to the wilderness before he encountered "many" who believed on him.  The simple are spiritually wiser than the educated and worldly.

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