Joh 10:36 | KingComments | STEP | The Jews have asked if He is the Christ ( ). They have received an answer that goes far beyond that. Their response shows the absolute darkness of their heart filled with hatred. Their answer to what the Lord has told them is to pick up stones to stone Him. There is nothing that makes satan so furious as the perfect revelation of the goodness of God in the Son. He finds appropriate instruments in man’s own will and pride to express his hatred. The Lord answers their hatred by asking them in perfect calmness a realistic question. He has shown so many good works from His Father. Can they also say for which of these good works they want to stone Him? By the way, he does not say “for which of these works do you want to stone Me”, but “for which of them are you stoning Me”. In their heart they have already stoned him. The Jews reply by saying that they are not stoning Him for a good work, but for blasphemy. By doing so, they testify of His works that they are good. But their obscured hearts do not want to accept that He has spoken the truth and do not want to acknowledge that His works are those from the Father. That is why they have to accuse Him of blasphemy. He indeed is a Man, they are right. But He did not make Himself God, for He is God of eternity so here they are not right. He humbled Himself to become Man in order to show God’s love to people in His many good works and to be their Savior. The Lord also deals with this blasphemy. He continues to bear witness to His glory, not for the sake of Himself, but for the honor of the Father. He refers to a word from their law in which it is written of certain people that they are ‘gods’ ( ). This is about judges in Israel, men with a certain responsibility, yet ordinary mortals. These judges speak justice on behalf of God and should therefore be recognized as ‘gods’ in their jurisdiction (cf. ). In the judge the members of God’s people deal with God. They are not Divine persons, but they have received Divine authority. God’s Word therefore speaks of ordinary mortal people as ‘gods’. The word of God came to these ‘gods’, while it only applies to them in view of their position among the people. For the Lord Jesus, this word applies in the most literal way. By His nature He is the eternal Son, and by His birth from the Holy Spirit He has also been God’s Son since His coming to earth as Man ( ). In between, the Lord points to the unity of the Word of God by speaking about ‘the Scripture’. He also speaks of its indissolubility, by which He indicates its unchanging and enduring character for all times. It cannot be said: ‘Yes, it is in the Bible, but it is in the Old Testament and that is no longer applicable now.’ In doing so, he makes it clear how the Old Testament statements were in full force even at that time and how they will always remain so. When Scripture speaks in this way about mortal people, do they want to accuse Him of blasphemy when He, Who Himself is the Incarnate Word of God, declares Himself to be God’s Son? The Lord appeals to their reason, to their logic. Judges on earth were sanctified by God, that is separate, to represent Him in a certain way. Now comes the Son Who has been sanctified by the Father in a special way to declare Him. For that purpose, the Father sent Him from heaven into the world. As such, he knows the Father and as Son He fulfills the commandment of the Father. He comes with Divine authority and in a known relationship with His Father. He has come into the world as Man, while that relationship is unchanging. How could He stop being the Son of the Father? How can they reasonably accuse Him of blasphemy when He merely points out that He is the Son of God?

‏ John 10:36

The Jews Want to Stone the Lord

The Jews have asked if He is the Christ (Jn 10:24). They have received an answer that goes far beyond that. Their response shows the absolute darkness of their heart filled with hatred. Their answer to what the Lord has told them is to pick up stones to stone Him. There is nothing that makes satan so furious as the perfect revelation of the goodness of God in the Son. He finds appropriate instruments in man’s own will and pride to express his hatred.

The Lord answers their hatred by asking them in perfect calmness a realistic question. He has shown so many good works from His Father. Can they also say for which of these good works they want to stone Him? By the way, he does not say “for which of these works do you want to stone Me”, but “for which of them are you stoning Me”. In their heart they have already stoned him.

The Jews reply by saying that they are not stoning Him for a good work, but for blasphemy. By doing so, they testify of His works that they are good. But their obscured hearts do not want to accept that He has spoken the truth and do not want to acknowledge that His works are those from the Father. That is why they have to accuse Him of blasphemy.

He indeed is a Man, they are right. But He did not make Himself God, for He is God of eternity so here they are not right. He humbled Himself to become Man in order to show God’s love to people in His many good works and to be their Savior. The Lord also deals with this blasphemy. He continues to bear witness to His glory, not for the sake of Himself, but for the honor of the Father.

He refers to a word from their law in which it is written of certain people that they are ‘gods’ (Psa 82:6). This is about judges in Israel, men with a certain responsibility, yet ordinary mortals. These judges speak justice on behalf of God and should therefore be recognized as ‘gods’ in their jurisdiction (cf. Exo 7:1). In the judge the members of God’s people deal with God. They are not Divine persons, but they have received Divine authority. God’s Word therefore speaks of ordinary mortal people as ‘gods’.

The word of God came to these ‘gods’, while it only applies to them in view of their position among the people. For the Lord Jesus, this word applies in the most literal way. By His nature He is the eternal Son, and by His birth from the Holy Spirit He has also been God’s Son since His coming to earth as Man (Lk 1:35).

In between, the Lord points to the unity of the Word of God by speaking about ‘the Scripture’. He also speaks of its indissolubility, by which He indicates its unchanging and enduring character for all times. It cannot be said: ‘Yes, it is in the Bible, but it is in the Old Testament and that is no longer applicable now.’ In doing so, he makes it clear how the Old Testament statements were in full force even at that time and how they will always remain so. When Scripture speaks in this way about mortal people, do they want to accuse Him of blasphemy when He, Who Himself is the Incarnate Word of God, declares Himself to be God’s Son?

The Lord appeals to their reason, to their logic. Judges on earth were sanctified by God, that is separate, to represent Him in a certain way. Now comes the Son Who has been sanctified by the Father in a special way to declare Him. For that purpose, the Father sent Him from heaven into the world. As such, he knows the Father and as Son He fulfills the commandment of the Father. He comes with Divine authority and in a known relationship with His Father. He has come into the world as Man, while that relationship is unchanging. How could He stop being the Son of the Father? How can they reasonably accuse Him of blasphemy when He merely points out that He is the Son of God?