Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims

Jesus is the Messiah…

John 10:22-42
22 Then came the Festival of Dedication[b] at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”

33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”

34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’[d]? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36 what 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’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 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 in the Father.” 39 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.

40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, 41 and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” 42 And in that place many believed in Jesus.

The Pharisees are losing control of this world, but rather than surrender to Him, they are holding on to law. They grasp and claw for the seen world and forget the unseen. They are afraid to let go their own understanding. They are being fooled by their thoughts and feelings and for that reason they are unable to walk in the Spirit of God.

Once again the learned and all knowing people are trying to get rid of Jesus. They are not ready for Him. That is actually the reason that Jesus came down from Heaven in the first place. Had the Pharisees known the truth, perhaps God would never have has to come down from Heaven and send His Son to die for us on the cross. But, we can what if all day. The bottom line is, we needed Jesus then, and we need Him now.

God is in us. He is in our hearts, and walks with us. However, we walk this world completely saturated in sin. We bathe in it daily, and at many times don’t even know it. We fight and battle in a war played out over our souls focused only on the sins that we can see. We have no clue of all of the thousands of sins that we commit without even knowing it. The obvious fight is a good one. The sins we do see require repentance on our parts, as we ask God for forgiveness. However, there are many more sins that a tree numerous as the stars that we don’t even know that we commit. What about those?

Jesus took them to the cross along with the ones that you go to war with every day. Jesus was and is the Son of God. He came to earth to save us. He cried tears of blood as He begged for our forgiveness. He taught us how to love and lift others up to a place higher than ourselves. He taught us to trust and to be humble. He rebuked our wicked ways, and then took them with Him to the cross. Jesus is the Messiah! No if, ands, or buts about it. Jesus hung on the cross and died so that we would live. It is my hope that you have accepted Jesus as your Savior. He waits with open arms for you. #JesusSaves

Amen
DK