Arrogance, pride, and self-absorption destroys freedom, which is the ultimate power. John 10:38-39

John 10:28 and I give [by means of grace] eternal life to them, and they shall never perish [double negative - they will not no never perish]; and no one [no angel, no man, not even God] shall snatch them out of My hand.

 

John 10:29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

 

Two of the most powerful hands in the universe are clamped around you and no one in the universe is powerful enough to pull them apart.

         

John 10:30 "I and the Father are one.”

 

Here He clearly indicates His deity while speaking from His humanity. For this reason the Jews will again pick up rocks to stone Him.

 

Remember in verse 24 they said, “tell us plainly,” and here it couldn’t be any more plain.

 

They do what religion always does when it has been unable to enforce its will on its victims, violence. 

 

John 10:31 The Jews took up stones again to stone Him.

 

The first time they did it was in John 8:59 in the temple. These are the religious Jews. Every stone in the hands of a Jew was a negative ballot in the grace of God and the plan of God.

 

However, as we noted, no one can do violence to you unless it is allowed by the Father and then it is only under special circumstances.

 

The Lord is in no danger here because His hour has not yet come.

 

John 10:32 Jesus answered them, "I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?"

 

John 10:33 The Jews answered Him, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God."

 

"For a good work we do not stone You,” That is a lie. The Pharisees deny that their attempt at violence is not connected with the healing of the blind man on the Sabbath, yet that is exactly what it is.

 

This violated their pet taboo of legalism; this aroused their antagonism. There is nothing worse than a legalistic religious person when you cross him.

           

but for blasphemy” - the penalty for blasphemy under the law was death by stoning, Leviticus 24:16.

 

The Pharisees, because of their implacability, wanted Him eliminated and they are trying to use this as an excuse.

 

These people were not seeking information; they wanted Him to condemn Himself, but according to Jewish Law you could not condemn yourself.

 

You see, in this mock trial as well as the 6 trials that the Lord would face right before the cross, the law of God performed beautifully.

 

It wasn’t the law that was at fault but the evil of the people who distorted the law.

 

Anyone could say they were God and they could not be convicted. When the Lord gave the Law to Moses He certainly understood that His son’s claims would be put to the test.

 

And if the Pharisees had strictly followed the Mosaic Law they would have proven Christ to be God by means of the Law.

 

They say, “You claim to be God, that’s blasphemy, we will stone you.” However, if we go to court and gather witnesses the witnesses (more that three) will testify that He healed the lame man at the pool of Bethesda and He healed the blind man outside of the temple steps. And so, if God’s Law is followed His Son is seen to be who He is.

 

John 10:34 Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'?

 

Verse 34 - “Jesus answered them” is literally, ‘Jesus had an answer for them.”

           

“Has it not been written” - perfect tense of the verb grapho which is used for the permanence of the scripture. The scripture cannot be changed; it is here to stay. It was written in the past with the result that it stands written forever.

           

“in your law” - Psalm 82:6. We have a quotation. “In your law” refers to the Old Testament scripture.”

           

“I said, Ye are gods?” The word for “god” here is Elohim in the Hebrew.

 

In Psalm 82:6 this is addressed to those who were the judges of Israel. We know this from Psalm 82:2.

 

Now the question is: Why were they called ‘gods’? What is behind all this and why does Jesus use this particular quotation?

 

It represented the function of God—judging. The judges who are addressed in Psalm 82:2 actually represented one of the divine functions which is delegated to human beings under divine institution #4, nationalism.

 

So since they represented one of the functions of God, which is judging, Jesus is much more a representative of God the Father than the judges of the Old Testament.

 

The principle of logic is a very simple one. If men representing God could be called gods, how much more the true Son of God could be called “God.”

 

All Jesus is doing is showing them that logically they have no right to try to execute Him without a trial because in Psalm 82:6 men were actually called gods, the reason being that they had one of the functions which belongs to God but was delegated—judging.

 

Psalm 82:6 does not mean ‘You are gods,’ but ‘You represent a function of God [in judging the people of the land].’

           

This was addressed to men, and if the scripture which cannot fail and cannot lie called certain people God, and Jesus calls Himself God, even if they simply think that he is a man Jesus is simply pointing out that they are out of line to jump Him for blasphemy.

 

Because even more so He represents a function of God as illustrated by the miracles He has already performed as credit cards for Messiahship.

 

John 10:35 "If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

“If” is a 1^st class condition; “he called them gods.” Jesus documents from scripture that human beings have been called gods.

 

Now Jesus is making His defence in this mock trial. He has used this defence before, which is simple, plain, old logic.

 

It really couldn’t be any more clear that if a lesser man was called god by God then He cannot be stoned for blasphemy.

 

But don’t think for a minute that Jesus needs to say this to protect Himself, He doesn’t. He is protecting them.

 

The Jews were given the laws of jurisprudence under the Mosaic Law for their own protection and justice. These laws were for believers and unbelievers under the 4^th law of divine establishment which is nationalism.

 

These laws were given so that their freedom would be protected. They are in essence destroying their own freedom.

 

Don’t ever be fooled, God is not mocked, whatever a man sows this he will also reap. However, since God is so patient evil men think that there will never be discipline.

 

The religious unbelievers completely perverted God’s system of jurisprudence and rejected God’s Son. In 70 A.D. for only the second time in Israel’s history, Jerusalem was completely burned to the ground by the Roman army and it is estimated that about 1 million perished.

 

The Lord is actually trying to protect them by using logic.

 

The Lord has proven to them by scripture that He is the God/Man in prophecy and He has also tried the logical approach before, but as we’ve seen about these religious fellas, they do not care about information; they only care about their own increase in power.

 

When you go outside the boundaries of divine establishment principle #4 to gain power you lose freedom, which is the very basis of your power. This leads to slavery.

 

Arrogant prideful self absorption is the ultimate destroyer in life.

 

Jesus is greater than the judges; it is that simple. Since He has already demonstrated that he is greater than the judges, and since that the scripture has already called lesser types ‘gods.’ Logically Jesus cannot be punished by stoning for blasphemy.

 

All Jesus is doing is showing them that they are outside the law if they try to kill Him.

 

Jesus is talking to unbelievers - religious types - therefore they are filled with violence. They want to take law into their own hands; they are violent for no reason.

 

 

Even if Jesus were only a man He does not deserve stoning to death, and if they stone Him they have gone outside of the law and destroyed the protector of their freedom.

 

Unbelievers have two protections to their freedom: a) Divine institution #4; b) Bible doctrine on the part of believers in a nation.

 

For these people in Israel at this time their protection is divine institution #4; they have law and order. And they are about to bypass their law and stone Jesus because He simply answered their question.

 

John 10:35 "If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

 

“to whom” - the judges is Psalm 82:2; “the word of God” is a reference to the Old Testament scriptures; “came” - aorist tense, in a point of time.

           

“and the scripture cannot be broken” - in this case it is a reference to the Old Testament scripture.

 

The word broken here is an aorist passive infinitive of luo - in no point of time can the scripture be broken. Passive voice: it receives this protection. The infinitive indicates that this is God’s purpose and Jesus is arguing from an irrefutable source, a source which they recognise.

 

Jesus makes an issue out of their own law.

           

Some people are way out of touch and think they shouldn’t vote in an election. They think it is sort of non-spiritual to become involved in the devil’s world.

 

It is the devil’s world but God has put structure into the devil’s world to protect the volition of mankind so that the angelic conflict can be extended into mankind, and so that man can be evangelised, and so that the human race can survive. Therefore the believer has certain responsibilities under these divine institutions.

 

John 10:36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world,' You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?

 

Now the Lord changes the issue from freedom under the laws of divine establishment to the freedom given to the human race to be saved because of Him.

 

It is because of Him that believers are set free because He is the one who was sanctified (hagiazo) which means to set apart.

 

In the aorist tense hagiazo means that the Lord was set apart by God in eternity past. Once set apart then He was sent into the world, which is a reference to time.

 

He was sent into the world to accomplish that which He was set apart for, and that was to be the unlimited atonement; to redeem mankind, to propitiate God the Father, to reconcile fallen man to perfect God, and to therefore sanctify and justify everyone who would believe in Him for eternal life.

 

John 10:37 "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;

 

Works refers to miracles that were foreordained for Him to perform. (prophecy?)

 

The virgin birth, the town, the time, that He would perform miracles, were all prophesied in the OT. They should have seen their Messiah is what He was saying, but if they don’t then fine, “do not believe Me.”

 

You don’t believe Me, fine, but you have no right to stone me. Save yourself from this evil.

 

The Lord is protecting their free will. It is clear here that no one is forced to believe or not believe so there is no double predestination.

 

God protects man’s free will and the Jews are going to need it because they only have 40 years before their nation is destroyed.

 

They have been trying to rationalize His miracles and His message because the message and the miracles are irrefutable evidence that He is the Messiah.

 

So what is it in man that would rather rationalize so that they can believe a lie and reject the truth which is presented clearly right to them?

 

Arrogance, pride, and self-absorption destroy your own freedom. 

 

John 10:38 but if I do them, 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. " 

 

“But if I do”, the positive side - in other words, ‘If I do present the credit cards or the miracles.’

 

This is present linear, which means He has presented a number of them.

 

He says, ‘Even though you do not believe what I am saying you have a choice of two things by which you can come to the truth’: a) the message; b) the miracles.

 

He says, ‘If you don’t believe me, believe what I do.’

 

One way or another if they listen to what Jesus says they are hearing the message from God Himself.

 

But if they do not listen to what Jesus says and believe the miracles they are accepting the testimony of the Old Testament scriptures.

 

So there is a written testimony and the spoken testimony and they both cover the same ground. The miracles also witnessed to who and what Christ was, i.e. to Israel.

           

Why?

           

“that” introduces a purpose clause; “may know” - aorist active subjunctive of the word ginosko is used twice here. It means to know from the experience of learning.

 

The first time it is used it is an aorist active subjunctive and correctly translated, “that you may know.” This is phase one knowledge/information.

           

“and understand” - again, ginosko. This time it is a present active subjunctive. It isn’t believe, as the KJV has it, but it is ‘that you may know and keep on knowing.’

 

This ginosko applies to the way of life of the believer, after salvation.

 

Here is the issue. ‘If you don’t believe what I say when I say that I am the Son of God, when I say that I am the only hope, when I say that I am the only saviour, then believe my miracles. If you believe my works then you are going to know that I am the saviour’ - then the aorist active subjunctive of ginosko says that you will keep on knowing Me as that Lord and Savior and so you will follow me.

 

So we have the knowing of the gospel followed by the knowing of doctrine as a potential.

 

And then what will doctrine teach you?

 

“that the Father is in me and I in him” - no verb here. This is relationship.

 

There is a relationship between the first and the second persons of the Trinity, and the person who believes in Christ enters into that relationship.

 

The first person becomes our Father and the second person becomes with us the joint heir - we are in union with Him; He is the heir of the Father; we are joint heirs with Him.

 

Salvation enters us into a relationship with the trinity and doctrine opens our eyes to that relationship and causes us to develop it and cherish it within ourselves.

 

What is Christianity? It is a relationship with God.

 

What is the ultimate for the Christian? It is to think, live, and breathe like an adult son of God. That is the ultimate relationship with God in time.

 

 

John 10:39 Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp.

 

John 10:40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there.

 

John 10:41 And many came to Him and were saying, "While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true."

 

John 10:42 And many believed in Him there.