John 10:34-42
Notes
Transcript
Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’?
Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken— 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’?
Psalm 82
“I said, ‘You are “gods”;
you are all sons of the Most High.’
The “law” referred to what the Jews had on their scrolls. They had access to the first 5 books of our bible, parts of Isaiah and several of the Psalms. Jesus is quoting , specifically verse 6.
This is a direct quote from
“I said, ‘You are “gods”;
you are all sons of the Most High.’
There is much debate on what this passage is speaking of:
One common interpretation is that it is referencing human judges that were given this title as God’s deputies.
Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
Exodus 18:17-2
then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.
But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges to determine whether he has laid his hands on the other man’s property.
Exodus
“Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
The word ruler is used synonamously with God.
Exodus
Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.
Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.
Moses
Moses infers that he is appointed to help determine God’s will.
Also, there is a reference in Job that is relevant:
“Can anyone teach knowledge to God,
since he judges even the highest?
Job 21:22
2. Gods are “principalities and powers”
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
In that day the Lord will punish
the powers in the heavens above
and the kings on the earth below.
But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.
And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.
Revelation 12:7
Of Solomon.
Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
He will judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.
The mountains will bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
He will defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
he will crush the oppressor.
He will endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
He will be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
In his days the righteous will flourish;
prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.
He will rule from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
The desert tribes will bow before him
and his enemies will lick the dust.
The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
will bring tribute to him;
the kings of Sheba and Seba
will present him gifts.
All kings will bow down to him
and all nations will serve him.
For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death.
He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.
Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long.
Let grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon;
let it thrive like the grass of the field.
May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
All nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed.
Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them.
while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?
3. These are gods of the heathen.
1 Corinthians 10:20
No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.
However, for God to say “you are gods” to make them real is out of character of the One that says in several places that He is the One True Living God.
But the Lord is the true God;
he is the living God, the eternal King.
When he is angry, the earth trembles;
the nations cannot endure his wrath.
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
2 Chronicles
For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law.
We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
1 John 5:
The bottom line of this passage is a condemnation of the rulers of Israel judging the Supreme Judge when they are the ones committing blasphemy. They are the ones that should be stoned.
Many evangelical preachers tend to go with
Notice the phrase in verse 35, “If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came - - and the scripture cannot be broken...”
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
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’?
‘Set apart “
We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
“As His very own”
We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
“sent into the world”
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
“Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son?’
Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
John 5:
Jesus was what He claimed He was, the unique Son of God.
Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does.
John 10:
This is a reference back to verse 25:
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me,
This argument will surface again in
Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.
But 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.”
Reflecting on the deeds of Jesus helps the leaders learn and understand that the Father is in Jesus and that Jesus is in the Father. This is the basis of the teaching in
Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
The attempt was as futile as it was in
At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.
The reason: His time had not yet come.
Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true.” And in that place many believed in Jesus.
John the Baptist is portrayed as a witness to Jesus. We see evidence of this in:
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
John 1:68
John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”
Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.
Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”
John 1;
They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
John
You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’
“You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth.
John
John never performed a miracle but all he said about Jesus was true. The people remembered the witness of John then saw it come to reality in Jesus. John’s witness bore fruit.
Are you pointing others to Jesus?
Is your witness bearing fruit?