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Wanted for Blasphemy
February 17
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Read John 10:31-33 (ESV)
The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”
Reflect
Why is it important to understand that Jesus really did claim to be God? What difference does it make that Jesus is God and not just a man?
I often hear skeptics assert that Jesus never claimed to be God. But as we discussed earlier in our study of John 10:22-26, Jesus told the people very clearly that He is God with both His words and His works. In fact, that is the purpose in John’s Gospel account! He wrote “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).
In fact, while modern day readers may miss the significance of some of the things Jesus said and did, His opponents did not miss the significance. If someone told the Jewish religious leaders at that time that Jesus never claimed to be God, they’d think you were pretty dense. The fact that Jesus presented Himself as God was so clear to everyone that, as we’ve previously discussed, Jesus was either a liar, a lunatic, or He was who He said He was—Christ the Lord. But the argument that Jesus never claimed to be God doesn’t appear to have been on the table in His day.
In today’s passage, the Jews were mad at Jesus because He said: “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). This ignited an angry mob with a textbook mob mentality. Even though the Jews had no legal authority to execute Jesus without Roman authorization, they picked up stones to kill Him for blasphemy. They clarified that they wanted to stone Him because He made Himself out to be God. That kind of blows up the theory that Jesus never made any claims to deity, doesn’t it? It’s the whole reason the Jews wanted Him dead!
The Jewish leaders completely understood what Jesus was saying. They just didn’t like what they were hearing and they didn’t believe it to be true. In their minds, because He made Himself out to be God, He must be stoned for blasphemy. Apparently, they weren’t willing to consider the other option which is that Jesus really is, in fact, the Messiah, the Son of God.
But remember, Jesus wasn’t asking anyone to simply take His word for it that He is the Son of God. He did miraculous works that were witnessed by many different people. He fulfilled hundreds of messianic prophecies. God the Father bore witness about Him at His baptism when He said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). John the Baptist testified that Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Still, the Jews wanted to execute Him for blasphemy. Why? Because they were not His sheep. They didn’t get it. They were spiritually deaf and blind to the truth right in front of them.
Friends, we all have a choice to make. If you are reading this and you’ve never accepted the truth that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, why not? How do you explain all of the evidence that testifies to the truthfulness of Christianity? If you are a believer in Christ, doesn’t this bolster your faith and encourage you? Jesus did claim to be God but He didn’t just claim it. He proved it. The only question is—do you believe it?
Respond
Lord, I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God! You are my Lord and Savior. Thank You for the evidence that You gave and for the testimony of Your witnesses. My faith is strengthened knowing I have good reasons to put my trust in You! Amen.
Reveal: Pray about who needs to hear that Jesus is God, then share this devotional with them. Continue to pray that God would open their spiritual eyes and ears to His truth.
~ Pastor Nat Crawford
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Please pray for Jonathan and Steven
Amen
Thank you, Nat, for taking the time and making the effort to bless us with a comprehensive message.
I appreciate you!
I appreciate you!
Lord Jesus, it is by Your stripes we are healed from all our unrighteousness. And because I have been cleansed by Your precious blood, Lord I come to You, the Good Shepherd, who had compassion on me and forgave my sins. Amen.
Here you go again misinterpreting what Jesus is actually implying. taking things out of context can mean anything you want it to mean, but when you add it to what was actually said in another context then it mean something completely different. This is what wrong with people when it come to interpreting the word of God they like to bounce around the text to make it say exactly what they want it to say.
As Jesus said: “Verily, verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do; for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” [John 5:19.] As you can see this is an early text of what Jesus actually said that he is the Son and what the father can do I can do also. Just like a father who is a doctor that when his son grew up that son because a doctor as well, this doesn’t mean that the son and the father is exactly the same person because they both or now doctor, yet this is exactly what you want people to believe in your interpretation of the facts. Read the entire texts and interpret it accordingly to the actual facts.
Those the Son of God was prophesies that when it actually happened the Jews did believe it and they wanted to Stone Mary for for even being part of a prophecy, to which they didn’t believe, even to this day they are still awaiting for this prophecy to be fulfilled. If you think about it it was more a power struggle between the Jews priest and the son of God, which is the very same problem that exists within our own government and different religious order that exist to day. Everyone want to be the King of the Hill and have the people follow them, therefore each side tell the other that their religion is the only true religion of God and the any other religion is Sacrilege. Therefore the object of this game is to convince the masses to follow their teaching and only their teaching and because of this ideology so many people have died because of their beliefs was different and that they refuse to convert to someone else’s religion, even though they all believe in God the creator of all things and even though the 10 Commandments states “Thou shall not killed”. Even within the Christian faith there is an ongoing argument over who and how someone is baptized, it makes no sense but this is more to create confusion and conflict than it is in worshipping God.
It has been said that it only take a moment to lie but it can take over a lifetime or even longer to overcome that very lie, because some lies are as deadly as any deadly contagion or disease to which the only cure is the truth that no one ready care to except or even want to hear it, as you can see in the current division that exist in this country, therefore more lies is created to cover up the original lie continuing the cycle of lies for eternal.
Jews killing Catholics, Catholics killing Protestants and muslims and Muslims killing both Catholics, Jews and Protestants all because of different in religious beliefs and refuse to convert to the other religion. An unending war that being going on for hundreds of thousands of years. A war that actually started over land and inheritance rights.
As Jesus said: “Verily, verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do; for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” [John 5:19.] As you can see this is an early text of what Jesus actually said that he is the Son and what the father can do I can do also. Just like a father who is a doctor that when his son grew up that son because a doctor as well, this doesn’t mean that the son and the father is exactly the same person because they both or now doctor, yet this is exactly what you want people to believe in your interpretation of the facts. Read the entire texts and interpret it accordingly to the actual facts.
Those the Son of God was prophesies that when it actually happened the Jews did believe it and they wanted to Stone Mary for for even being part of a prophecy, to which they didn’t believe, even to this day they are still awaiting for this prophecy to be fulfilled. If you think about it it was more a power struggle between the Jews priest and the son of God, which is the very same problem that exists within our own government and different religious order that exist to day. Everyone want to be the King of the Hill and have the people follow them, therefore each side tell the other that their religion is the only true religion of God and the any other religion is Sacrilege. Therefore the object of this game is to convince the masses to follow their teaching and only their teaching and because of this ideology so many people have died because of their beliefs was different and that they refuse to convert to someone else’s religion, even though they all believe in God the creator of all things and even though the 10 Commandments states “Thou shall not killed”. Even within the Christian faith there is an ongoing argument over who and how someone is baptized, it makes no sense but this is more to create confusion and conflict than it is in worshipping God.
It has been said that it only take a moment to lie but it can take over a lifetime or even longer to overcome that very lie, because some lies are as deadly as any deadly contagion or disease to which the only cure is the truth that no one ready care to except or even want to hear it, as you can see in the current division that exist in this country, therefore more lies is created to cover up the original lie continuing the cycle of lies for eternal.
Jews killing Catholics, Catholics killing Protestants and muslims and Muslims killing both Catholics, Jews and Protestants all because of different in religious beliefs and refuse to convert to the other religion. An unending war that being going on for hundreds of thousands of years. A war that actually started over land and inheritance rights.
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