Blasphemy

Scripture:  John 10:30-36 (Click link for scripture in Bible Gateway)

30 The Father and I are one.” 31 Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. 32 Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?” 33 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.” 34 Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ 35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ 36 why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. (John 10:30-36 NLT)

This is the clearest statement Jesus made concerning his divinity. Blasphemy is claiming to be God or to be equal with God, or to say things about God that aren’t true. In the eyes (and ears) of the Jewish leaders, this statement was far worse than for Jesus to claim to be the Messiah. In the Jews’ theology, the Messiah was one who would be sent by God, but Jesus is claiming to be the same as God. And as we understand the Trinity, Jesus and his Father are not the same person, but are completely one in essence and nature. And if that statement sounds religiously complicated, it sort of is!

A couple of important things to note here:

• Jesus didn’t “take back” his statement that he and the Father are one when they picked up stones to kill him. If Jesus were not the Son of God and one with God, then his statement would have been blasphemy, but He had spoken the truth! They had no framework into which to fit Jesus, his message, his miracles, and his Messiahship. He pushed the confrontation to the point that (in their religious system and mindset) their only two options were to believe and accept him for who he said he was, or kill him. He left them no wiggle room!
• Jesus quotes from Asaph’s poem about Israel’s judges in Psalm 82:6 to point out their hypocrisy. This is such a good reminder that if your mind is already made up, you can always find a verse that makes the Bible say what you want it to say! When people pick verses out of context to say things about God that aren’t true, or to make the Bible say things contrary to the message of Jesus, that’s the same as the Pharisees condemning Jesus, not because he was sinning, but because he wasn’t meeting their expectations. There’s a difference!

Prayer:

Father, May we use your written Word only in harmony with your Living Word. Holy Spirit, please lead us into all truth, even the truth that makes us uncomfortable! Amen.