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      "The Reasons to Believe"
      John 10:31-42
      Theme:       By examining the Word of God and observing the work of Christ, sincere sinners come to faith in Him.

      1. He Exhibits the Works of a Servant of God – 10:31-33

        1. The Accusation by the Faithless – v. 31, 33

          1. Jesus’ statements in the previous section were so clear and inarguable, that the Jews took great offense at His claim to be God’s Son
          2. There is no question that they were able to discern exactly what Christ was conveying – they had gotten the right message from Him.
          3. However, instead of bowing before the majesty of His glory, they "picked up stones again to stone Him"
          4. They accuse Christ of blasphemy – "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You , being a man, make Yourself out to be God."
          5. Their hatred and hostility toward Christ was ill-considered and without basis – the mere occasion being His holiness and moral perfection – and this, because of their sinfulness – cp. 1 John 3:12; John 7:7

        2. The Affirmation by the Father – v. 32

          1. However, lest we question Christ and give credence to those scornfully accusing Christ, Jesus engages them – challenging them to accuse Him legitimately – "I showed you many good works from the Father, for which of them are you stoning Me?"
          2. The Father’s imprimatur is seen clearly throughout Christ’s life – His activities, miracles, and teachings were filled with moral excellence and authority – an authority that is unmistakenly divine.
          3. The works that Christ performed demonstrated that He and the Father are one – consequently, He is not a blasphemer.
          4. These men should not be attempting to stone Christ – on the basis of the works that He had done among them – they ought to be bowing themselves low and worshipping Christ.

      2. He Exceeds the Worthiness of "Ordinary" Servants of God – 10:34-39

        1. The Purpose of God’s Servants – v. 34

          1. The Jews were fixed on getting Christ charged and condemned because of His claim to be the Son of God.
          2. They indicated that Jesus’ statement in v. 30: "I and the Father are one" was "blasphemy because … [He made] Himself out to be God."
          3. Jesus’ reply ought to have been powerfully disarming – "Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’?"
          4. Essentially, Jesus states that their accusation of blasphemy was not legitimate because there was a precedent that they themselves have already accepted – the principle that the servants of God were sent by God and were to be considered operating in God’s stead.
          5. These servants of God were called as "gods" – cp. Psalm 82:6
          6. This is clarified in numerous places in the New Testament, where God invests His authority in human leaders for the stability of the universe - cf. Romans 13:1–7; Matthew 16:19
          7. Having been so invested with divine authority, God’s leaders are under tremendous accountability to properly represent Him.
        2. The Preferment of God’s Servant – vv. 35-36

          1. Having appealed to the Law which those before Him all accept without reservation – Jesus now seeks to know why, "If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 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’?"
          2. If you will call mere moral men "gods", you ought to really be showing great deference to me as the One sent by God.
          3. It had only been the written Word of God that had come to the judges (in written form), but Jesus Himself, in very person, the Word of God incarnate had come to them.
          4. If regular servants of God are called "gods," ought not the Messiah be able to be so designated?

        3. The Proving of God’s Servant – vv. 37-39

          1. Jesus’ superiority to "ordinary" servants of God, as well as His right to such a designation as the Son of God, is confirmed once again by means of His activities.
          2. He says, "If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe in Me"
          3. This displays how clearly His ministry displayed the glory of God – He could throw such a challenge at hostile men with no fear of culpability or failure.
          4. On the other hand, "… If I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father."
          5. Essentially he challenges them to consider the ministries of any other servant of God – Moses, Elijah, Samuel, et al, and see if there is anyone who displays a greater evidence of God’s presence in them and through them – cp. John 1:17; 6:32
          6. Jesus’ claim of superiority over all the "heroes of the faith" caused the anger of these unbelieving Jews to seethe with the desire to kill Him – "Therefore, they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp."
            1. This was the last time Jesus was in Jerusalem prior to His arrest some 4 months later (It is now Dec 25 of 29 AD and the arrest and crucifixion was in April of AD 30)
            2. "He eluded their grasp" – carries an implication of miraculous escape because it was not yet time for that – cp. John 5:13; 8:59; 12:36; and Luke 4:30

      3. He Executes the Witness of the Servants of God – 10:40-42

        1. The Perfection of His Fulfillment – vv. 40-41

          1. The tragedy of the unbelief of the Jewish people truly did find its turning point in v 40: "And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there."
          2. As mentioned earlier, He is now simply waiting out the remaining time until it was time to offer Himself as the sacrifice for the sins of men.
          3. This begins the time often called the "Perean Ministry" which is the work performed from a base on the other side of the Jordan immediately prior to the 4-6 months before the crucifixion.
          4. While He was there, "Many come to Him and were saying, ‘While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true."
            1. That is, John had no authenticating miracles that would assure us that He was from God, nevertheless, his proclamations and prophecies regarding Jesus as the Son of God are being demonstrated as truthful.
            2. We might add that not only what was stated by John were being fulfilled, but the prophecies of God’s servants from hundreds of years earlier were likewise finding perfect fulfillment in Christ.

        2. The Product of Faith – v. 42

          1. Ultimately, having heard the word of God from John and then Jesus, together with the confirmation through Jesus works, brought these people in Perea to faith.
          2. We are told that "Many believed in Him there."
          3. Without the bias of animosity and the reprobation of religious hypocrisy that plagued the Jewish leadership of Jerusalem, when sincere people look at the Word of God, the Works of Jesus and the clear agreement -–they come to faith in Him.

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