Thoughts to Ponder from John 10:22-30

John 10:22-30 (ESV)

I and the Father Are One

²² At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. ²⁴ So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”²⁵ Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, ²⁶ but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. ²⁷ My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 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. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

Picture yourself standing with these Jewish elders as they listen to Jesus. Would you be as skeptical as they were? Of course, knowing what you do right now, you would be overwhelmed with gratitude at being able to see the Lord in person and hear him speak. You couldn’t imagine questioning his truthfulness or being upset with him in any way. But what if you were one of these elders, born into Jewish culture and practicing the Jewish faith? You might be as hesitant. You might have just as many questions.

Remember that it wasn’t even permissible for a Jew to mention God’s name. God was shrouded in mystery and awe, yet here was an ordinary carpenter’s son from an obscure village performing miracles and saying that he was equal to the Father (John 10:30). It wasn’t that the Jews who doubted him didn’t love God. It was that they were shocked by the idea that the Messiah could be someone like Jesus, so humble and yet also divine. They just weren’t prepared to accept something so radical.

Perhaps understanding the bewilderment of these Jews can help us understand our own lives of faith a little better. It’s possible that even if we’ve known the Lord for some time, there are still some aspects of his teaching that we find hard to embrace. For instance, how ready are you to extend forgiveness to someone who has deeply hurt you or someone close to you? Or maybe your past experience of friendships gone sour has limited your expectations of how much you can trust Jesus, your closest friend. Perhaps you are a very rational, even scientific person, and the thought of Jesus’ miracles still leaves you scratching your head.

The point of these examples is not to imply weak faith or unbelief. Rather, it is to show that we are all still pilgrims on a journey toward heaven. Some may be farther along on the road than others, but none of us has reached the destination. What really matters is that we are all moving forward, fixing our eyes on the goal and willingly parting with whatever may be weighing us down.

Lord, you know that there are still areas where I struggle. So I ask you to give me the grace to press on in knowing you and surrendering myself to you. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. Amen.

From The Word Among Us, May 5th, 2009