27 Mar 26 | The Works Already Spoke
Jesus does not defend himself with arguments, he points to what has already been done and asks the crowd to account for it.
The Gospel: John 10:31-42
The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father.
For which of these are you trying to stone me?”
The Jews answered him,
“We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy.
You, a man, are making yourself God.”
Jesus answered them,
“Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, ‘You are gods”‘?
If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came,
and Scripture cannot be set aside,
can you say that the one
whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world
blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me;
but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may realize and understand
that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
Then they tried again to arrest him;
but he escaped from their power.
He went back across the Jordan
to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
Many came to him and said,
“John performed no sign,
but everything John said about this man was true.”
And many there began to believe in him.
Today’s Focus
Jesus had already shown them though the works He had done. the signs were witnessed and the testimony was on the record. When the crowd reached for stones again He pointed at what they had already seen and asked them to explain it. The works testified. John testified. The Father testified. At some point the question stops being about evidence and starts being about willingness. That is as true today as it was then. John simply saw Jesus clearly and said so, and that was enough to carry people all the way to belief. We are not all called to dramatic signs. We are called to accurate witness. If what we say about Jesus is true and we live accordingly, that testimony will carry further than we can measure. It was enough then. It is enough now.
In the Margins
Here is the revised version with the tweaks applied:
This Gospel comes right after Jesus’ declaration that He and the Father are one. The crowd has already reached for stones once in this chapter and started to pursue Jesus. Each time Jesus makes a claim that cannot be absorbed into their existing categories, the response escalates. The crowd is increasingly recognizing the weight of His claims, and many are rejecting them. In this moment, Jesus meets them with a question rather than a defense.
Jesus makes the point that He has already shown them so many good works. He asks why they still seek to stone Him. He has already been known for healings and signs, numerous works already witnessed by those present. He is not asking them to take His word alone. He is pointing to what has already been demonstrated and asking them to account for it. The group clarifies that the issue they have is not with the fact that He has done glorious things, it is that He, a man, was putting Himself equal with God.
Jesus’ response draws from Psalm 82:6, where God addresses figures exercising delegated divine authority. Psalm 82 opens with God rendering judgment against unjust judges. These were human rulers and magistrates carrying out a divine mandate. In the Psalm God says “I declare: ‘Gods you are, children of the Most High, all of you; yet like humans you shall die, and fall like any prince.’” Jesus is using this Scripture against the charge. If the Old Testament applies the word gods to figures exercising delegated divine authority, then how can the charge of blasphemy stand against the one the Father personally consecrated and sent into the world? He is not claiming less than those judges. He is claiming something far greater, and the very Scriptures they are appealing to cannot support the charge they are bringing.
The phrase “whom the Father has consecrated and sent” carries significant weight. The Greek word for consecrated, hegiastai (ἡγίασται), draws from the same sanctification language used for the Temple and its vessels, things set apart entirely for God’s purposes. Jesus is claiming a unique and total consecration by the Father, setting apart His position from that of any judge, prophet, or prior figure in Israel’s history. He then returns to His works again as a final appeal.
The point Jesus is making is that the works themselves testify. He is showing them that through these works they can see that it is true that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father. This mutual indwelling is the theological heart of what Jesus places as the conclusion of His argument.
They attempt to arrest Him and He escapes and withdraws across the Jordan. Even at this point, people come to Him and the testimony they offer is not about signs or miracles. They are testifying that John performed no signs like Jesus, but everything John said about Him was true. Their belief is grounded in the reliability of prior testimony. They believed John and followed that witness to its conclusion and believed.
There is an application here that runs in two directions. The first is that the works of God in our lives are themselves a testimony. If we look at the miracles that have happened, we can see Him at hand. A quick Google search reveals countless miracles. While there will always be those that disagree, there are miracles that have been documented with tens of thousands of witnesses! The second is that faithful witness, even without dramatic signs, carries people toward Jesus. John performed no miracle, but his testimony was true and it was enough. He truly saw Jesus. He knew Him. We are not all called to spectacular demonstration. We are called to accurate witness. If what we say about Jesus is true and we live accordingly, that testimony will carry weight beyond what we can measure.
Reflection Question
Where in your life has God already shown you something, and what have you done with what you have seen?
A Small Invitation
If this reflection helped you, consider sharing it with someone who may benefit from hearing this message.