Undoubtedly the single greatest Statement in the Lesson consists of Jesus’ powerful Words … “THE FATHER IS IN ME, AND I IN HIM.” (John 10:38) This Declaration matches Jesus’ great Assertions in each of the three other short Sermons in the chapter. “
“I am the Door.” John 10:9
“I am the Good Shepherd.” John 10:11
And “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30
What a chapter!
One Bible commentator further expressed “The Father is in Me and I in Him” this way … “The Father is locked into Me and I (Jesus) am locked into Him!”
He (that author) says that the “locked into” idiom accurately expresses the intensity of the Greek preposition “en” (translated “in”) as used here.
Interesting and powerful!
“We cannot be plucked from the Hand of Jesus, but here Jesus is plucked (by His Father) from the hands of the mob trying to stone Him!” I like that quote!
I think it might have been old Matthew Henry who said; “Jesus’ Works are not only miracles, they are Mercies too!”
In Exodus 7:1 the Lord specifically called Moses a “god!” In the sense of a powerful man as delegated, endowed by God! Read it … “And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.”
Wow!
This is the same spirit in which judges are called “gods” in Psalm 82. (With a lower case “g,” mind you!) And Jesus knew this little Psalm very well! And in this Lesson used it as a Defense to refute the bungling Pharisees, the blind leaders of the Jews!
Exodus 22:28 gives another example of “rulers” (as delegated by the Lord) being called “gods!” Read it too … “Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.”
On the unity of the Bible … It is called “Scripture” (singular) 32 times within its 1,189 chapters. And It is called the “Scriptures” (showing it vast range of Wisdom) 21 times (plural)!
“Thou makest Thyself God,” the Jews acknowledge of Jesus … so appropriate are those words in John’s Gospel. John who is an evangelist for the Deity of Christ! Remember John 20:30-31 … “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, THE SON OF GOD; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
Wow!
They tried to stone Jesus to death? Yes, according to verse 31 and probably again in verse 39. But if enigmatic Psalm 88 is Messianic, and I believe it is, read verse 15 … “I (Jesus) am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up.” No doubt, many satanic attempts were made on His Life prior to the Cross!
While on the other side of Jordan Jesus (too) worked “no miracles” (as far as the Scripture indicates) … yet still many people “believed on Him!” (Verse 42) Clearly they “believed” because of what they “heard,” not what they “saw!”
After all, “Faith cometh by HEARING and hearing (not seeing) by the word of God.” Romans 10:17
Just a few scattered thoughts I forgot (or lacked time) to mention in video Bible Class today. Why not now just watch the whole Class?
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
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