Read: John 10:22-42
Jesus was at
the Temple in Jerusalem for the Festival of Dedication. There the Jews surrounded Him, demanding to
know if He was truly the Messiah. By
this point in the story, it is hard to know what kind od answer these people
were after. Jesus had already told them
He was the One, and had backed up His claim by performing many signs fulfilling
the ancient prophecies about the coming Messiah. After all of this, it's hard
to imagine what Jesus could have said to satisfy His questioners.
This scene
reminds me of some in the modern press corps, who always seem to be seeking
comment solely for the sake of controversy.
No doubt there were some who viewed Jesus and the controversy
surrounding Him as an opportunity to promote their theological credentials and
purity. Certain aspects of the human
psyche never change. Even now Christians
are parsing the words of other believers, eager to blog about every perceived
"error" and "false doctrine." They, too, hide behind a cloak of religious
and theological "purity," the entire time counting the number of
people reading their posts or follows on social media!
It is during
this encounter that Jesus made one of His clearest statement on His identity.
He said, “I and the Father are one.”
Suddenly, what had only been a hostile press became a violent mob
picking up stones to kill Him.
“For which of
my good works do you stone me?” Jesus asks.
The crowd
continued to miss the connection between Jesus' claims and His miracles. He repeatedly claimed to be doing the work of
God. And, indeed, some of the things Jesus did had never been seen before. A
reasonable explanation for the miracles was that God Himself was responsible.
Still, many refused to make the obvious connection or believe Jesus claim.
The crowd was not
upset by Jesus' miracles or even His claim to be the Messiah. In fact, if Jesus
had only claimed to be the Messiah, leaving out the stuff about His unique
Father-Son relationship with God, the crowd may have been more accepting. People prefer a leader to the Lord and
spectacle to the Savior. I can dismiss a
messiah I assume to be another revolutionary, but it is much harder to silence
the God who demands my allegiance. Even today
some religious people would prefer a priest to a personal relationship with the
Living God. Some in the pews favor a
charismatic pastor they can ignore over a God who would speak directly to their
hearts.
I want a Savior
who will rescue me when I'm in trouble, but not one who claims to be God. A Savior who claims to be God will save me
from myself when all I want is deliverance from the consequences of my sin.
Savior,
Help me to hear Your Words
without filtering them through my preconceived notions of who I want You to be.
Help me accept You as the image of the invisible God, allowing You to recreate
me in Your likeness rather than attempting to create You in mine.
Amen
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