5th week in Lent, Friday – 26th March 2021 – John 10,31-42
Right Claim
The Jews wanted to stone Jesus because they felt He had spoken blasphemy by claiming to be equal with God the Father. They refused to admit that He was anything more than a man. Jesus quoted to the Jews from Psalm 82,6 to show that God used the word ‘gods’ to describe men to whom the word of God came. This Psalm was addressed to the judges of Israel. They were called ‘gods’ not because they were actually divine, but because they represented God when they judged the people. The Hebrew word elohim literally means ‘mighty ones’ can be translated as ‘gods’ or as ‘judges’ (Ex 21,6 and 22,8-9). It is also one of the OT names for God. In OT, judges were spokesmen for God. God spoke to the nation of Israel through them. They manifested God in His place of authority and judgment, and they were the powers whom God had ordained. For this, Jesus used the Scripture and expressed His belief saying “it cannot be set aside”. He was arguing from the lesser to the greater. If unjust judges were called “gods” in the OT, how much more right to say He was the Son of God. The word of God came to them; Jesus was and is the Word of God. They were called gods; Jesus was and is God. It could never have been said of them that the Father had sanctified them and sent them into the world. They were born into the world like all other sons of fallen Adam. But Jesus was sanctified (set apart) by God the Father from all eternity to be the Saviour of the world. He was sent into the world from heaven where He had always dwelt with His Father. Thus Jesus had every right to claim equality with God.
