(1) 10:30 The Father and I are one.” v.31 The Jewish leaders picked up rocks again to stone him to death.
(BDAG) [stone] a means of capital punishment for certain crimes
10:36 do you say... ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’
(BDAG) [blasphemy]=speech that denigrates or defames, reviling, denigration, disrespect, slander
First, the capital punishment was for the "blasphemy," because Jesus said "The Father and I are one." Then Jesus explained their action and said the "blasphemy" was because He said, "I am the Son of God." Jesus claimed He is God! The "Son of God" means He is God. It does not mean He is a smaller god like Jehovah Witness said.
(2)
10:32 Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good deeds from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 10:33 The Jewish leaders replied, “We are not going to stone you for a good deed but for blasphemy, because you, a man, are claiming to be God.”
I assumed Jesus knew what was in everyone's mind. He questioned them v.32 not because He did not know. He wanted to point out their inconsistency. His good deeds were good enough proof that He was sent from the Father v.37-38 and He was God. Then His claim to be God was not a blasphemy.
(3) 10:40 Jesus went back across the Jordan River again to the place where John had been baptizing at an earlier time, and he stayed there. 10:41 Many came to him and began to say, “John performed no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man was true!” 10:42 And many believed in Jesus there.
(BKC) Though John never performed a miraculous sign (sēmeion), the people believed his witness about Jesus. By contrast, the hostile Jerusalem crowd had seen His signs and yet disobeyed. In [places across the Jordan River] many trusted Jesus as Savior.
In v.40 Jesus stayed there...v.41 John said about this man was true...v.42 many believed. That means, Jesus confirmed something John said about Him and that led people to believe. Scriptures did not tell us the details, but it must be something that Jesus said and done matched the claims of John about Jesus. It was just like the Samaritans. They believed now because Jesus stayed there in their villages, not just what the woman told them 4:39-42.
Reflection: Miracles signs were helpful proofs as long as people were open to receiving them. The Jews did not want to see them and said Jesus was blasmying. Is our heart open to receive God? Or we are so blind that even God did miraculous things in front of us and we still refuse?
People across the Jordan River and the Samaritan believed just because Jesus stayed with them. His words and deeds matched the testimony of John and the Samaritan woman. Is your "stay" with your office mates, family members, friends, or people around you make any impact? Can they see your claim as a Christian matching of what you say and do?
Audrey
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