John 10:30 - Printer Friendly

Jesus has been cornered in the temple by His religious critics in an overtly threatening way (John 10:22–24). They have challenged Him—dared Him, in effect—to repeat His former claims about being the Messiah. Several months prior, Jesus had given analogies about Himself using shepherding as a theme. Through those statements, Jesus claimed to be the only source of salvation. He said His salvation was eternal, permanent, and irrevocable. When challenged by these men, Jesus repeated those claims, and even expounded on them. In the prior verses, Jesus explicitly said that He offered eternal life, which could never be lost. He first referred to His people as being held in His hand, then referred to the same people as being held in God's hand.

The suggestion carried in that pair of statements is that Jesus is God. Comments along those lines have enraged Jesus' critics in the past (John 5:18; 8:56–59).

In tight quarters, facing an overtly hostile gang armed for violence (John 10:31), Jesus connects those dots without the slightest hint of subtlety: "I and the Father are one." Part of the meaning of this statement is lost in translation from Greek to English. Jesus uses the "neuter" form of the Greek word for "one" here, implying that they are "unity." Rather than saying that Jesus and God are the same person, Jesus is claiming that He and God are unified as one, a partial explanation of the Trinity.

Unsurprisingly, this tips the mob's anger over the top, and they start another attempt to assassinate Jesus.

John 10:22–42 happens a few months after the controversy which began in chapter 9. Here, Jesus is cornered in an overt threat by the same religious leaders He has been castigating for years. He echoes metaphors about sheep and shepherds. Jesus points out that His teachings and miracles are all consistent with predictions of the Messiah. Yet these men refuse to accept Him. This culminates in another attempt on Jesus' life, which He somehow avoids. This represents the last time Jesus will publicly teach prior to His crucifixion.

This passage continues Jesus' discussion with the religious leaders of Jerusalem, seen in chapter 9. Jesus lays out three separate analogies about His ministry using the concept of sheep and shepherds. In those statements, Jesus explains why some people refuse to accept Him. He declares Himself the only means of salvation. He again predicts His sacrificial death. This leads to controversy. Later, Jesus is cornered by a mob in the temple grounds. They try to stone Him as He repeats His divine claims, but He escapes in a way not fully described by the text. After this, Jesus leaves the area and returns to the region where John the Baptist had once preached.

Starting in chapter 7, the gospel of John describes Jesus' preaching at the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. Through chapters 7 and 8, He debates with critics and attempts to explain spiritual truths. On the way out of the city, Jesus gives sight to a man born blind, as shown in chapter 9. That begins an extended debate which continues in this chapter. Jesus gives analogies of His mission using shepherding as a theme. Months later, He repeats those ideas when cornered by an aggressive mob in the temple. This sets the stage for His grandest miracle, the raising of Lazarus, seen in chapter 11.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.