John 10:41 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And many came to him. And they said, "John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true."

NIV: and many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true."

NASB: Many came to Him and were saying, 'While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.'

CSB: Many came to him and said, "John never did a sign, but everything John said about this man was true."

NLT: And many followed him. 'John didn’t perform miraculous signs,' they remarked to one another, 'but everything he said about this man has come true.'

KJV: And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.

NKJV: Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.”

John the Baptist preached in this area before Jesus began His public ministry (John 1:19–29). John was clear that his role was not that of Messiah, but as the messenger proclaiming the Promised One (Malachi 3:1). When Jesus arrived on the scene, John the Baptist immediately instructed others to believe in Him, follow Him, and respect Him. That influence seems to have made the people of the region much more receptive to Jesus in these last days before His crucifixion (John 10:42). The people in Perea realize that John didn't perform miracles, and that he was not the Savior. They also recognize that John's teachings about Jesus are true, and that Jesus' miracles prove that He's sent by God. This is the conclusion God intends in response to true miracles (John 3:1–2; 10:19–21).

The opposite response is to ignore Jesus' miraculous signs; this is the error made by His religious critics. Most recently, this included men attempting to stone Jesus for blasphemy, while specifically ignoring mention of His miracles (John 10:22–39). Ultimately, those who reject God do so purely out of stubbornness and pride, not a lack of evidence (John 5:39–40).

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.