John 10:32 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?”

NIV: but Jesus said to them, 'I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?'

NASB: Jesus replied to them, 'I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?'

CSB: Jesus replied, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these works are you stoning me? "

NLT: Jesus said, 'At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?'

KJV: Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

NKJV: Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

Jesus has just made a statement which was obviously going to rile His religious critics. In fact, these men had already cornered Him in an awkward location, carrying stones, and daring Him to speak (John 10:22–31). Jesus responded by reiterating His prior remarks, then going further by specifically saying that He and God were unified as One (John 10:30).

The comment Jesus makes here seems, in a sense, to stop these men in their tracks. Clearly, He knows why these men are prepared to kill Him. His question here is meant for effect: Jesus has already pointed out that His miracles ought to convince onlookers that He has divine approval (John 5:36; 10:25). Despite this, these men still object, since the signs didn't agree with their preferred theology (John 10:33).

Though the men claim Jesus is blaspheming, and is a liar, Jesus challenges them to explain the miracles that He's done. As the next verses show, the mob will ignore the real point of the question and simply state the obvious: a charge of blasphemy. Jesus' response, shown in this verse, is to challenge whether they ought to be interpreting His words as blasphemy in the first place. What comes next is Jesus using ancient debate techniques—turning the tables on these masters of Old Testament law.

John 10:22–42 happens a few months after the controversy described in chapter 9 through the first half of chapter 10. Here, Jesus is cornered, in an overt threat, by the same religious leaders He has been castigating for years. He echoes the metaphors of sheep and shepherd He employed after giving sight to a blind man. Jesus points out that His teachings and miracles are all consistent with predictions of the Messiah, but 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, declares Himself the only means of salvation, and again predicts His sacrificial death. This leads to controversy. Later, Jesus is cornered by a mob in the temple grounds. They once again try to stone Him as He repeats His divine claims, but He escapes in some 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 gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.