John 10:38 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

NIV: But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.'

NASB: but if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.'

CSB: But if I am doing them and you don't believe me, believe the works. This way you will know and understand that the Father is in me and I in the Father."

NLT: But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.'

KJV: But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

NKJV: but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”

Jesus was cornered by an angry mob of religious leaders, who essentially dared Him to repeat some of his prior claims (John 10:22–24). Jesus did just that, adding that He was "one" with God the Father (John 10:30). This, predictably, led the hostile crowd to attempt to stone Him (John 10:31). In response, Jesus used their own rhetorical tactics against them. He pointed out how God's own Scriptures used the term for "gods" in reference to human beings in some situations (Psalm 82). This left His critics with only two options: claim that the Word of God was in error—a possibility Jesus flatly rejected (John 10:36)—or admit that some such instances are appropriate.

In Jesus' case, He explained how His miraculous works ought to be clear evidence of His truth. This is the same logic used by others when seeing Jesus' divine power (John 3:1–2; 10:19–21). Even if these men do not like what Jesus says, or Jesus personally—even if they do not believe "Him," as an individual—they ought to believe on the basis of these incontrovertible signs. And yet, as expected, they do not want to believe, and so they refuse to accept what Jesus says (John 5:39–40).

Jesus adds more fuel to the fire by making a statement His critics are sure to despise: claiming co-unity with God the Father. That results in another surge in violence, which He is able to mysteriously escape (John 10:39).

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.