Jesus had been weaving a tapestry of truth through parables, each thread revealing His divine identity. He spoke of His sheep hearing His voice, of laying down His life voluntarily, only to take it up again. His claims were clearly those of deity – He called Himself the Son of Man, declared Himself the Messiah, the Christ, and even named God as His Father. The religious leaders wavered despite the undeniable miracles and signs that only God could perform. They accused Him of having a demon, yet couldn’t refute the power of His works. As we approach John 10:24-41, the tension mounts; the question of who Jesus truly is can no longer be dodged. The leaders demand clarity, but will they accept the truth when it’s laid bare before them?”
John 10:24 The Jews gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
They understood then that He was calling Himself God, and that He was the Christ.
This was frustrating; after 2 1/2 years of miracles and parables and telling them, they somehow could not understand that He was Christ.
John 10:25, 30 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me,
30 I and the Father are one.John 10:31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him.
Jesus asked for which miracle are they stoning Him?
John 10:33 ‘We are not stoning you for any of these,’ replied the Jews, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.’
Jesus told them plainly, and they could not accept His answer. It reminds me of the saying: ‘You can’t handle the truth.’
Jesus wasn’t keeping them in suspense. They simply did not want the truth: denial and self-protection.
Jesus tells them if you can’t grasp that I am God because of what I say, then believe because of the miracles that I have done. And He left and went to an isolated place, where John the Baptist had been baptizing before.
John 10:41 And in that place many believed in Jesus.
I love that many placed their faith in Jesus there.
How long is Jesus keeping us in suspense? How long are we unwilling to accept the truth of who He is? Is the cost of acknowledging Jesus as God and the One God sent into the world too great? Is our surrender to God, and thus to Jesus, too much for us to accept? Are we the ones keeping ourselves in suspense?
I would encourage you today to place your faith in Him, even today. The truth of Jesus isn’t something to be delayed; it’s an invitation to believe, to trust, and to find life in Him.
