Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods."'?

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" The Jews answered Him, saying, 'For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God." Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods." ' ? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 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." Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand. And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true." And many believed in Him there.

- John 10:31-42

Jesus is at the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem at the temple: it is winter, and this is the festival of lights (or Hannukkah). In yesterday's reading, Jesus once again began a dialogue and confrontation with the leadership of the temple (referred to in the Gospel as "the Jews"). Finally, Jesus states clearly: "I and My Father are one." Today's reading continues from there.

Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, "Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?" The Jews answered Him, saying, 'For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God." In yesterday's reading, I quoted from a note in my study bible that was relevant to the statement "I and My Father are one" and these first few verses of today's reading. I will restate here: "Responding to their question (v. 24). Jesus reveals Himself as fully God: one means one in nature. He was God before the Incarnation, and He remains fully God after that union of God and man in His one Person. The verb are indicates the Father and the Son are two Persons. They are always distinct, but united in essence, will and action. Jesus' bold claim causes a violent reaction: they attempt to stone Him, accusing Him of blasphemy." Jesus' claim is simply unacceptable; it is beyond the conception of the people (the leadership in the temple) who are quizzing Him. But, we will see from the Gospel, there is more to it than that. His presence - and His stated identity - are a threat to their authority and position, their "praise of men."

Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods."'? If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?" My study bible notes here: Jesus' question comes in response to the Pharisees' charge of blasphemy (v. 33). What the Lord is saying, according to St. John Chrysostom, is this: 'If those who have received this honor by grace are not found with fault for calling themselves gods, how can He who has this by nature deserve to be rebuked!'" The quotation Jesus cites here is from Psalm 82 (verse 6). It's quite interesting, because if we read the psalm we are also given an understanding of man's relationship to God. My study bible notes on this verse in the psalm: "Verse 6 is quoted by Christ in John 10:34 and is God's promise to supply us, by grace, with what He is by nature." This process, in the Eastern church, is called theosis or deification. It is an understanding that by grace, we can become "like God;" that is, we partake of God's strength, righteousness, love -- and the process of faith makes this a deepening journey through life. The psalm itself interestingly speaks of the great assembly of "gods" -- and its practice of injustice, its failure to live up to its potential (or even do its duty) as sons of the Most High.

"If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 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 is quite a skillful defender of Himself, if we look closely at this text. First of all, He cites Scripture as a precedent, in the quotation from Psalm 82 (as noted in the paragraph above). And then He goes on to elaborate. How is He "like God" - like His Father? With Jesus, it is not just a simple question of sharing in the nature of God by grace, but it is a powerful testimony that He "does the works of My Father." If they don't believe what He says, then they can believe the works of the Father that He does -- which testify to this nature in Him. The signs (six so far in John's Gospel), such as the healing of the blind man, are evidence of a deeper reality at work, and they point to Christ's identity in union with the Father.

Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand. And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true." And many believed in Him there. Away from the temple authorities, there is another witness: John the Baptist himself. Many people believed in John and his ministry; he was a very popular prophetic figure among the people. John's followers reason among themselves, and choose to follow Christ.

It's interesting that Jesus appeals to the temple authorities even with the evidence of their own sonship that they should not condemn Him for blasphemy for stating that He and His Father are one. In some sense, we could say that He seeks to "appeal to their better natures." Better nature, indeed, and yet the psalm itself speaks of the injustice in the assembly, while God Himself presides and watches on, wondering when justice will be done:

"How long will you defend the unjust
and show partiality to the wicked?
. . .

"They know nothing, they understand nothing.
They walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

"I said, 'You are "gods";
you are all sons of the Most High.'

But you will die like mere men;
you will fall like every other ruler."

Jesus is calling them to awaken to their own nature, or at least to see in His works what is there. But "they know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness." Jesus is at the festival of lights, and He has called Himself the light of the world. In this assembly where there is so little righteousness nor justice, let us consider what it is to be a "son of the Most High" and the great gift we possess of grace. Shall we hold it as dear as it is - with its offer of an everlasting relationship? Or shall we waste it with injustice and unrighteousness, selfish and self-centered, unmerciful behavior? The psalm makes it clear, we have a choice. It always was clear, to the Psalmist, and here through the words of Christ. What will we choose now? Our righteousness is tied to our capacity to perceive light, and the very nature which we are asked to learn for ourselves through the depth of relationship in faith.