Translation: New International Version (NIV)
Scripture
33 “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 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.” 39 Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, 41 and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” 42 And in that place many believed in Jesus.
Commentary
In the last post, we talked about the miracles of Jesus and some of the evidence backing them up. Now, we continue the story. If you did not read the last post, then you might want to check it out for context.
Jesus introduced a verse from the Psalms to strengthen his statement. Psalm 82:6 represents God as addressing a group of beings whom he calls "gods" and "sons of the Most High." If, then, these terms can be applied to ordinary mortals or even angels, how could Jesus be accused of blasphemy when he applied them to himself, the One whom the Father set apart? Jesus was not offering a false claim; he was merely asserting what he was by right.
Again, Jesus points to the miracles that he performed. He did not perform these acts in secret. They were for the benefit of those that saw them. Therefore, they were done in public and in plain view. They are confirmation that he is not just an ordinary man. The miracles give us confidence that he is who he said he was. You need to either believe him, or not. The words of Jesus are not a buffet where you can take what you like and toss aside teaching that you don’t. My friend, it is either all or nothing. If he is God in human flesh, then his words are the words of God.
Again they tried to arrest him. It was not his time. There was a very specific timeline that needed to be followed and he was in full control, of when and where he was to be arrested and then crucified. Nothing is happening by chance.