The Jesus Bible Reading PlanSample

SON OF THE MOST HIGH

In the Gospel of John, men holding stones told Jesus that they intended to kill him for blasphemy. This was because he, merely a man in their minds, claimed to be God (Jn 10:33).

In response, Jesus reasoned with them, quoting from Psalm 82:6: “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’?” (Jn 10:34). Jesus used the word Law in more general terms, referring to the entire Old Testament. Jesus offered the following argument to his would-be murderers: If Scripture can apply the word gods to mere humans, how much more should it be applied to the One whom the Father sent into the world (Jn 10:35 – 36). Jesus appealed to the Word of God to address the charge of blasphemy.

A few verses prior in the Gospel of John, Jesus made clear that he and the Father are one (Jn 10:30). Though some had argued that Jesus never claimed to be God, here was his golden opportunity to assert something different. To keep these men from stoning him, all he needed to do was deny this oneness. But Jesus would not.

While children often bear a resemblance to their father, the Son of the Most High shows the world exactly what God is like. The author of Hebrews made this point explicit, telling readers that Jesus is “the exact representation of [God’s] being” (Heb 1:3). Paul expressed the same point in different language: “The Son is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15).

Jesus did not cease to be God when he became human. In John’s Gospel, these men’s Creator and Sustainer stood in the flesh before them. Such was their blindness that they had no idea who he was. If only they could have seen that Jesus was their ultimate source of salvation. He wanted to connect them to God, yet they wanted to stone him.

Jesus, I know you are the Son of God. I know you are God. Thank you for coming to earth to show us who God is. Amen.