John 10:22-42

The time came to observe the winter Feast of Renewal in Jerusalem. Jesus walked into the temple area under Solomon’s covered walkway when the Jewish leaders encircled him and said, “How much longer will you keep us in suspense? Tell us the truth and clarify this for us once and for all. Are you really the Messiah, the Anointed One?” Jesus answered them, “I have told you the truth already and you did not believe me. The proof of who I am is revealed by all the miracles that I do in the name of my Father. Yet, you stubbornly refuse to follow me, because you are not my sheep. As I’ve told you before: My own sheep will hear my voice and I know each one, and they will follow me. I give to them the gift of eternal life and they will never be lost and no one has the power to snatch them out of my hands. My Father, who has given them to me as his gift, is the mightiest of all, and no one has the power to snatch them from my Father’s care. The Father and I are one.” When they heard this, the Jewish leaders were so enraged that they picked up rocks to stone him to death. But Jesus said, “My Father has empowered me to work many miracles and acts of mercy among you. So which one of them do you want to stone me for?” The Jewish leaders responded, “We’re not stoning you for anything good you did—it’s because of your blasphemy! You’re just a son of Adam, but you’ve claimed to be God!” Jesus answered, “Isn’t it written in your Scriptures that God said, ‘You are gods?’ The Scriptures cannot be denied or found to be in error. So if those who have the message of the Scriptures are said to be ‘gods,’ then why would you accuse me of blasphemy? For I have been uniquely chosen by God and he is the one who sent me to you. How then could it be blasphemy for me to say, ‘I am the Son of God!’ If I’m not doing the beautiful works that my Father sent me to do, then don’t believe me. But if you see me doing the beautiful works of God upon the earth, then you should at least believe the evidence of the miracles, even if you don’t believe my words! Then you would come to experience me and be convinced that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” Once again they attempted to seize him, but he escaped miraculously from their clutches. Then Jesus went back to the place where John had baptized him at the crossing of the Jordan. Many came out to where he was and said about him, “Even though John didn’t perform any miracles, everything he predicted about this man is true!” And many people became followers of Jesus at the Jordan and believed in him.