John 10:31–11:1 (ESV)
I and the Father are One.
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we
are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and
Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe
me; 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 am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.
40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. 41 And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.”
42 And many believed in him there.
It is interesting that they recognize his works in today’s readings, but they are wanting to stone him because he [Jesus] makes himself God. Jesus is making
the point that his works testify and witness that he is doing his Father’s work and that He IS the Son of God. And if you don’t want to believe he is the Son, then believe the works “that you may know and understand that the Father
is in me and I am in the Father. He moves the issue back to unity with the Father. Jesus left there and went to where John had been baptizing. Because of the works he was doing there, many believed him.
I pray: Oh Lord, I have not seen your works, but I have read about them and believe them. Help me to continue to believe and share your love to others and to not fear persecution. Amen.