Stoned for Blasphemy - John 10:33

The apostle John wrote how Jesus said, “I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do you stone me?”, and in chapter ten and verse thirty-three of his book John shared how the Jewish people answered Him, “for a good work we stone you not; but for blasphemy” where we read:

The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone you not; but for blasphemy;

and because that you, being a man, make yourself God.

The verse reads, “The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone you not; but for blasphemy;” John began with the words, “the Jews answered him” which means “the people of the Jewish nation by origin, religion or birth responded and began to speak to Jesus”, “saying” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming”, “for a good work” which means “because and on account of a beautiful, excellent, genuine, precious, praiseworthy and noble act and deed” “we stone you not” or “we, the Jewish people, do not pelt you, Jesus, with stones or rocks”; “but for blasphemy” which means “however, nonetheless, notwithstanding and moreover because and on account of slander, detraction and impious and reproachful speech which is injurious to divine majesty”. John shared how the Jewish people who were attempting to “stone” Jesus told Him they were not doing so because of a “good act or deed” He performed, but because He “blasphemously” spoke according to the following.

The verse continues, “and because that you, being a man, make yourself God.” John added the words, “and because that you” which means “and since and on account that you, Jesus”, “being a man” or “existing as a male human being”, “make yourself God” which means “render, constitute and appoint your own self to be the only and true God”. John shared how the Jewish people told Him they were “stoning” Him because He was in their eyes only a “man” who was making Himself to be “God”.

When we think through John's words in this verse, we learn why the “Jewish people” were so angry with Jesus that they wanted to “stone” Him. When Jesus told them He and His Father were “one”, they understood that to mean Jesus was proclaiming Himself as “God”. This in their minds was “blasphemy”, and anyone who committed that “sin” was to be “stoned to death”. The “Jewish people's” claim was they were not “stoning” Him because of any “good work”, but because He declared Himself to be “God”. Jesus is God come in the flesh (See John 1:14), and He came to be the “Savior and Lord” of the world. Anyone who yields their life to Him will be forgiven of their sins and receive everlasting life. Those who refuse to believe He is God will suffer the consequences for their choice throughout all eternity.

Next time John shares how the Jews answered, “Is it not written in your law, I said, you are gods?", so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".