Jesus Claimed to be God

Our study today is John 10:22-30

At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

— John 10:22-30

About 2 and a half months has passed since the events of verse 21, the incident about the man born blind and the discourse that followed. It is now during winter at the Feast of Dedication, also called Hannukha or Feast of Lights.

This feast is not instituted by God in the Old Testament, the Jews started celebrating this during the Intertestamental Period, the era in between the 2 testaments. This is also called the 400 year silence because for over 400 years since Malachi, God has not sent Israel a prophet until John the Baptist who prepared the way for the Messiah, Jesus.

Although this period is silent in terms of God not sending prophets and giving new revelation, history is very eventful. Israel has been under several gentile regimes, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. The feast of dedication originated during the Greek rule under the Seleucid (Syrian) dynasty, one of the 4 Kingdoms that was divided to Alexander the Great's 4 generals when he died. In around 167-168 B.C. the Seleucid king Antiochus Epiphanes IV, in his desire to "hellenize' or convert the Jews into Greek culture, destroyed copies of the Torah, prohibited the Jews from celebrating their festivals, observing the sabbath, and performing their religious rituals. He also sacrificed a pig at the Jewish temple and erected a statue of the Greek god Zeus inside the Jewish temple which tremendously angered the Jews and ignited the Maccabean Revolt headed by Judas Maccabeus. 3 Years later they were able to free themselves from Seleucid rule and they purified their temple and rededicated it to Yahweh. And from that time on they celebrate yearly the eight-day Feast of Dedication.

The Jewish leaders deliberately surrounded Jesus pressuring Him to tell them "plainly if He was the Messiah" because they complain they were being kept in suspense as if there is any doubt that Jesus haven't given them enough evidence through His teaching and His miraculous works. Jesus is not hiding His identity but is careful because these Jewish leaders are planning to trap Him and kill Him. He revealed Himself plainly as Messiah to those whom He knows is ready to accept the truth.

He revealed it to the Samaritan woman

The woman *said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus *said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” John 4:25-26

To other Samaritans

From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. Many more believed because of His word; and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.” John 4:39-42

To Peter

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:16-17

to the man born blind

Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” John 9:35-36

Jesus is not hiding His Messiahship to the Jewish leaders although He did not say it as plainly to those who are His sheep that would believe. But just as Jesus responded to them "I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me" Jesus has given them so much evidence that their supposed inquiry due to ignorance is really willful blindness and hardened unbelief. Jesus gave them enough reasons to have faith in Him and withholds enough to leave room for faith. For without faith we cannot please God.(Heb 11:6)

Jesus then told them the reason why they do not believe, "because they are not His sheep". Notice the cause and effect relationship here. It is not, "you are not my sheep because you do not believe", the reason they are not sheep is not because they do not believe but the reason they do not believe is because they are not sheep. This clarifies God is sovereign in salvation. It is God who calls His sheep, and those who are His sheep will surely listen to His voice and follow Him. They have to be sheep first before they would recognize the voice of their Shepherd when He calls.

Jesus gives them eternal life. Eternal life means forever. It starts now and has no ending, the moment the sheep hear the voice of Jesus they have eternal life and will never perish. The sheep are eternally secured from Jesus' grip and the Father's. No one is strong enough to snatch them from Their hands, not even the sheep themselves will be able to slip through Jesus' and the Father's strong grip. Salvation is freely done by God, given by God, and kept by God and we never need fear of losing it.

We must note here that we are talking about true sheep who demonstrates their sheepness by their forever following their Shepherd unlike dogs and pigs who goes back to their sins.

For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” 2 Peter 2:20-22

Then Jesus made the claim that will drive His hearers mad. "I and the Father are one.” Jesus talked about His oneness with the Father. Two "who" in one "what". Two identities, I and the Father, indicated by the plural verb "are" united in the singular noun "one". Plurality of Persons in a singular substance. Everyone here knows that the Father that Jesus is talking about is God. The Jews are asking Jesus if He is the Messiah, they got a greater revelation, the Messiah is God as He is one with the Father.

Salvation is sure because God is our Shepherd and He foreknows His sheep. Eternal life is secured because of the double lock of Jesus and the Father's unbreakable grip. Add to that the triple lock of the Holy Spirit.

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13–14)  

The Heidelberg Catechism (1563)  

“Question 1. What is your only comfort in life and in death?

Answer. That I belong, body and soul, in life and in death, not to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his own life has fully paid for all my sins and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil; that he protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that all things must serve his will for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of salvation and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.”

Let the sheep hear His voice, and if you hear His voice do not harden your heart. Praise God for His saving grace.