31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”
Jesus’ claim to be “one” with the Father provoked the Jews’ charge of blasphemy. They clearly understood that verse 30 was a claim to deity.
10:31
Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.
After Jesus’ declaration that He and the Father were “one,” the Jews again attempted to stone Him, for the fourth time (Jn 5:16-18; 7:1; 8:58, 59). The mob clearly understood the implication of Jesus’ claim in John 10:30. They went against Roman law in doing this because Rome reserved the right of capital punishment for themselves.
10:32
Jesus answered them,
The Jews went outside the temple to collect stones. Before the Jews could throw their stones, Jesus asked them a question. He did not escape immediately from the threat on His person but stayed to confront His antagonists.
“Many good works [miracles] I have shown you from My Father.
Jesus’ miracles demonstrated proof of His claim to be equal to the Father. What He did, He did with the Father’s authority.
For which of those works do you stone Me?”
Stoning was the legal punishment for blasphemy (Le 24:11-16). They understood that He claimed to be God, but Jesus did not correct them.
10:33
The Jews answered Him, saying,
The lynch mob now clearly took their stand against Jesus in words. The fact that Jesus performed miracles did not deter their unbelief.
“For a good work we do not stone You,
These Jews asserted that they did not stone Jesus because of His miracles but because of His claim to be God (Jn 10:30).
but for blasphemy,
The Jews claimed that the reason for stoning Jesus was blasphemy. They understood Jesus’ declaration of equality with the Father (Jn 10:30). They could not and would not move off that point.
and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”
Their assertion was that Jesus committed blasphemy by alleging to be God as a mere man. This charge came from verse 30: “I and the Father are one.” However, Jesus did not “make” Himself God. He was eternally God.
PRINCIPLE:
People always seek some plausible reason for their unbelief.
APPLICATION:
Jesus called upon the Jews to come to grips with the idea of the God-man (the hypostatic union). They needed to expand their view of God. Jesus did not assert a rival God but the God whose Son is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. Jesus’ picture here is of a majestic God with three persons.
As the eternal Son, Jesus did everything the Father does (Jn 5:19ff). He accepted the role of the incarnate Christ to die for sins. His credentials were apparent. His enemies could not deny His dramatic miracles.
Argument for the deity of Christ:
The larger context of John’s gospel argues for the deity of Christ (Jn 1:1; 5:18-20; 20:30-31).
The immediate context asserts that He and the Father are one (Jn 10:30). The Jews understood this and attempted to kill Jesus for blasphemy (Jn 10:31).
Some bibles say the people that took up the stones were Jews and some say that it was the Judean leaders and some preach that there was a Roman element of the Sanhedrin that took up the stones. I trying to find which is correct for this passage.
Rick, there is nothing extant in the passage to indicate that the group was nothing more than they were Jews. To claim anything else is to read something into the passage.