Jesus vs. the Jews

Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus is essentially on trial. The reader is forced to make a decision around every corner about whether he or she accepts the claims of Jesus or the claims of His opponents: the Jews. In the second half of John 10, Jesus is in the midst of one of His many showdowns with the Jews. After claiming that He and the Father are one (vs. 30), the Jews, believing Him to be guilty of blasphemy, pick up stones to stone Him (vs. 31; cf. John 8:58-59). Rather than running away, Jesus stands His ground and asks His would-be executioners a penetrating question: ”I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” (vs. 32). Jesus had indeed showed them many good works such as healing a lame man of thirty-eight years (John 5) and a…