Sharper Iron — The Word Made Flesh: Jesus Isn’t a Blasphemer; He’s God!

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Rev. Jeff Hemmer, pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church in Fairview Heights, IL and assistant to the president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study John 10:31-42.

When the Jews are ready to stone Jesus for stating that He is one with the Father, Jesus calls attention to His works from the Father. He points out the way that the Psalms speak of those whom God appointed to offices of leadership in the Old Testament; so much more can Jesus, as the One consecrated by the Father, call Himself the true Son of God. Though they will not believe His words, they should be able to see from His works that He is in the Father and the Father is in Him. Though this deescalates the situation, Jesus leaves to the other side of the Jordan, where people believe in Him based on what John had said about Him before.

“The Word Made Flesh” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Gospel according to St. John. The disciple whom Jesus loved wrote his Gospel account as an eyewitness to Jesus’ life and ministry. As we read the Word of God recorded by St. John, the Holy Spirit works in us so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and so have life by faith in His name.

Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God’s Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen.

Sharper Iron is underwritten by Lutheran Church Extension Fund, where your investments help support the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Visit lcef.org.

John 10:31-42

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.