We now move on to winter and the Festival of Dedication (or Hanukkah). This commemorated the dedication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in December 165 BC. Jesus was there, and the Jews were impatient for Him to say whether or not He was the Messiah.
The problem was not with Jesus not saying, but with the Jews not listening. This can still be the case today with all of us. Often when we complain that God is not answering the truth is that we are not listening.
The things that Jesus did demonstrated who He was, for He did the Father's works. The Jews did not believe because they did not really belong to God.
Conversely, those who are His sheep do believe and do hear, and do follow Jesus. We are portected by the Father. In 1 Peter 1:4-9 Peter tells us that we are shielded by God's great power. This is especially so in times of trouble. The Father guards and protects us.
The Jews wanted to stone Jesus, but He challenged them as to which of His good works they were objecting to. They retorted that it was because he was a mere man and claiming to be God. Of course, Jesus was not a "mere man", He is fully human, but also fully God.
Jesus answers them according to their own theology, quoting from Psalm 82. The "gods" referred to there are the people who received God's word and should have administered it to the people, but they failed to do so, and died as a result. Since Jesus was sent by the Father He had every right to call Himself the Son of God. At the end He urges them to at least believe in His works, but the Jews persisted in their rebellion.
Jesus then went to the place where John had baptised.Here the people responded with faith. John may also have included this as a further message to those who still followed John the Baptist that the whole point of John's ministry was to point people to Jesus.
The problem was not with Jesus not saying, but with the Jews not listening. This can still be the case today with all of us. Often when we complain that God is not answering the truth is that we are not listening.
The things that Jesus did demonstrated who He was, for He did the Father's works. The Jews did not believe because they did not really belong to God.
Conversely, those who are His sheep do believe and do hear, and do follow Jesus. We are portected by the Father. In 1 Peter 1:4-9 Peter tells us that we are shielded by God's great power. This is especially so in times of trouble. The Father guards and protects us.
The Jews wanted to stone Jesus, but He challenged them as to which of His good works they were objecting to. They retorted that it was because he was a mere man and claiming to be God. Of course, Jesus was not a "mere man", He is fully human, but also fully God.
Jesus answers them according to their own theology, quoting from Psalm 82. The "gods" referred to there are the people who received God's word and should have administered it to the people, but they failed to do so, and died as a result. Since Jesus was sent by the Father He had every right to call Himself the Son of God. At the end He urges them to at least believe in His works, but the Jews persisted in their rebellion.
Jesus then went to the place where John had baptised.Here the people responded with faith. John may also have included this as a further message to those who still followed John the Baptist that the whole point of John's ministry was to point people to Jesus.
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