Who is This Jesus?

MEMORY VERSE: “I and my Father are one.” —John 10:30

JOHN 10:22-29

THE question concerning the true identity of Jesus was a prominent one during the period of his ministry, and Jesus himself was interested as to what the people were thinking in connection with this question. Jesus asked his disciples, saying, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” The disciples replied, “Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets”—Matt. 16:13,14

These were good answers in the sense that they indicated that the people looked upon Jesus as an important servant of God, even though they were not sure of his exact identity. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whom say ye that I am?” And Peter replied, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” This was the correct answer, and Jesus explained that “flesh and blood”—human reasoning—had not revealed this to Peter, but that he had learned it by revelation from God.

Jesus had not openly announced himself as being the promised Messiah, or Christ, and in our lesson we find the scribes and Pharisees endeavoring to get a statement from him concerning it. They asked, “How long dost thou make us to doubt? if thou be the Christ, tell us plainly” To this Jesus replied, “I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”—vss. 24-27

It was the miraculous works of Jesus that testified of the fact that he was the Messiah of promise who was to perform such works. True, the complete fulfillment of these promises will be during his thousand-year kingdom, but he did demonstrate at his first advent that the Heavenly Father was with him, enabling him to demonstrate the miracle-working power of Jehovah.

Jesus referred to his disciples as his “sheep.” They heard his voice, and they knew from what they saw and heard that Jesus truly was the sent of God. To these Jesus promised to give eternal life, and as long as they remained loyal to him nothing would be permitted to pluck them out of his hands—a wonderful assurance!—vss. 28,29

Jesus continued (in the words of our memory verse), “I and my Father are one.” In the preceding verse Jesus is quoted as saying, “My Father … is greater than all.” Here he clearly places the Heavenly Father as being greater than he, so when in the next verse we find Jesus saying, “I and my Father are one,” he is clearly not saying that he and the Father were the same individual, as this text is usually interpreted.

It is a oneness of purpose that Jesus refers to in this text. At different times he had explained this more in detail. He had explained that the words which he spoke were not his, but his Father’s; and the works which he did were the Father’s works. Jesus had explained that he came to do the will of Him who sent him. In prayer he was in frequent communication with his Father. They worked together, as one.

On the night before Jesus was crucified he prayed for those who believed on and followed him. He prayed “that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou has sent me. And the glory which thou gayest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one. I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and has loved them, as thou hast loved me.”—John 17:21-23

Here Jesus clearly indicates that the oneness which existed between him and the Heavenly Father would also be realized with respect to his followers. Clearly, this is a oneness of purpose and of dedication.

When Jesus said, “I and my Father are one,” “the Jews took up stones again to stone him.” Then Jesus said, “Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?” (vss. 31,32) The reply was that they were not stoning him for good works, but for blasphemy.

Jesus quotes from the 82nd Psalm that some are called gods to whom the Word of God came, and then asked his opposers if the One whom the Father had sent into the world was a blasphemer because he claimed to be the Son of God.

QUESTIONS

Who was Jesus, and what is his place in the divine plan?

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