Believe What The Works Tell You About Jesus (John 10:22-41) Series

Let me reread verse 37:

37) If I don't do the works of my Father, don't believe/give allegiance to me.

Imagine being able to echo this. Imagine coming to people outside of Jesus' flock, and telling them, "If we don't do the works our Father, don't give your allegiance to Jesus."

I don't think God intended for our evangelism to be powerless. I don't think God intended for it to be so difficult to come to Jesus. I think we are the problem. We are what makes it hard.

The solution to this is simple-- we need to change how we pray. We need to echo Acts 4:28-29, on a daily basis: "Father, we pray that you would give us boldness to share the good news about Jesus, while you stretch out your hand for healings, and signs, and wonders through the name of your holy servant, Jesus."

Do this, and I think you'll be pleased to see how God answers it-- if you are bold. And when you do this, and God fills you with his Holy Spirit to enable this (Acts 4:30), I'd love to hear your stories of what happens next.

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On Jesus being "a god," this is what Michael Heiser writes.

Heiser, page 14: http://www.thedivinecouncil.com/Heiser%20Psa82inJohn10%20RegSBL2011.pdf

" Briefly, I view John’s use of Psa. 82:6 in John 10:34 as making the point (from Jesus himself) that there are other non-human sons of God. By referencing Psalm 82, which is not about “human elohim,” Jesus is in effect tweaking his opponents by claiming to be more than human. Had Jesus/John instead quoted something like Psa. 2:7, where the Israelite king was referred to as God’s son, the point would have been a claim to be the Davidic king (which, of course, his Jewish opponents could not have claimed). But instead we get Psa. 82:6 to distinguish Jesus. Situated as it is between clear claims to be one with the Father, and that the Father is in Jesus (cp. Exod. 23:20-23, where the Name—the presence/essence of Yahweh (cp. Deut. 4:37)—is in the angel, who is therefore Yahweh in human form), John is both asserting Jesus is divine and distinct from other divine sons of God. In effect, Jesus is lord of the council."

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Translation:

(22) Then, the Feast of the Dedication happened in Jerusalem.

Winter, it was,

and he was walking-- Jesus-- in the temple in the portico of Solomon.

Then, they surrounded/encircled him-- the Judeans--,

and they were saying to him,

"How long, our soul/life, do you take away?

If you are the Christ/Messiah, tell us with boldness/plainness."

(25) He answered them-- Jesus--

"I told you,

and you don't believe/give allegiance.

The works that I do in the name of my Father -- these testify about me,

but you don't believe/give allegiance,

because you aren't of/from my sheep.

My sheep, my voice, they hear,

and I know them,

and they follow me,

and I give to them life eternal,

and they will absolutely not perish/be lost ever,