Joh 10:22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. 24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one.
In verse 34 above, the Scripture to which Jesus referred was Psalm 82:6. Here is the Psalm in its entirety:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
Psalm 82:1 A Psalm of Asaph. God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.
In reading this Psalm with the Strong's numbers, which was needed for the study I was doing, I realized I was seeing the situation in John 10. I will try to explain...
In the Psalm, verse one, God is standing among the powerful, judging them. Looking at John 10:24-26, Jesus is standing among the leaders of the Jewish people, telling them that they are not his sheep because they do not believe him.
Verses 2-4 of the Psalm detail some of the things the Jewish leaders are doing and not doing which God would have them change, and verse 5 shows their unwillingness to see the light which is before them in the person of Jesus. Instead, they accuse him of blasphemy and making himself God when he was a man. (John 10:33)
That is when Jesus quotes the Psalm, verse 6, showing that their accusation is groundless, because not only is he a child of God, but they are, also. This doesn't deny the relationship he has with his father (John 10:30)--instead, if they would but see it, it shows them the relationship that the father desires to have with them.
Father, give us ears to hear, that we may follow your Son.
