It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple … So the Jews gathered around Him and said to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s Name bear witness about Me, but you do not believe because you are not among My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are One.” The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone Me?” 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.”
(John 10:22b, 23a, 24-33)
I have to laugh at what Jesus says when they’re ready to kill Him. He says, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone Me?” It’s as if He said, “Just out of curiosity, which of God’s good miracles annoys you the most? Was it the healings, or the man I raised from the dead, or the demons I drove out? Which one are you killing Me for?”
And it’s even funnier that they fall for it, and stop long enough to explain themselves! “Sure, we know You’ve done all these good things. We’re killing You for a completely different reason, because You say You’re God.”
Do you see how illogical that is? Here is this Man who everyone admits is doing good deeds. He heals the sick, drives out demons, feeds the hungry, even raises the dead. These are the kind of things God would do. They are also miracles, which means He has God’s power. If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck, right?
But these people can’t bear to follow the logic and admit that Jesus really is God. Why? Well, because, if we admit the truth, we will have to treat Him like God—and that means obeying Him. And then suddenly we realize just how much our lives are broken and need fixing … oh dear. What do we do now?
We can’t fix ourselves. We can only turn to Jesus for mercy, admitting the truth about ourselves and trusting Him to forgive us. He will, you know. He came into this world for just that reason, to lay down His life on the cross to make us children of God. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has overcome the power of evil—even in our own individual lives! And He invites us to trust Him to give us real, lasting peace with God forever.
We Pray: Lord, I admit that You are God. Please help me, because You can see that I need Your forgiveness and peace desperately. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on May 8, 2025
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights
Reflection Questions:
1. If Jesus were to suddenly appear before you, how do you think you’d react?
2. Is it easy to stand in the presence of God? Why or why not?
3. How does Jesus calm our fears and give us peace?