John 10:33-38 – “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’? 35 If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”
““We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” These men who were accusing Jesus and wanted to stone Him to death did not accuse Jesus of blasphemy for doing the works of God. They wanted to stone Him for saying the words that God had given Him to say. And worse, these were in their own scriptures. They didn’t comprehend what Jesus was trying to teach them. The works and the words of Jesus come as one from God. The works verify the words and the words verify the works. It would have seemed too far to stone Him for healing a leper, or a lame man, or a blind man. It would have been an outrage to the people to stone Jesus for raising a man (who had taken care of his sisters) from the dead. The people would not have countenanced that. Yet as divine as the works were that Jesus did, just as divine were the words, the teachings that He gave them. In fact the works bore witness to the words He spoke. Jesus did, and said, as the Father had instructed Him to say and do. Just as those who reject Jesus also reject the Father who sent Him, those who reject the words of Jesus reject Father God.
Job, from the pain of his trial said “Shall we actually accept good from God but not accept adversity?” Despite all this, Job did not sin with his lips.” (Job 2:10b) Job understood that everything in life, both good and bad had to be run past God before allowed to be put into his life. So, whether good or seemingly bad (truly who are we to judge what comes from God?), God should be, God must be, be praised through all. We never should judge the works or words of God.
In Matthew 5:45 (“so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”) Jesus states that blessings in our lives come from the Father. We are reminded by the Apostle Paul that discipling likewise comes from the Lord and that we should view it not without the knowledge that God disciplines us as He deems correct. (Hebrews 12:7-11)
James takes us deeper and tells us to “consider it all joy” in our various trials because the end of it is for the completing and perfecting of us under the direction of God. (James 1:2-4) Since we take such full pleasure of the blessings from God, shouldn’t we also take pleasure in the trials knowing that always His loving eyes are upon us? All comes from the same God. We must trust Him through the blessings and the trials, God is unchanging through eternity.
So the Pharisees wanted to pick and choose what to accept of God and so many stumbled and missed the blessing of their Messiah. In much the same way do many in our day stumble and miss eternal life through Jesus. Let us discern by the Holy Spirit the things of God and accept it all to the glory of our God and Savior Jesus. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will Hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, Oh man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Numbers 6:24-26 – The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.