June 26, 2023
Unjustified Actions
“The Jews answered Him, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.’ Jesus answered them, ‘Has it not been written in your Law, I said, you are gods?’” John 10:33-34 (NASB)
If I could been stoned for every time I had said something against God in my pre-salvation days I probably would be a pile of dust by now. But what would it be like to be perfect, I mean perfect in everything, and still have someone try to stone you to death for being like God?
“The Jews answered Him, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” After watching the miracles from His ministry, the Jews brushed aside any acknowledgement. “‘Concerning a good deed we are not stoning thee.’ Flat denial that the healing of the blind man on the Sabbath had led them to this attempt (8:59) in spite of the facts.”[1] Even with the blind man’s testimony and physical ailment cured, they still were not deterred from their actions. The blind man declared, “He is a prophet” (John 9:17), but the Jews had reduced Jesus to a mere man like everyone else. Note, even a prophet in in sync with God in his actions, yet the Jews refused to raise Jesus to even this level. He was a mere man in their eyes, or so they argued. But Jesus replied to the Jews, “Has it not been written in your Law, I said, you are gods?” This passage might be a little tough to understand referring to men as gods. Borchert gives a few scholars view of this passage: “Indeed, Jesus turned the charge back on them and challenged them to provide a rationale for the use of the word “god” or “gods” in the Scriptures/Law (10:34–35; law here is used in the generic sense) when the reference was to human beings. One of the texts in Jesus’ mind was undoubtedly Psalm 82:6, where human beings are called both “gods” and “sons of the Most High.” Jesus’ logic was impeccably clear. If their sourcebook (“your Law”) called humans “gods” and the Scriptures are utterly reliable (“cannot be broken”), then where was their problem (10:35)? The student of the Bible will quickly recognize that this argument could easily become a minefield of exegesis. In the first place, the question Jesus raised with the Jews concerns who the “gods” were of Psalm 82. Scholars have debated this question at length, suggesting, for example, that they were the corrupt judges of Israel, who were supposed to be acting as God’s representatives on earth (cf. Deuteronomy 1:16–17). Another less likely suggestion is that of rebellious angels (such as those in Gen 6:2) who failed to serve God’s intention and thus would be doomed to die like humans. Even the rabbis struggled with this text. They argued that God would hardly speak of humans as “gods” but that the failure of Israel at Sinai in the golden calf episode doomed the children of God to death…. But the main point is that he was in fact the God-sent one, and if Scripture could apply such theological terms to created beings, how much more should such terms be applied to the unique Son of God (10:36). ”[2]
No man or woman on earth today is perfect. If they say it, they are lying. Even some crackpots have claimed to be God as well, but fall into the category of Jesus’ reference above. They still aren’t God. We can refer to anyone with the “god” title, but it doesn’t make them God. There is only one true God who dwelt among men in flesh, Jesus Christ. He is God…
[1] Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Jn 10:33). Broadman Press.
[2] Borchert, G. L. (1996). John 1–11 (Vol. 25A, p. 343). Broadman & Holman Publishers.