Offended by the deity of Chr..

Welcome to Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church. Thank you for using and sharing our resources. What you're about to hear is God's Word from one of our teaching elders. We trust that God's Word will inspire, instruct, and bless you. For further teachings or information on our ministry, please visit us on our website at cornerstonerbc.

com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. John chapter 10 from verse 22. I'm reading from the ESV translation.

At that time the feast of dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was the winter and Jesus was walking in the temple in the colonnade of Solomon. 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 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, and Jesus answered them, I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me? The Jews answered him, It's not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law I said you are gods? If you call them gods to whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken, do you say of him who the father consecrated and sent into the world, you are blaspheming because I said I am the son of God?

If I am not doing the works of my father, then do not believe me. 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 am in the Father. Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

This is the word of the Lord. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord, it remains forever. The last time we were together in the gospel according to John in the 10th chapter, you may remember, we brought the section that begins in verse 22, to a seemingly close. And that section begins in verse 22, but really primarily works around the question of the Jews to our Lord Jesus Christ. And you may remember that question in verse 24.

They asked our Lord after he'd spoken to them previously, a few, maybe a couple of months earlier about the great discourse about the good shepherd and he's come to rescue his sheep. And they asked him, are you, are you the Messiah? If you're the Messiah, tell us plainly. Tell us plainly. And our Lord has already told them plainly.

So He answers them, and He says, I've already told you. And what was His answer? I've already told you with my words, and I've already told you with my works. Because I've come to do the work that the Father has given me. And my works testify to my words.

And you have already been told, you already know, you should already understand because I've already made it known who I am. But the reason why you don't know who I am is simple. And then Jesus says these these blowing and piercing words. You don't believe because you are not among my sheep. You don't believe because you are not among my sheep.

My sheep, they hear my voice. I've come to rescue my sheep. I've come to pluck them out of the sheepfolds of the world and bring them unto myself. I've come to set them free, to deliver them from their sins. I've come to take them and guide them and lead them.

I've come to bring them and take them to green pastures. I've come to give them eternal life. And no one can take that life away from my sheep. Why? Because that life is rooted in In me.

My sheep will never perish. Never, ever, ever perish. You remember, never not, never perish. Because it's safely nestled in my hand. My sheep are in my hand and no one can take them away from me.

In the Father's hand, in my Father's greater than all, no one's going to take them, no one's going to pluck them out of my Father's hand, he says. I and the Father are one. They asked, they asked a question. Are you the Messiah? Tell us plainly.

And what they got in return was far more than they could have ever expected. I and the Father are one. That's where we made it to last time. We're in the gospel according to John. But now we see the response of the Jews that begins there in verse 31.

Because what we see before us is the Jews now pick up stones again to stone him. That was a fairly short intro, maybe one of the shortest I've had for those of you who know me. And that's because of what we have before us. My intention this evening, by God's grace, is to work our way through verses 31 through to 39. That's nine verses.

That's a lot more than I normally take on in a sermon. So it's needless to say, we have a lot to get through. But no doubt, as you may have heard in my prayer, this is, in my opinion, one of the most difficult passages in the gospel according to John thus far. But may the Lord give us understanding. May his spirit illuminate his truth to our heart.

And because we have a lot to get through, the application may be a little lean. But having said that, it's not I who applies, but it is the spirit of God who applies in the hearts of the souls of his people. He's the one who is in charge of feeding your souls. I just pray that I don't mess his word up. That's all I pray for.

The Jews picked up stones again To stone him. You hear that word again. We know they've done it before. It wasn't that long ago they picked up stones again. They picked up stones.

They don't like this Jesus. They want him out of their sight. He's a stigma in their sight. He's a problem, an obstacle in their plan. He brings down this whole structure that they've built around themselves, and Jesus comes to oppose these Jews.

And remember, in the Gospel according to John, the Jews are who? They're the religious leaders, the religious leaders, the establishment of the religious leaders of the day. They're so furious with the Lord. They pick up stones to stone the Lord. What is it that is in their mind that has conjured up so much anger that they're prepared to brutally put someone's life to death immediately?

Without thinking, without court trial, without anything to put this Jesus to death. This man must be stoned is what they're thinking in their mind. So they must have found some stones nearby. Now they are in a colonnade. They're in the temple structure.

We know this is at the time of the Feast of Dedication. So they're in the temple structure. We're told they're in the Solomon's colonnades. It's unlikely there was any stones right there. They may have just gone out a little to find maybe some recent construction and they've got themselves as many stones as they can carry.

And now they've come with the intention to crush Jesus this skull with these stones? Why the rage? Why such deep-rooted hostility against this one who has spoken such wonderful words. It was only the other week, did you not? Christians draw so much strength from the words of our Lord.

How wonderful are His words. As I said earlier in the introduction to the sermon a few weeks ago, generations, for centuries, Christians have been deriving much security and rest and comfort from the words in John chapter 10. And yet you have a group of people, the religious elites, those who know the scripture, that want to get stones and crush this Jesus. What makes them so angry? What is this unforgivable sin that Jesus has committed?

What is this crime that Jesus has committed that would warrant such a response? Well, in their mind, it's blasphemy. In their mind, this Jesus, being a mere man, has blasphemed God. He's profaned God. He's slandered God.

He's brought sacrilege to God. This God who is above all, who is to be exalted above all, who is exalted, who is the great God, the only true God of the universe, This Jesus has brought him down and smeared his name in the mud according to these Jews. And therefore, he's worthy of death. And according to Leviticus chapter 24, the blasphemer is to die according to the law of God. And that is true.

And the death that he is to die is the death by stoning. So they think they're obedient to God. However, let me just shed some light to this picture. Right now, The Jews, they're under Roman rule. They're not exactly enjoying the theocracy that their fathers enjoyed before the exile.

Being under Roman rule means that they're being governed by the Romans. Now the Romans, they were somewhat sympathetic to the Jews in the first century. They weren't overly happy with them because the Jews were a monotheistic religion. They worship God. Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one.

And the Romans had a more of a polytheistic religion. And that means the Jews would not submit to any of the Roman gods. But however, for the sake of peace, the Caesar would then allow the Jews in this day to exercise their religious freedoms. That means you can worship the way you want to worship You can enjoy the culture that you've enjoyed for centuries. You can enjoy the feasts and the festivals.

Why, I will even let you have your own judicial system, the Sanhedrin. And even you can adjudicate amongst yourself and give out penalties to crimes according to Torah. However, however, they have drawn the line. No one, no one in the Roman Empire is to be executed apart from the approval of Rome. That means that if in your law there is a punishment that is due as a capital crime, due capital death as a punishment, then that needs to be heard by the procurator of Rome, that is of the area or the local governor.

And he needs to approve, otherwise you're going to be in a world of pain. So what's going on here? How explosive How deep is the rage in the hearts of these men who know all this and yet they're willing to go against the law of the day. They're willing to put the whole system into jeopardy. Their friends, their family, their religion, their worship, their freedoms into jeopardy by stoning this Jesus.

And it's already up until this point, the Romans, they were patient. As I said, they allowed a certain amount of freedoms, but their patience was running thin. And it won't be long, it was actually within a generation that we'd see that the Roman patience does run thin. And they bring all the freedoms that the Jews enjoyed to an abrupt halt. That's how deep the hatred was.

That's how deep the anger is because you're not talking about someone who said something a slight tangent away and there's a slight disagreement. No, this is black and white. This is light and day. This is good and evil. This is the powers of darkness and death against the power of light and life.

But there's a beautiful thing that happens here in John chapter 10. Previously, because we heard that again, the Jews had picked up stones to stone him. They have tried to kill him or push him off a cliff as we saw in Luke. But the difference is that when the Jews had picked up stones or tried to assassinate Jesus, we always read that Jesus made his way out of there, he disappeared. And most likely, supernaturally, he did disappear out of that place.

Because his time had not yet come, his hour had not yet come. A, B, and the other thing is, God didn't decree that Jesus would die by stoning. God decreed that Jesus would die by crucifixion, that he would be raised up and die for the sins of his people. And so he was never gonna die by stoning. But here in John chapter 10, we have something beautiful.

We have our Lord staying back. raging Jews with stones in their hands, yet Jesus stays back to engage with them. Stays back to warn them of the plight that they are heading towards if they don't recognize their folly. And this time we actually see the actual reason for their anger and how Jesus deals with it. Jesus says in reply to them in verse 32, I have shown you many good works from the father.

Which of them are you going to stone me? Literally, I've shown you many beautiful or honorable works. I love the way he says that because his works aren't neutral. His works are not up for you to decide whether they're good or bad, good or evil. It's not that.

They are inherently good. They are inherently honorable. They are inherently beautiful. Why? Because they're the works of the Father, the works of the good God of the universe working in and through His Son, Jesus Christ.

The hand of God is upon Christ. The fingerprint of God is in everything that Jesus ever did in the incarnation. They're good works. So tell me, Jesus says, which one of my good works? Which ones of the good works that I've accomplished in my Father's name so offended you, so horrified you that now you have stones in your hands and fires and daggers coming out of your eyes and you want to stone me?

Which one? Is it the fact that I healed the invalid man on the Sabbath? The man who was for 38 years, almost four decades, he couldn't move from one place to another without help. Demeaning sort of life and I freed him from that. Is it the invalid man at the pool of Bethesda?

Or maybe is it just a few months ago, the fact that I healed the man who was born blind, who'd never seen the light of day and I created sight to eyes that had never seen before. Or is it the The many other miracles and the healings and the freeing of the demon possession. Which one? Which one of my wondrous works? Which one of the Father's wondrous works that has worked through me are you so offended of?

And then we get their answer. The Jews answered in verse 33, 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. Jesus, it's not because of anything you've done. We have a bone to pick with what you have said, and we believe it's blasphemy. It's your words that we have a problem with, Jesus.

You're a mere man, and now you make yourself to be God. You see, the Jews had divorced the works of Christ, the wondrous, beautiful, God-honouring works of Christ. They divorced the works, and they now just want to concentrate on His words. They don't want to consider the works, but they just want to consider just the words that come out of His mouth, and there's a problem with that. And the problem is, you cannot divide, you cannot sever, you cannot divorce a man's words from his works.

In fact, in Jesus' life, and he said it over and again, his works validated, they authenticated the words that came out of his mouth. The wondrous works, the miraculous works of the Father was accomplishing through His Son. We're authenticating Christ. The work of the Father, one should have seen that it's impossible for a mere man to do these things. The finger of God is with Him.

The power of God is with Him. And if God, if only God is able to do what we see and witness with our very eyes, If we are acknowledging without a doubt that it is the power of God working through Christ, then we can also stand back and know that God himself has sanctioned and approved of the words that come out of his mouth. How can Christ's word be assessed without his works, that evidence the Father is with him? How? They can't be.

One cannot judge one without the other. You see, these Jews don't consider his wondrous works. They suppress them. They turn a blind eye at the power of God that is so exemplified through Jesus Christ in his wondrous, honorable, beautiful works, his good works. I dismiss them all together.

Let's put them aside. We don't want to talk about them. We just want to talk about the words that have come out of your mouth. It became a matter of semantics. A matter of simply let's just pick what Jesus said and let's talk about that.

And Jesus, he knows that's a faulty reasoning. But he also will allow for this type of faulty argumentation for now. Just for now. Until he can provide them with broken arguments. Until he can make them aware that their argument carries no water.

That they have no case against him. And he'll do that through words that you and I frankly may end up scratching our head and ask the question, why is Jesus using these words? But in fact he's brilliantly pointing out to the Jews in brilliance. based on their own faulty reasoning, the inconsistency and the double-standardness of their judgments of him. It's brilliant.

But he won't let them off the hook. The fact he makes an allowance and allows them to go down this path, and I'll engage with you, but he doesn't let them off the hook because he'll come back to the question that he asked in verse 32 for which one of the good works, the wonderful works of the Father are you. are you wanting to stone me for? He'll come back to that, because Jesus knows that is essential to make a right judgment of him. You can't extract his works and what he has done, the fact that the Father's hand was upon him.

He'll come back with that, okay? You've dismissed my works, okay? I'll play your game and buy your own rules, but when I'm done, I will come back and demand that you answer my question. Because you can't separate my works. from my words, you need to judge rightly.

And there's an essential ingredient, an essential evidence, without which you cannot judge the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is what he has done. Okay, so verse 34 tells us, Jesus answered them, it is not written, is it not written in your law? My apologies, Jesus answered them, is it not written in your law, I said you are gods? If He called them gods to whom the Word of God came and Scripture cannot be broken, do you say to Him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, you are blaspheming because I said I am the Son of God? I realize Jesus is not rejecting the Jews' conclusion.

because they conclude, possibly with faulty words, but they conclude that Jesus is claiming deity. Jesus is not rejecting that. In fact, we'll come to see, I hope, by the end of the sermon, that indeed he is claiming to be the divine Son of God. He's done it before on multiple occasions, and we've worked our way through John, and we've seen many, and he makes no apology for it, that he is God in flesh. But rather, he rejects the accusation of blasphemy.

based on the argumentation or faulty reasoning of the Jews before him. So he seeks to invoke Scripture, the Scripture that they recognise, the Scripture that they revere, the Scripture that they understand and they know and they've memorised, to prove that his opposition to his opposition, that if it's merely the words of Christ, merely the words that have come out of his mouth, if that's all they want to consider, he's going to prove to them that based on every word that has come out of my mouth that has caused you to carry those stones and stone me, or at least attempt, you have no case. That's what he's doing here. That you have absolutely no case. That you're judging unrighteously.

In particular, The words that they have a problem with are the ones that Jesus says that they have a problem with him claiming to be the Son of God. Or in their own words, makes himself or declares himself to be God. They have no definite case against him and he'll show that. Beloved, if it's purely based on our Lord's words, the charge of blasphemy actually cannot be made. And that's what Jesus is saying.

The argument goes like this. If there is ever a text, even just one, in Holy Scripture that you recognise as the Word of God, that Christ recognises the Word of God, that you recognise is the Law of God, and he's pointing the finger and says, well, it's written in your law, we'll get to that, that's significant, we'll get to that. But if you recognise that the Law of God, the Word of God that is being given to you, if there is any word in Scripture whereby someone is called God, or God's, or the Son of God, or the Son of the Most High, the very things that you're accusing me of blasphemy for saying, if there's even a single example, and you have no objection with that example, and you have no issue with that example, and you haven't claimed that God is blaspheming, or the author is blaspheming, then, in that case, there is no case that you can make against me for the charge of blasphemy. I know it sounds a bit complicated and there is more to it than that but just bear with me. You see Jesus is refuting their charge because they're divorcing his works and they're flattening his words and because they do that they actually have no case against him.

In other words if there is precedent in scripture If mere men, which in this case the Jews claim Jesus to be, if there is even a single text in Scripture that refers to gods and calls them gods, and they're not referring to the only true God, the God of Israel, if there is even a single text, then the charge of blasphemy doesn't hold water. And that would require to produce more evidence before they cast the first stone. And that evidence would require them to then look at his works. Verse 34 again, Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, your Torah, your law, the word of God that has come to you. Jesus is not disconnecting himself from the law.

This is his law. It is his word. But he's giving them, the way he's speaking is he's making them take ownership of it. Because I'm going to use the very words, the very law that you recognise. The scripture, the infallible word of God that you recognise, that you memorise, that you teach, that you live by, I'm going to use it.

to prove your case to be impotent. I'm going to use your law. Now it's very interesting, and we'll get to this the only other time, that in the gospel according to John, where the Lord points seemingly, points seemingly, and says your law, it is written in your law, it's back in John chapter 8, but there it is in the setting, my apologies, of a courtroom setting. Back there Jesus is saying that according to your law there needs to be at least two witnesses for the testimony to be true. And then Jesus goes on to say, I witness and my father witnesses about me.

So basically he's saying in a courtroom setting, speaking to the religious leaders, and he's saying, make righteous judgment. This is according to your law that you recognize, make righteous judgment. But more of that, more of that a little, a little later. According to your law, He says, the word that you read, the law that you memorize, the Torah, according to your law, is it not written, in your law I said you are gods, Jesus says, verse 35, if he calls them gods to whom the word of God came and scripture cannot be broken, do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, you are blasphemers? I said, I am the son of God.

There's a few things we can look at here. Jesus makes an appeal through Scripture. And according to our Lord, Scripture cannot be broken. Scripture cannot be broken. It cannot be refuted.

It cannot be proven false. No force, no word, no principality, no courtroom will ever find that gavel coming down and saying there is a word of discrepancy or a lie in this word. Scripture cannot be broken. Brothers and sisters, a whole sermon can be preached on those four words. And believe me, as I've went through this, nine verses, I've thought many times to break it down.

But I really want us to get through the whole section together because I do believe it's a beautiful unity. It cannot be broken. Why? Because it's spoken from the very mouth of God. Let all men be liars, but God to be true.

It is inerrant. It is infallible. It's spoken from the mouth of God, beloved brothers and sisters, those who belong to Jesus Christ. We need to have the heart of Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God that comes and resides in us upon the moment we are saved, the moment that we are converted from the darkness into the light.

The Spirit of God comes and one of His primary purposes within us is to conform us into the image of Christ, to be like Him in everything, and to be like Him in His view and His resolve of Scripture. And according to Jesus, the Scripture cannot be broken. You stand upon the Word of God. The world is preaching the opposite. You stand upon the Word of God.

May He give us the conviction to stand upon the Word of God and say, no, let God be true and every man a liar. Jesus recognized the Scripture not to be able to be broken. Breakable. And the fact that he resolves to appealing to scripture in this moment where these men have these stones and they're just about to throw them at him in fury. The fact that Jesus goes and appeals to scripture tells me that Jesus also believes that scripture is sufficient.

Sufficient to break arguments. Sufficient to break strongholds. Sufficient to prove truth. Sufficient in all of life. But that's a sermon for another day.

It is written, he says, I said you are gods. What about that? What are these words about? Five words. He makes reference to five words from the Old Testament.

Our Lord appeals to scripture, but he only mentions five words. No reference to where they come from. Simply five words in the Old Testament. Now, let me ask you a rhetorical question. Don't put your hand up.

First time you read this text, did you know where Jesus was referring to or what words he was referring to? I don't say this to shame you, because I didn't either. But these men before the Lord did, because otherwise Jesus wouldn't have spoken them. He speaks five words, knowing they will know not only the words, but the context, where it comes from, and how He's applying it to them. Beloved brothers and sisters, this is incredible.

There's 39 books of the Old Testament, and that's all they had. But they knew them. Five words. And Jesus expects his audience to know what he's saying and how he's defending his cause with only five words. You know, it's a commendable thing.

It's a commendable thing to know scripture. It's a commendable thing to memorize the word. It's a commendable thing to teach it and to meditate upon it. It's a commendable thing. But beloved, what good is Scripture if you fill yourself up with the written Word of God and yet you don't know the incarnate Word of God?

What use is that? When they know and they've studied the Word and they've got their heads filled with the written Word and the incarnate Word of God stands before them, the very purpose and the goal for all that is written was pointing towards this Jesus, the very embodiment of the Word of God, the very expression of the Word of God, the fullness of the Word of God, who stands before them and they don't recognize Him. What were they filling their heads with? What are we filling our heads with? When we approach His Word, God forbid we approach it simply to learn.

God forbid we approach it just to know more, to have answers, so we can do the trivia and we can get all the answers right. Or that we can engage with our brothers and sisters and know the answers and be able to interact in deeper dialogue. God forbid, this is the Word of God. When we approach the Word of God, we encounter God Himself. We hear the voice of the Saviour, the sweet voice of the Saviour, Saviour speaking to our very soul.

Fill our heads with the Word, and if we don't know the incarnate Word, all is lost. In fact, judgment is added. Because the Word is light, and the more light someone has, the more judgment that comes. It is not written, is it not written in your law I said, you are gods, 35. If he calls them gods to whom the word of God came and scripture cannot be broken, do you say of him whom the father consecrated and sent into the world, you are blaspheming because I said, I am the son of God.

Beloved brothers and sisters, it's time to get you out of suspense. It's actually Psalm 82 that Jesus is referring to. So let's open our Bibles to Psalm 82. We'll read it together because the context, I think, is very important to what our Lord is saying, to understand what he's saying. Psalm 82, and I want us to realize from the very beginning, there are two places, two places where beings or characters who are not the only true God, Yahweh.

There are two places in this Psalm, it's only short, two places where gods are mentioned. Verse one, and then verse six, and it's actually verse six that Jesus is quoting. Let's start from the beginning. And beloved, please, there's not a lot of time, there's a lot to get through, so I'm not going to, I'm not going to do much explaining here, but as we read, please just take heed and attention to the context of what is going on here. And that's very important.

God, from verse one, Psalm 82, we've got our Bibles open, Psalm 82. God has taken his place in the divine council, in the midst of the gods. He takes, or sorry, he holds Judgment. I sort of regret wearing that extra shirt underneath my other shirt. I thought it might be cold today.

Beloved, God stands in the midst of gods, we're told here. There's a courtroom setting. Judgment. There is judgment being handed out. The great God, the God of all the universe stands.

in a courtroom setting. And he stands among these people and they're called gods, small g in our Bible, plural, gods. There's been much debate over the years as to who the gods are in this text. Well, one thing we have to be clear on is that whoever the gods are, and I have an opinion, a strong opinion, whoever the gods are, they are not the one true God, right? We can see that because we're told here, we're told that God has taken his place in the divine council in the midst of the gods.

You have God, whose glory fills the heavens and the earth, but he sits and before him there are these gods with small g, So we know that much. Whoever these gods are, they're not the only true God. The word used here, gods, in the Hebrew, I think all of us would know, at least most of us know, Elohim. Elohim, it is the plural for God. It is in fact the same word that is referred to God Himself.

So the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, refers when it says Elohim more often than not, it speaks of the only true God. It's referring and pointing back to God Himself. Elohim. But this passage, obviously, those gods with small g, even though it's the same word, the commentators or the interpreters have done the right thing, small g, because it's obviously not referring to the greater God, the only God, hero Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one. They're different characters.

So Elohim could be the only God. There is a second example. Elohim also could be the pagan gods. The pagan gods. For example, in Exodus chapter 12 and again in Exodus chapter 23, the gods of Egypt, the very gods that God himself, Yahweh, is going to enact judgment upon and punish back in that day are called Elohim.

Elohim could be the only true God, could be the pagan gods. Did I say gods of Israel? I meant gods of Egypt, not of Israel. I'm not sure if I said that right. Elohim is also used to refer to angels.

Now you know the text in Hebrews chapter 2 verse 7. What is man that you are mindful of him, or son of man that you care for him? For a little while he was made little, lower than angels. You know, that text is actually referring to an Old Testament passage. In Psalm chapter 8, you have made them a little lower than Elohim.

Direct reference. Elohim could be angels. But Elohim can also, in Scripture, be referring to human beings. No, no, not any human beings, but rather beings who have been divinely appointed by God. for a divinely appointed office, and in fact in that office they're representing God in some way.

To carry out one of God's own attributes on his behalf. I'm talking about human judges. Those who execute the justice of God. You see, the foundation of the throne of God, according to Psalm 89, is what? Righteousness and justice.

Justice belongs to Yahweh. It belongs to God. So these judges are called by the name of God, Elohim, because they sit on the seat of God, so to speak, in order to enact and execute the judgment on behalf of God. Their judgment is the judgment of God. Moses was sent by God to Pharaoh to bring judgment upon him and their gods and the people of Israel through ten plagues.

And the Bible says that Moses is like God, Elohim, to Pharaoh. In Exodus chapter 22 also, in the case where judges are appointed to, or actually where there's a discrepancy in money that is being taken and it needs to be adjudicated, then they're told there that they ought to bring them to Elohim, the judges. Now, not all translations translated judges, but the most do. And I believe here in Psalm 82, I believe here it's referring, when it refers to Elohim, I do believe it's referring to human judges, and there's a reason. Context.

Context, context, context. Beloved brothers and sisters, context, context, context. Never take a verse out of context, because then you can try to prove anything with any verse, and that's a horrible thing to do. Context, context, context. Let's look at the context again.

Immediately after verse 1, where the first time we hear the word God's Elohim, we have verse 2, and God tells us about these Elohim. How long will you, what? Judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked. Selah. Give justice to the weak and fatherless.

Maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy. Deliver them from the hand of the wicked. They have neither knowledge nor understanding. Speaking of who?

The judges. They walk about in darkness. Speaking about who? The judges. All the foundation of the earth are shaken.

Remember, they're standing before the counsel of God, the great judge of all the earth. I said, you are gods. This is what Jesus is referring to. I said, you are gods, sons of the most high, all of you, nevertheless, like men you shall die and fall like any prince. had an exalted position, yes, but your judgment is gonna be just like any other man.

Arise, O God, judge the earth, for you shall inherit all the nations. So no doubt, when Jesus refers them back to the scripture, back to Psalm, Psalm chapter 82, And he's speaking about these gods, these Elohims that are judges, but they're unjust, unrighteous judges. And these Jews that are before the Lord, these men, these leaders of Israel who perceive the word of God, these men who now calling judgment upon Jesus with stones in their hands. The fact that they want to stone him because he uses the very terms that are being used in Psalm 82. And they don't have any issue with Psalm 82.

They haven't got an issue with the God of the Bible who authored Psalm 82, or Asaph, the actual author of the Psalm. They haven't an issue or any objection, and they don't accuse the Psalmist of blasphemy. And then Jesus says, if that's the case, if you've just gone with semantics and pulling my words out, my words have been used in Scripture, there's precedence in Scripture, so you have no case. Now you can use those words, you can use that evidence, but you need more than just those words, because those words have already been used. And that's what Jesus is saying here.

If your whole argument is hanging upon my words, syllables and vocabulary and words coming from my mouth, then you have no case. He doesn't hold water. Even if you deem me to be a mere man, I think Jesus is saying the scripture gives precedence for me to say what I said and not be guilty of blasphemy. But I believe there's more to it than that. I believe our Lord directs the attention of these religious leaders to Psalm 82 for another reason also.

I said earlier that the fact that he only mentions five words, he knows. He knows by mentioning those five words, their minds are going to go back to the exact text, their minds are going to go back to the context. These aren't men like, with all due respect to men in today's, I'm one. We're not that smart. Our minds don't, we don't feel, we don't memorize like that.

These men, like the Pharisees, you couldn't be a Pharisee unless you memorized Torah, the first five books of Moses. Ask me how many chapters I've memorized. Actually, the short Psalms I have, but that's it. No, no comparison. No, if they're men, I'm an ant in comparison to their mind power.

He refers them back, and there's no doubt in my mind that they knew what Jesus was talking about. They were familiar with the text, familiar with the context, familiar that God stands, a big God, the only true God, stands in His counsel and stands in judgment upon these gods, these Elohims who have been entrusted with the Word of God, entrusted for righteous judgment, but they haven't because they lack knowledge and they dwell in darkness. I want you to realize something. Back in verse 35, Jesus says, if he called them gods to whom the word of God came, if he called them gods to whom the word of God came, You see, now we know the context, now we know the gods are the judges, human judges that have been appointed by God, human judges. But it's interesting he says here, to whom the word of God came.

Jesus, he didn't need to add that. But he gives you that piece of information. Because these judges don't stand in judgment on their own. Oh no, they don't stand. Yahweh is not sending these men and going, you look like you're pretty clever.

You can judge my people. My throne is founded on righteousness and justice. I'm sure you'll do a great job with justice. God hates injustice. You read the text of Scripture and you cannot come out with any other reality, truth.

God hates the injustice. He hates it. No, they don't judge based on their own intellect, on their own understanding, but rather to whom the Word of God came. God gave them His Word, His law, His statutes, His precepts. They judge according to the precepts of God.

Their judgments impact real people. These are leaders in the people of God, in areas. And their judgments will impact the people, not just the individuals that come and are judged. But what if a false prophet comes and wants to proclaim to the people? Are they not judged him in righteousness?

How? Well, they can only judge him according to the word, according to the law, according to the commands of God. They need the Word of God because God is the one who appoints judges and the Lord is the one who equips the judges. He gives them His Word which is all-sufficient and cannot be broken. Now a good example of this is in King Jehoshaphat.

In the Old Testament, in the Southern Kingdom, after the breaking of the Kingdom of Israel into two, Northern Kingdom, Southern Kingdom, King Jehoshaphat is the fourth of the kings in the Southern Kingdom, if you remember. Rehoboam and Abijah, and then his father Esau, who was righteous, and Jehoshaphat, who was a righteous king. And when he came into the kingdom and reigned as king of Judah, he made many reforms to bring the people back to the Lord. And from 2 Chronicles 17-19, we're told that one of the things he did was he gathered his officials and the Levite priests with the purpose. And that purpose was to send them throughout the whole of the cities of Judah.

For what purpose? To teach the people the Word of God. You must teach everyone in Judah the Word of God. And then from there, those who learned and before the Word of God, He then chose from among them judges. Judges to judge.

The people. To judge the people according to the laws of God, he says. He charges them to judge according to the commandments of God, the rules and the precepts of God. He says you're being equipped to know how to judge according to the word of God that you've been taught by the officials and the Levites. The law of God.

You need to own it. You need to receive it. You need to judge according to the word of God, because you don't judge on your own. Actually, the words he says are beautiful. Listen to what he says.

He says in verse 15, he says, speaking to the judges, Consider what you do, for you judge not for man, but for the Lord. He is with you in giving judgment. He is with you in giving judgment. Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful what you do.

For there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality, or taking bribes. It's the first part that I want you to hear. Consider what you do, for you judge not for man, but for God. You are not the representative of man. That's why I said earlier, you sit on the seat of God, so to speak, because you're representing God.

You sit on, that's your duty, to represent God in justice and in righteousness. You hold the law in one hand, the Word of God in one hand, the precepts and the commands of God in one hand, and the gavel in the other. Don't you dare do it on your own. Don't you dare do it apart from what the Lord has equipped you with, His Word and His law. So I'm referring these men back to Psalm 82.

I truly believe the Lord is pointing out, making two points. Two points. And then he looks at the people, the Jews before him, and he says, John chapter 10, we're back in John chapter 10 now. And he begins with, it is written in your law. It is written in your law.

Now, as I said earlier, Jesus is not disassociating himself from the law. It is his law. He's not disassociating himself from the Word of God. Remember, in your law. He's not referring to the Torah, the first five books of the Bibles.

We've just gone to the Psalms. The law can be a synonym for the Word of God. It is written in your law. Own it. He says, you've already proven with your words and your conduct that you, at least in your mind superficially, Act according to the Word of God.

I mean, you've got stones in your hand because you thought that blasphemy requires that sort of penalty and that's why you want to kill me. Now, you may be faulty in your understanding. I've proven you wrong. The case doesn't hold any water. However, this is your law.

And Jesus is throwing it back at them and saying, it is written in your Your law. And I said earlier that in chapter 8, it was the last time, actually the only other time in the book of John, that Jesus looks at the religious leaders of the day and says, written in your law. Back then, it is a courtroom setting. Back then, he's almost saying to these people, make righteous judgments, as he said in John chapter 7, when he looked upon the people and he said, don't make judgments according to appearance, but make righteous judgments. So Jesus is saying, you, You've made judgment.

Are you making the judgments according to the law? Your law? The law that you so evaluate and uphold and love and memorize and teach? Are you referring back to the Word of God in order to make your judgments? On one occasion at least, Jesus has proved no.

He's taken them back to five words and broke their argument. Now I want you to think about this. Five words. Now if you read their head you'll know they dropped their stones and they didn't stone the Lord. Five words exonerated him.

Five words that they overlooked that could have been the difference between the life of an individual Him being alive or him being dead. Who are you to make that decision? You sit on that seat and you take it lightly. This is your law. Jesus is pointing at them, I imagine, and saying, this is your law.

This is your law. I'm speaking, referring to your law. And in five words, I've broken down the argument where you've done a 180 degree turn and justice, what you thought was justice, was now, was actually injustice. You're just about to shed innocent blood. Your law.

Judgments impact so many people. It may be that some of these Jews are on their seats, take seats in the Sanhedrin, and they're dismissing Christ as a blasphemer. Do you know there are many people in this day that hang upon every single word that these Jews spoke and taught? They weren't smart enough to make decisions and they're just like, what do our leaders say? What do our leaders say about this certain topic?

We just don't know. What do you say? He's a blasphemer. Turn away. Walk away.

You remember in Matthew, how Jesus says, looking upon the leaders of Israel, says, Oh, how I wanted to gather your children under my wings, but you, speaking to the Pharisees, that they would not allow it. Do you remember that? Because they said, no, stay away from this guy. He's a blasphemer. That's the judgment they made.

Your law. It is written in your law. The context of the Psalm is that the judge of all the earth will bring the judges bringing them before Him. And they'll have to give an account. They'll give an account.

And the judgment that befalls those in Psalm 82 is a terrifying, terrifying judgment. Consider what you do, for you judge not for man, but for the Lord. I believe Jesus is indicting these Jews to judgment. They've divorced the essential evidence, the essential element for which they can, the elements that they will be able to make a righteous judgment involve the works that Christ has done by the works of the Father, the power of the Father, the wondrous deeds, the good works. And they said, we're going to turn a blind eye to that.

Why? Because that's evidence. that brings information to the table whereby if they acknowledge the work of the Father in Christ, they cannot call Christ a blasphemer. So what's Jesus do now? He breaks down their argument.

I believe he's indicting them with judgment under the wrath of God for their erroneous judgment. But he's still there and he's still talking to them and now he takes them back to what he said in verse 32. Verse 37, if I am not doing the works of my Father, he takes them back. You realize? He doesn't need water.

The whole thing is his own. So let me go back. Let me go back to the matter of works, because you need to address that. If I'm not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. 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 am in the Father.

You may not believe the words I say, but can you deny my works? Can you deny the Father, the only true God, the one that you recognize as Yahweh? Can you recognize that the things that I do cannot be done by the power of mere man? That the miracles I've performed, that the power I have over the demons, Giving sight to the blind? Invalid man, 40 years almost, made well?

Healing the leper? How many times in the Old Testament have you heard of a leper being healed apart from the power of God? Zero. Zero. Can you now assess my work?

Can you stand in judgment and assess the work that I have done in the name of the Father? And can you say now, based on that work, that I'm a blasphemer? Make no mistake, beloved Jesus, He's not referring back to Psalm 82 to say somehow that He fits in the same category as the gods or the judges in that text. He's not doing that. he's simply breaking down that argument.

Because when he comes back, and he brings the facts of verse 37 to play, and that is to bring back the works he does in the Father's name, and for them to give proper and righteous judgment, not judge according to appearance, but righteous judgment, then they cannot but recognize. that the Father is working through this man. He cannot be doing these things on his own. I've said it and said it over and again. Wondrous deeds and miracles will never, ever invoke faith.

They will never bring faith. But they will stop you in the tracks to say, this must be the hand of God and therefore I must listen to what this man has to say. And what Jesus is saying to these men is simply this. Put a blind eye, turn a blind eye to my works for a reason. I've broken down your argument and now let's bring my work back into play and tell me if this work that you've seen me perform is not from the hands of the Father.

If it's not, don't believe. That's what Jesus is saying. But if it is, you must believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. No apologies. He said earlier in verse 30, I and the Father are one.

They grabbed stones to stone him. They still have the stones to stone him. And he repeats it again in different words to say, I am in the Father and the Father is in me. That means that I am divine. I and the Father are one.

That I am truly the only Son of God, the consecrated one, sent by God to save human beings. I am He. Bring my works into play and now tell me. Make proper judgment. Judge righteously.

You know it. Jesus is saying, you know it. You know my deeds. You know that I've been sanctioned by the Father, but you're suppressing the truth in unrighteousness. How do we know?

How do we know? You remember Nicodemus? I've taken you back several times to Nicodemus with a conversation Jesus had with him in John chapter 3 for different elements. This is another one again. You remember what Nicodemus said when he came to Jesus by night?

Let me remind you. This is Nicodemus, and we know who Nicodemus is. He's the preeminent one among them, right? The religious leader that Jesus says, you are the teacher of Israel. So this is the guy that everyone looks to.

This is what he says, Rabbi, first words to Jesus, first words. Rabbi, I know that you are a teacher from God, for no one can do these things that you do unless God is with him. No, no, that's not what he said. Rabbi, we know. You see, Nicodemus doesn't come on behalf of Nicodemus.

We know. The teacher of Israel has the support of the whoever, I don't know, a group of men, most likely in the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees. He was a Pharisee. We know a teacher who comes from God. How do you know Nicodemus for no one?

This is honest. No one can do the signs that you do unless God is with him and Jesus is saying, you tried to make me a blasphemer. Your case doesn't hold water. Let's bring the works back in. And now what do you have to say?

Suppress the truth in unrighteousness. He exposes them for what they are. And I think rightly so. If they understand the context, they're going, Are we those judges in Psalm chapter 2 where God Yahweh will bring us into His counsel and judge us like this? Are we the exalted people, the leaders of Israel that claim to know the Word of God, that apprehend the law of God?

It's our law, we uphold it. Are we the ones that Jesus is claiming that we act not in accordance to the law? Are we the ones who will be judged one day because we have been living in darkness? Is God going to crush us under the weight of His wrath? Will we stand before this great judge?

You've got a preview of it. Because the one who will execute all judgment is standing before them now. For the Father has given Him to execute all judgment. And He's saying, beware. What a warning to these men.

He could have walked away. He warns them. Don't divorce my works from my words. Brothers and sisters, we're almost done. Just bear with me, we're almost done.

He says, you call me a blasphemer because I say that I am the Son of God, that I am the one who was sent by the Father. that I'm the one who was consecrated by the Father, set apart, sanctified for a purpose, that by grace and His love, He sent me to this world to become the Savior of sinners, that I would gather my sheep who know no better, who are wandering off, who are on the course to destruction, that I would come and seek them out, and I would gather them unto myself and I would give them life. I'd open their eyes to see the life they thought they had was death. The light they thought they had was darkness. The joy they thought they had was wretched misery in comparison to what I give my sheep who hear my voice.

The One sent by the Father, sanctified by the Father, consecrated, sent and calls Himself the Son of God, because He is indeed the Son of God, stands before these men who have the Word of God and the Law of God, and yet they suppress that truth in unrighteousness. Right now, beloved, you are to remember they are in the temple space. They are celebrating in the midst of the celebration of what? The consecration of the temple that the ancestors consecrated some 200 years earlier, led by Judas Maccabees. They're celebrating and singing and joyfully raising their voices and giving off sacrifices.

The temple was consecrated once again to the people of Israel. That same temple that within a will be destroyed and not a stone will be standing upon another. And yet, the one that the Father, the only true God, has consecrated and sent for the forgiveness of sins, the treasure of heaven, the one who comes with His glory and splendor, comes before them and preaches good news. No. No.

No. No. We're going to rejoice in the temple. But you, Jesus, we have nothing but disdain and disgust with you. I wish we can crush your head with these stones.

But we can't. You've just proven us wrong. And that won't go because there are listeners around us and they know that we have to walk. We can't do that. We can't do that anymore.

And it finishes by these men dropping their stones and not acting in the rage that they began with. Jesus is warning them. He says, if you're going to be honest with yourselves, if you do bring back my work, if you do recognize that the Father has worked in and through me, that if you cannot deny it, Nick knew it, you knew it, just now you're suppressing that truth because of the the ignorance in your heart, and beyond that, the willful disbelief, the willful unbelief. But if they brought that back into the equation and recognized the work of Christ, undeniably the work of the Father, and then put two and two together, now brothers and sisters, you know this is a spiritual activity, and then they heard the words of Christ, then they'll know they actually had accused him wrongly, not just with blasphemy, but they've also accused him wrongly in their words that you being a man make yourself to be God. You put the works of Christ and the words of Christ with the Spirit's illumination and you'll no longer say he makes himself to be God, but he is God.

He is God in flesh. And you don't pick up stones to stone Him, but rather the only rightful response is to fall on your knees and worship Him. But there is a judge, and Jesus says in John chapter 12, the word I have spoken will judge on the last day. The question is, have we judged rightly? Has Christ, have we judged Him rightly?

Do we recognize that all that He has done, He's done in the name of the Father, sent by the Father, perfectly accomplishing the will of the Father. All that He did was pleasing to the Father to accomplish and to complete the plan of redemption that was in the heart of the Triune God from eternity past to save His people. Have we judged rightly? If we have, have we enthroned Him in our hearts to the position that He ought to take in our hearts as the King of kings and the Lord of lords? Know me, man.

Know me, man. Jesus wasn't putting Himself in the category of the Psalm 20 or the Psalm 82 gods, not at all. Jesus is reasserting that He is God. Have these Jews judged rightly? He gave them an opportunity.

Have they? Have they judged according to the law of God? Well, according to the word of God. Have they come to recognize Christ for who He is? Have they heard the words of the Father who says, this is my Son in whom I am well pleased?

Have they come to recognize the testimony of Christ because they've judged Him rightly? Have they? Have they? Have they come to recognize him as a unique son of God? Have they taken the warning to heart?

Verse 39, that's the end there. Verse 39. Again, they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands. The rage settled because they have no case. They've come to their senses, they're probably thinking if we had stoned him, it would have been a doozy with the Romans.

but their judgment hasn't changed. You realize that? They sought to arrest him. The outcome is still the same. They still want the same outcome.

But in this time, in a matter of months, they cover their own backs. They'll hand this Jesus, according to the law, to the governor Pontius Pilate. And when they give him to Pontius Pilate, they'll cry out, crucify him, crucify him. And then Pontius Pilate will actually crucify him and he'll say, for what? I find no guilt in this man.

No guilt. You've come with all your accusations. I find no guilt in this man. And then the Jews will open their mouths once again and say, we have a law. And according to our law, this man must die because he claims to be the son of God.

No change. Let's pray.