23rd Mar 2011

John 10:22-42 – Further Conflicts over Jesus; Claim

• ”Stones or Flowers?”
• Here Jesus clearly associates Himself with God.
• It infuriates the religious leaders hearing him and they pick up stones to kill them as their law dictated.
• Jesus in His defense invokes two forms of argument;
• Remez and Kal v’chomer
• Remez is one of the four levels of understanding that we use on Pais HD; is means to hint at something and invoke the full meaning of what you hint at. It gives context.
• In this case Jesus invokes to memory Psalm 82:6 and therefore hints at the whole context of Psalm 82. This Psalm talks about how God will judge the ‘gods’ of the day [the judges, leaders and perhaps angels] and even though He has made them great He says of them such things such as;

•  “The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing. They walk about in darkness.
• Jesus is hinting that his accusers are those Psalm 82 is talking about.
• Kal v’chomer is a form of arguing religious law and concepts. Made popular especially through Hillel, Jesus often adopts this method of ‘light and heavy’.
• Basically if something has been established to be true then something else may be compared to it as even truer or even more true.
• Essentially; in this case; Jesus is playing with words – if God calls those He created but are so flawed; ‘gods’ – then how much more is He God! He points to the evidence to prove it.
• What I love about Jesus here is that don’t think He is purpoisely trying to wind the religious leaders up – He is still at these last moments while they have stones in their hands through dangerous language, trying to give them understanding.
• He has not given up on them.
• In fact, He does not give up on those who crucify Him even whilst on the cross.
• No matter who it is; if they are asking Him questions, He is willing and keen to impart understanding!
• When people with stones in their hands ask… don’t give up on them!
• Better a man asking a question with stones in his hands than a man with no questions holding a flower.
• Thanking Jesus for yet more wisdom that He teaches.