The Jews then took up stones[1] to stone Him. But He said to them: “Many good works I have shown to you from My Father; for which[2] of those works do you stone Me?” They replied: “For a good work we stone Thee not, but for blasphemy[3]; because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God.”
Jesus said to them: “If I do not the works of My Father[4], believe Me not. But if I do, though you will not believe Me, believe the works[5], that you may know, and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” Hearing this, they tried to seize Him [6], but He escaped [7] out of their hands.
COMMENTARY.
Our Lord's Divinity is proved in several ways in this chapter. It is proved: i. by His own distinct testimony, 2. by His miracles, 3. by the holiness of His life.
1. Our Lord's own testimony.
He called God His Father: therefore He is the Son of God.
He says: “I give My sheep life everlasting.” God alone can give everlasting life: therefore Jesus is God.
- ↑ Stones. In their blind fury they actually attempted to stone the Son of God for blasphemy against God! But Jesus remained calm and unmoved in their midst, and, cowed by His look, they did not venture to cast at Him the stones which they held in their hands.
- ↑ For which? “You can reproach Me with no evil. I have done nothing but good to you; and is it for that you wish to stone Me?”
- ↑ Blasphemy. They could not deny His good works, but reviled Him as a blasphemer, in spite of the many and wondrous miracles by which the Father testified to Him.
- ↑ Of My Father. The same works as My Father. My works, my miracles testify that I have the power of the Father, and that therefore I am one with Him.
- ↑ The works. Which bear unimpeachable witness to My Divine power. They ought to make you believe that the Father is in Me &c.
- ↑ Seize Him. Such was the only response which these stiff-necked people vouchsafed to our Lord’s glorious revelation of Himself. They thought now of proceeding to extremities, and tried to seize Him, so as to thrust Him out of the Temple, and drag Him before the Sanhedrim.
- ↑ Escaped. As they were on the point of laying hands on Him, Jesus disappeared from their midst. They surrounded Him on all sides, and yet they could not capture Him! “He went beyond the Jordan”, Holy Scripture says, “into that place where John was baptizing first; and many resorted to Him, and said: ‘All things whatsoever John said of this Man were true.’ And many believed in Him.” The memory of the holy Baptist’s words still lived in those parts. The people there believed now, not only on John’s testimony, but on account of our Lord’s holiness and miracles.
