Hearing the Humble Lord: Breaking the Mold of Belief
John 10:34-38
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 of him whom 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."
Jesus is defending His claim to divinity, specifically His statement, "I am the Son of God," which the religious leaders deem to be blasphemous. He had already told them that "before Abraham, I am." Now he's told them that his miraculous works testify for him as well. And he explains that his sheep know him, hear him, and follow him. He's made everything clear. He's claimed to be both omnificent, and omnipresent, God of all creation since the beginning. He's claimed to be omnipotent in his miraculous supernatural works. And he's claimed to be the Sovereign Lord omnibenevolent towards humanity. He really hasn't left much to the imagination. Anyone who tries to claim Jesus never claimed to be God is being deliberately disingenuous or they're just plain ignorant. And because of these claims they sought to destroy him.
John 10:39
"Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands."
Jesus’ claim to preexist Abraham (John 8:58) and His unity with the Father (John 10:38) point to His role in creation. The gospel writer John affirms this in John 1:3, "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." Jesus’ "I AM" statement and His ability to escape arrest (John 10:39) suggest a transcendence beyond human limitations. His claim to be the Good Shepherd whose voice is heard by His sheep across all time (John 10:27) implies a presence that reaches all who follow Him. This is critically important for us to grasp since we believe but have not seen him. Jesus’ omnipresence comforts believers, assuring them He is always near, guiding and protecting them, even in moments of spiritual opposition.
His claims are unambiguous: He is divine, eternal, and one with the Father. Yet this clarity provokes hostility in many folks. I've learned that there's a human cost for clarity. I've learned this in my dealings with my clients in business and in dealing with my own family. Knowing the truth, and speaking the truth comes with a cost.
The leaders’ attempt to arrest Him in John 10:39 (and their later intent to stone Him, John 11:8) stems from their refusal to accept His testimony, despite the evidence of His works.
What I've learned in my old age is that this principle about the sheep hearing or not has a great deal to do with whether or not someone is even able to accept a new belief. If you're predisposed to believe something you're going to perceive those things in a way that will support your view. And likewise if you've convinced yourself against something you're perception will guide your thinking, even inventing things in your mind that support your view. This is how all human beings judge things. It's very subjective. I've learned that some people have a predisposition, a point of view that is inclined towards believing something about someone, or something, and this person is often intransigent about that belief. Mainly because they've lived for such a long time believing those things, and now it's formed much of their thinking about life and relationships. Our fundamental beliefs are formed and evolve over time, but sometimes certain beliefs cannot evolve without a radical change of perception. And that means we're preconditioned to accept only the things that fit into our particular molds. And of course, it's very difficult to break out of that mold without completely destroying it. So doctrinal beliefs are very difficult to challenge, but not in word or truth, but in our perception. And I don't mean interpretation. I mean to say that our preconceived notions greatly impact our belief. If you're attempting to understand and teach the words of Jesus, you've got to have His perspective, His perception, which is why it's critically important to grasp this idea about His omnipresent, omnipotent, omnificent, and omnibenevolent nature.
The apostle Paul gets deep into this understanding in the second chapter of his letter to the Philippians, sometimes referred to as "the Christ hymn".
Philippians 2:5-11
"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Paul describes His [Jesus'] journey from divine glory to human obedience and back to exaltation. Jesus’ divine nature ("form of God," v. 6) aligns with His role as The Creator (John 1:3). His omnipresent, exalted name, acknowledged "in heaven and on earth and under the earth" (v. 10), suggests a presence that transcends time and space. And Jesus is the divine government; He holds all authority over all things. His omnipotent exaltation and authority over all creation (vv. 9-11) echoes the power displayed in John 10’s miracles and his escape, showing no force can thwart Him. And finally, His self-emptying and sacrificial death (vv. 7-8) embodies His omnibenevolent and infinite love, offering salvation to humanity, like the eternal life promised in John 10:28. Philippians 2 complements John 10 by balancing Jesus’ divine claims with His humility, enriching the theme of clarity’s cost.
This is the clear message of the gospel. Jesus’ claims (e.g., "I and the Father are one," v. 30) are unambiguous but at the same time VERY divisive. This is why it becomes a challenge for some to accept Him fully as Lord. For some it's just too difficult to make that complete decision. And as I said earlier, this inability to "hear" is likely a consequence of their preconceived notions. Some resist, chained to their cognitive bias, their preconceptions; and others hear, transformed by His voice. The deciding factor is an emptying of the self.
The fact of the matter is, to understand Jesus, we need His perspective, His divine love, His humble heart. We need his clarity.
So we...
Listen: Spend time in Scripture or prayer to hear the Shepherd’s voice. Let His works (John 10:38) soften our hearts. This can mostly eliminate our biases, maybe not completely, but enough so that we can hear him.
Surrender: Jesus’ clarity cost Him the cross. We confess Him as Lord, breaking free from our old molds? We confess our need to be reformed in our thinking. We surrender our need to believe our preconceived notions.
Examine: What beliefs shape our perceptions of Jesus? We ask God's Holy Spirit to align our hearts with His perspective. To open our minds to His truth, and to guide our lives in such a way as to grow in his understanding, free from our bias.
Pray: "Lord Jesus, give me Your perspective. Break my biases, help me hear Your voice, and follow You fully. Amen."
His clarity may challenge us, but His love transforms us. As His sheep, let’s embrace His omnificent, omnipotent, omnipresent, omnibenevolent nature today. And let's learn from one another about the clarity of the gospel.