The sermon 'Believe the Works' by Jason Dohm focuses on John Chapter 10, where Jesus is challenged by the Jews during the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem. Jesus asserts His divine identity by claiming unity with God, which enrages the Jews who see it as blasphemy. The sermon emphasizes the importance of Jesus' works as evidence of His divine nature and mission, urging believers to interpret these works as proof of His claims. The sermon also explores the significance of Psalm 82, where Jesus uses the term 'gods' to refer to human judges, arguing from lesser to greater that if they can be called gods, how much more fitting it is for Him, sanctified and sent by the Father, to be called the Son of God. The phrase 'the scripture cannot be broken' is highlighted as reinforcing the authority and inerrancy of Scripture, urging believers to trust in every word. The sermon concludes with an application that challenges both believers and unbelievers to respond to the truth of Jesus' identity and the reliability of Scripture.

Now, it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then the Jews surrounded him and said to him, How long do you keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe.

The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But you do not believe because you are not of my sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall anyone 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 my Father's hand.

I and my Father are one." Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, "'Many good works I have shown you from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?" The Jews answered him, saying, "...for good works we do not 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 he called them gods to whom the Word of God came and scripture cannot be broken, do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world you are blaspheming because I said I am the Son of God if I do not do the works of my father do not believe me but if I do though you do not believe me Believe the works that you may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him. Therefore they sought again to seize him, but he escaped out of their hand.

And he went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there he stayed. Then many came to him and said, John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this man were true, and many believed in him there. Father, as we enter this time of exhortation and exposition, would you soften hearts, open ears and speak clearly through Pastor Jason. In Jesus' name, Amen. Title of the sermon this morning is Believe the Works.

Something that Jesus keeps saying and will continue to say as we work our way through the Gospel of John again and again. The point is that Jesus has demonstrated beyond any doubt that he was sent from God and that he is God by the works that he did very publicly. And so he appeals in our text, the title comes directly out of the text, he appeals that we would believe the works, that we would understand what the works that he has done so publicly actually mean. Last week in our text Jesus continued to pile up astounding claims. This is not new.

Week by week Jesus seems to up the ante and make increasingly astounding claims. And last week was just another installment of him putting some more astounding claims on the pile. In Verse 28, he said that he was able to give his sheep eternal life. So first, he's claiming that there are this group of people that belong to him. They are his sheep.

And secondly, he's saying that he is able to give these sheep eternal life. He is able to be a source of life to these group of people that belong to him throughout eternity. What a claim. And then in verse 30 He says, I and my Father are one. When you look at the Greek grammar, it is very clear that he is not saying that I share the purpose of God.

He is saying I share the nature and essence of God. If we knew the Greek, it would be so clear to us that he is saying it is not just a shared purpose, it is a shared nature and essence. And why did the Jews ever understand that? If anyone in the modern day misunderstands what Jesus was saying, The Jews understood perfectly what Jesus was saying and it really leads us into our text this week. So there are two things from last week's text which serve as a vital context for understanding this week's text.

One, that this last claim, I and my father are one, enraged the Jews. This is what causes them to take up stones. And two, from Verse 25, Jesus said last week in our text, the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. And He is going to come right back to this and drive it home and press this truth on the unbelieving Jews this week. So as we approach our text, let's ask for the Lord's help.

Let's pray. Jesus, we come to you, we pray to you, asking that you would help us and thanking you that in your life on earth you so thoroughly demonstrated that you were from God, that you were God. Let a wave of belief roll over your people today at the preaching of your word as we consider your great works. It could have only been done by one sent from the Father. It could only have been done by God himself.

Thank you for our text. I pray that you would help us in Jesus' name. Amen. I would like to subdivide the text and begin by looking at verses 31-33. Hopefully you are in John chapter 10.

We are finishing the chapter today. John chapter 10 verses 31-33. Follow along as I read. Verses 31-33. Then The Jews took up stones again to stone him.

Jesus answered them, Many good works I have shown you from my Father, For which of those works do you stone me? The Jews answered him saying, For a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy, because you being a man make yourself God. In these verses we have a violent reaction. Immediately after saying, I and my father are one, they were Greek speakers, they understood the Greek grammar, that he was claiming not just to be one purpose with his father, but to share a nature and an essence. To be God with one in the most fundamental way.

To be God. They understood that he was claiming to be God. He was making a claim to be divine himself. In hearing this, the Jews are seized with an uncontrollable rage and they take up stones. This is the third time in the Gospel of John that we've seen this.

In chapter 5, in Jerusalem Jesus had healed a man who had been lame for 38 years, but he healed him on the Sabbath. And we read this in chapter 5 verse 18. John chapter 5 verse 18. Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath wrong, but also said that God was his Father making himself equal with God. So Jesus making claims to being equal with God are not new.

They extend back to chapter 5. The Jews didn't misunderstand. They perfectly understood. And they were seeking all the more to kill Him back in chapter 5. In chapter 8, Also in Jerusalem, chapter 8 verse 58, Jesus said, before Abraham was, I am.

Again, the Jews didn't misunderstand. They perfectly understood. And in the next verse, in John 8 verse 59, it says, Then they took up stones to throw at him, But Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, Going through the midst of them, and so passed by. So both of these things, Chapter 5, they sought all the more to kill him. Chapter 8, they took up stones to throw at him.

Both of these things happened right in Jerusalem. So very applicable to our text. Really this text in John chapter 10 is a replay of what we saw in John chapter 5 and chapter 8. It should be noted that any of these, had this actually happened in John chapter 5, or if this had actually happened in John chapter 8, or if this actually happened in our chapter, John chapter 10, any of these would have been a totally unlawful action, either considering the law of God, which requires due process, or the law of Rome, in which they had reserved the death penalty verdicts to themselves. So we will actually see this play out in the crucifixion of Jesus.

The Jews had no right to put him to death themselves and So they took him to Pontius Pilate because only the Romans could pronounce a death sentence verdict and carry it out. They had reserved that to themselves. So this would have been unlawful by the law of God. There was no due process here. This would have been unlawful by Roman law because they had reserved that verdict to themselves and the Jews Don't care here in John chapter 10.

They pick up stones. They're in an uncontrolled Rage and they would do it anyway Verse 32 Jesus says many good works. I have shown you from my Father, for which of those works do you stone me? Remember, Jesus in Jerusalem is central to the Gospel of John. This is one of the things that separates the Gospel of John from Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are primarily taking place in Galilee with a little bit in Jerusalem. The Gospel of John is exactly the flip side of that. Mostly taking place in Jerusalem with a little bit in Galilee. So The Gospel of John has been and continues to be about Jesus' public ministry in Jerusalem. So he's claiming what we've seen, which is that he's done many public works in Jerusalem, right in the capital city of God's special people, God's special nation.

Jesus went to the capital and did many very, very public miracles and works to demonstrate His identity. So again, last week in our text, he said that the Father's works bear witness of him. Again we see it here in this subsection of our text. We are going to see more of it again in a minute where Jesus comes back to that and pounds on it. Here's the point.

This is core. This is core to Jesus' teaching. Not just that he was teaching and saying perfectly true things, but that he was proving and demonstrating all along the way by doing things that no one else can do, that he was sent by God and that he was God. This is core to Jesus' own argument. This should help us in our own evangelism.

It was core to Jesus' argument. It should be core to our argument too. Jesus wasn't just a big talker. He backed it all up with works that his father gave him to do to prove that his claims were true claims and that his teaching was the truth of God. The Jews say, we are not stoning you for a good work, we are stoning you for blasphemy.

You are just a man, but you make yourself out to be God. Listen to Leviticus chapter 24 verse 16. Leviticus 24 verse 16. And whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him." Undoubtedly the Jews here in our text are thinking about Leviticus 24-16 where God's law calls for blasphemers to be put to death and specifically that the whole congregation would stone the blasphemer.

Of course you actually need to be blaspheming, but the law does call for the stoning of blasphemers in national Israel. So that's the first subsection. Now let's continue on in 34-39. John chapter 10 verses 34-39. Follow along as I read.

Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, You are God's. Little g, God's. If He called them gods to whom the word of God came and the scripture cannot be broken, do you say of Him who the Father sanctified and sent into the world, you are blaspheming because I said I am the Son of God? If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me. But if I do, though you do not believe me, Believe the works that you may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him.

Therefore they sought again to seize him, but he escaped out of their hand." In these verses We have Jesus' explanation and appeal. So if you're filling in blanks on the handout. Explanation and appeal. Fill in the blanks. This is Jesus' explanation.

He explains to them or responds to what they've just said and he appeals to them to believe the works. We have a two-fold response here. One, he quotes Psalm 82 and two, again, Again, again, again, he points them back to the works that he's been doing publicly. Works that no one else can do. Let's take these one at a time.

First, he quotes Psalm 82, verse 6. You are gods, not capital G, God as in the one God of heaven and earth, the one true God, but you are little g, gods. Psalm 82 does say that, you are gods. Now we are at a disadvantage in two ways. We don't know Hebrew, they knew Hebrew.

And we are not really that familiar with Psalm 82. They're really that familiar So I'm going to spend some time trying to bring us up to speed so we would see What Jesus is saying through the lenses of the people that he's actually speaking to in the text I'm going to try to help us a little bit with the Hebrew and with bringing us up to speed on an understanding of Psalm 82. So turn to Psalm 82. Turn to Psalm 82. It's a short Psalm so we can read the whole thing.

On the face of it, meaning if you just read our text in John chapter 10, without regard to the Hebrew, and Without regard to really understanding what Psalm 82 is all about, it sounds like Jesus is backing off. Meaning that the sense of it, on the face of it, is something like this. Scripture calls people gods, little G gods, in Psalm 82. So my claim to be the son of God is really no big deal. After all, we are all little G gods in some sense.

So don't be so offended. On the face of it, if you didn't know Hebrew and you didn't know Psalm 82, you would say, Jesus is backing off. But even in John 10, that can't be it. Even in John 10, even without an understanding of Hebrew or a better understanding of Psalm 82, that can't be Jesus backing off because in verse 38, He's going to double down and again say, I'm in the Father and the Father is in me. He's going to claim to be God and to be one with his Father in heaven in Psalm 38.

So it cannot be that he is backing off. And I think as we work patiently through this, we will see that a proper understanding of this doesn't have him backing off, but has him doubling down the whole way. Let's look at Psalm 82. This is a Psalm of Asaph. Verse 1.

God stands in the congregation of the mighty. He judges among the gods. So this isn't the verse that Jesus is quoting. He is quoting verse 6. This is the first time in Psalm 82 that the word little g gods is used.

God stands in the congregation of the mighty. God is in the midst of the mighty men of earth in Psalm 82. And it says, he judges among the gods. Now I have a note in my Bible, I'll just read you what the note says. Hebrew, Elohim, that's the Hebrew word, Elohim, mighty ones, that is the judges.

What the note is clueing us in on is that the Hebrew word Elohim has a range of meaning. Overwhelmingly it is translated Big G God, the one true God, maker of heaven and earth, ruler of all. But it also does have a range of meaning that can mean mighty ones, mighty people, judges. But the translators believe that that is the way it is used here. God stands in the congregation of the mighty men of earth.

He stands among the mighty men of earth. He judges among the little g gods or he judges among the judges. God is there to judge the mighty men of earth, the judges of the earth. In other words, he is King, capital K, of kings. He is Lord, capital L, of Lords.

He is the Judge of Judges. He is the God of little g, gods. He is God among the mighty of the earth. Listen to Exodus 22, 8. I'm lifting this verse right out of its context because the context doesn't matter.

I'm getting to the word, the usage of Elohim in that verse. That's the only point I'm making so we don't need the context. Exodus 22 verse 8. If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges. So there's this case law.

You don't find the thief, you bring the master of the house to the judges. Elohim. Same Hebrew word and same usage. Not talking about capital G God, the ruler of heaven and earth, but actually talking about mighty ones on earth who judgment has been entrusted to. Now I'm not questioning any of the translation.

All the translation is fine. I'm not saying it should be rendered judges. Jesus has actually rendered a judgment on that because he's not speaking Hebrew in John chapter 10. John chapter 10 is Greek, and so the New Testament is in Greek, so in John chapter 10 the word used does not have the range of meaning that the Hebrew word has. But it's the Hebrew word that's actually being translated.

This is why Paul teaches what he does in Romans 13 of the governing authorities. What does Paul say of governing authorities in Romans 13? In verse 4 he says he is God's minister. Says it twice in verse 4. Those exact words, He is God's minister.

What is he teaching? What does that matter with John chapter 10? The civil magistrate, The governing authorities are put there by God as His servants. They don't give themselves authority, they are given authority by God. In verse 6 it says it again, they are God's ministers.

So all earthly authorities are not ruling on their own authority, they are ruling on God's designated authority. They are God's stand-ins. They are God's stand-ins. They are on earth standing in for God. And they are to rule according to what God has said is just and good.

They are to rule according to the book. That is the sense in which they are gods. Not that they are mighty of themselves, but that they are stewards of God to do what He has put them in place to do. The whole point of Psalm 82 isn't that these men are mighty in and of themselves. It's that they've been given a place by God to execute his judgment in his stead on the earth.

That's the difference between capital G God and little G gods. He is the source of all authority and they are given authority, delegated authority to stand in his place to do his will. Now let's continue in Psalm 82. I'll back up. We need to start at the beginning.

It only cost us one verse to do that. After that large gap we should start at the beginning. God stands in the congregation of the mighty. He judges among the gods. How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?

So God is there judging the judges. The judges that He put in place and verse 2 says He is not happy. Because they are not fulfilling their function as His stand-ins. They are not doing as He would do. They are judging unjustly.

They are showing partiality of the wicked. Verse 3, Defend the poor and fatherless. Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy. Free them from the hand of the wicked.

They do not know, nor do they understand. They walk about in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are unstable. I said, You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High, but you shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. Arise, O God, judge the earth, for you shall inherit all nations." shall inherit all nations." This whole chapter is a condemnation of unrighteous stand-ins.

Little G gods. One who have been put in place to stand in the place of God to rule and judge in God's stead, righteously, and it's a condemnation of unrighteous ones. Now, think of How that would ring in the ears of men who had recently expelled a man from the synagogue for the great crime of being given his sight. This has recently happened where the man born blind who Jesus gave his sight well into his lifetime, is expelled from the synagogue by these unjust judges, by these poor stand-ins for God, this certainly would have rung in their ears. Now I'm not saying that Jesus is overtly making that connection.

He does not connect the dots in our text. But if I had to guess, he would have expected them to make the connection to Psalm 82 and what Psalm 82 is really about. And my guess is they would have made the connection. This is actually a condemnation of unjust judges. But that's just a bonus.

Now let's look at verses 34 in the light of that. The little G gods are said to be that because they are a stand-in in their positions for the big G god, the ruler of heaven and earth. Back to 34-36. Let's read it again through that lens. 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 the scripture cannot be broken, do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, you are blaspheming because I said, I am the Son of God?" Again, Psalm 82 calls men who are God's ministers and God's stand-ins and God's judges little G gods. That's what Psalm 82 calls them. And Jesus is claiming to be the ultimate version of this. Think about this. Human rulers are exercising delegated authority.

In that sense, they are set apart by God to serve that function on the earth they are sent by God to do that Jesus actually is the ultimate version of that he says I was sanctified by God I was set apart by God for this mission in the ultimate way, in the most unique way. I was sent from heaven into the world by my Father. So the argument is from the lesser to the greater. If human judges, if human authorities can be called little g gods because they are standing in how much more fitting for the one sanctified or set apart and sent by the Father into the world to be called the Son of God. In other words, if it is appropriate for stand-ins to do it, how much more the one who was individually, personally consecrated by God for this work, and sent into the world for this work to be called the Son of God.

He is not backing away or evading at all. It is actually an additional claim of unique status. Jesus is arguing that not only is it not blasphemy, it's eminently fitting. They say it's blasphemy, you should be stoned. Jesus is saying it's not blasphemy, nothing could be more fitting than what I'm saying because my father has set me apart for this work and my father has sent me into the world for this work If it's true that human judges can be called little G gods in a qualified way it is completely fitting that I would bear this in an unqualified way.

This is what Jesus is saying. One last word on this part. Verse 35, Jesus says, and scripture cannot be broken. And the scripture cannot be broken. Here is Jesus' doctrine of scripture.

His teaching about what scripture is. Don't you want to have Jesus' doctrine of scripture? He's the son of God. Whatever he thinks about these words, this book, is how I want to think about these words and this book. And he makes an argument before experts in the law based on one single word from scripture, little G-gods.

The whole argument. And he considers that the matter is closed because of this one word from scripture. We call this verbal plenary inspiration. That's a theological phrase, theological terms. Verbal plenary inspiration simply means that the unit of inspiration of scripture is the word.

This is incredibly important. This is very important. What's the unit of inspiration? Is it the word or the sentence or thought? Jesus is declaring here that it is the word that you can build an argument and rest your case based on the accuracy and the choice of a single word in Scripture.

So that should make us say, I cannot give up one word of my Bible. Because Jesus says you can take that one word from the Bible and make an argument based on it and rest your case. This is how Jesus views scripture. If you want to have Jesus' doctrine of scripture, There it is. It should be your doctrine of scripture too.

Verbal plenary inspiration. The unit of inspiration of scripture is the word. And actually, you can go further than that and say even the tenths of a verb. We could prove that from the New Testament. Even if that one word happens to be singular versus plural, even the part of the word is inspired by God.

God chose every one of these words. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for, and there is the list. 2 Timothy 3, 16. So that was one. Jesus quotes Psalm 82.

Secondly, he appeals to the Jews to embrace his works as a source of sound belief. Jesus appeals to these unbelieving Jews to embrace his works. He's been doing works, miracles, very publicly in the capital of the special people of God, Israel, right out in the open and he is saying, embrace those works that I have been doing as a source of sound belief. In other words, proof that what he is teaching, his claims about himself and the things that he has been teaching are sound and from God. Embrace these as proofs.

Jesus recognizes that anyone who makes the claims that he's been making must back them up. If you want to make identity claims that Jesus has been making, you better be ready to back them up. If you want to tell me that you are from God and that you are God, we were going to want to see something. Jesus didn't expect any less. Jesus understood that it couldn't just be words.

His claims to identity could not be just words. Why? Well, it is logical that you should have to back that up, but it's more than that. Again, because the scripture cannot be broken. And the scripture says that when the Messiah comes, He'll do certain things that no one else can do.

Okay, Josh took us there, Isaiah 42. Another good place to go would be Isaiah 61. But there are many places where you find the signs of the Messiah. So if you are making those claims, I am sent from God, I am God, you have to be able to do the signs of the Messiah. Turn to Luke chapter 7.

I've referenced this a couple of times in past weeks. But I want us to look at the extended passage today. Luke chapter 7. In Luke chapter 7, Jesus has been doing mighty things, that's a tie into our text, and the reports have come to John the Baptist who is languishing in prison. That brings us to where I'll start reading.

Luke chapter 7 beginning in verse 18. Then the disciples of John, this is John the Baptist, then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. And John calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus saying, are you the coming one, or do we look for another? When the men had come to him they said John the Baptist has sent us to you saying are you the coming one or do we look for another? In that very hour, He, Jesus, cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits, and to many blind he gave sight.

So the question comes and the first thing he does is he starts miracles right there on the spot in front of the two disciples of John the Baptist. He cures many infirmities, he cures many afflictions, he casts out many evil spirits, And to many blind people he gives sight right there the same hour. Picking up in verse 22. Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard. That the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.

And blessed is he who is not offended because of me." John the Baptist, languishing in prison, probably confused. This is speculation. We don't know exactly what he was thinking. I think he was thinking, I know these things about Christ. Yes, he is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, but he is also a refiner whose winnowing fan is in his hand to separate wheat from chaff and to burn up the chaff and here I am in prison.

What am I doing in prison if he is the Messiah? I think that is what was happening. So he sends two disciples to ask, are you the one or should we wait for someone else? The answer was works. The answer was the works of the Messiah.

Prophecy said you'll know the Messiah because he does these things. Jesus knew without a shadow of a doubt that when John the Baptist got this report back he would know that his question had been answered, that they didn't need to wait, that Jesus really was the Messiah because he did the works of the Messiah. Then he gives them words, a few words, but it's about the works. Go tell him you saw these things. Jesus has been on this theme many times.

Look at the works. Right? That's been the theme since early on in the Gospel of John. And Jesus will stay on this theme. Let me give you a preview of a couple of things we will see in chapter 14 and 15.

Listen to this, John 14, 10. John 14, 10, Jesus will say, The words that I speak to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does the works." So Jesus is saying, I'm saying things and I'm not saying them on my own authority. How can you know this? Because the Father who dwells in me does the works. The works prove that the words are not from me, they are the words of God.

They are not just from me, they are the words of God. Then in the next chapter, John 15 verse 24, John 15 verse 24, Jesus says, If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin. But now they have seen and also hated both me and my Father." Wow, that one is a jaw dropper. Jesus says, if I had just come and made the claims, but not done all these works that no one else could do, they wouldn't be sinning to not believe. He says that.

He says, but now they've seen. I did all these things in public, in the most public place, in Jerusalem, in and around the temple in Jerusalem. They could not have been more public. They have seen these things and they have hated me and my father. Their hatred towards Jesus is actually hatred towards the Father.

Jesus is saying, let the works direct you. The works tell the tale. If I don't do the works of my Father, don't believe me. But if I do, do the works of the Father believe me. This is stunning.

He's inviting them not to believe. He's inviting them to stay in unbelief if he hasn't done the unmistakable works of his Father. If he hasn't done the works that bear the unmistakable works of his Father, they are at liberty to not believe him, according to Jesus' own words. Listen to what J.C. Ryle says about the works that Jesus has been doing.

I think this is really helpful. J.C. Ryle says this, these miracles were not few in number. Forty times and more we read in the gospels of his doing things entirely out of the ordinary course of nature. These miracles were not all done in private among friends.

Many of them were wrought in the most public manner under the eyes of unfriendly witnesses. We are so familiar with these things that we are apt to forget the mighty lesson they teach. They teach that he who worked these miracles must be nothing less than very God. To reject one who confirmed his mission by such mighty words is the height of madness and folly." I just want to repeat that last sentence because it is the punchline of all that Jesus is teaching in our text. To reject one who confirmed his ministry by such mighty works is the height of madness and folly." Ryle said that If all these works had been done in private to friends, you might be able to bring them into contempt.

In other words, how do we know? It wasn't done out in public, it was just done in private. We just have the testimony of friendly witnesses. These are all your friends. How do we know you did these things?

Ryle said if that was true, it was done private, just in front of friends, that you might be able to bring them into contempt. But no, Many of these were done in the most public ways in front of his enemies. Now what are you going to do? Many, many witnesses and many witnesses who hated him and who hated the implications of what he was doing and yet they couldn't say this never happened. Back to chapter 5.

A man who had been infirm for 38 years takes up his mat and walks. How are you going to deny that? It wasn't done in the backwoods of Galilee. It was done right outside the temple, probably, in Jerusalem, for a man who was known to be a beggar for his bread. 38 years.

38 years worth of witnesses who know that guy used to beg for bread out here because he couldn't walk and Jesus made him walk. How about the man born blind? He lives in Jerusalem. You can go ask his parents. You can go ask his friends.

He never could see. Now he can see. None of his enemies can deny the works that He is doing. And what are the works to convince them to believe? Verse 38, that the Father is in me and I in Him says Jesus.

Just like verse 30, I and my Father are one. What do you mean Jesus? The Father is in me and I and in him. We don't just share a purpose, we share an essence and nature. We are of the same thing.

Are the Jews convinced? No. They seek again to seize Jesus, but again to draw on the words of John chapter 7, it was not his hour. They didn't have any ability to stone Jesus because it was not His hour. He has to voluntarily lay down His life at the Passover.

He can't possibly die before the Passover. Because He is the Passover Lamb. No one can take his life from him. He has the power to lay it down and he has the power to take it up again. He's been saying all this in our chapter.

Alright, the last verses, verses 40 through 42, the last section. And Jesus went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first and there he stayed. Then many came to him and said, John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this man were true. And many believed in him here, There. Many believed in Him there.

In these verses, Jesus is in a special place. So, if you're filling in blanks on the handout, place fills in the blank. Jesus is in a special place. By the way, Matthew 19 verse 1 and Mark 10 verse 1 both record the same thing. Jesus left Jerusalem and went to the other side of the Jordan where John the Baptist had been baptizing.

So there are multiple places where this is recorded in the Gospels. Listen to Matthew chapter 3 verses 1 through 6. Matthew chapter 3 verses 1 through 6. In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem, all Judea and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan confessing their sins. Matthew begins this way, Matthew chapter 3, with multitudes coming out of Jerusalem, where Jesus is in Matthew chapter 10. And Judea, the region that Jerusalem is in, and from the region around the Jordan, probably where John the Baptist was baptizing, was just on the east side of the Jordan, near Jerusalem, maybe 20 miles away from Jerusalem, northeast of Jerusalem. Jesus went back here, probably to the place where he himself was baptized, and the Spirit came and rested on him.

And probably he stayed here the three to four months between the Feast of Dedication, which John chapter 10 says was the Feast of Dedication, and the Passover, and he's crucified during the Passover. There's maybe three and a half months of time and he probably spends it all here just looking at the Gospel accounts. John the Baptist wasn't a miracle worker as Jesus was a miracle worker. The people here actually say that. John didn't perform miracles.

John the Baptist was a preacher. He was a voice in the wilderness. What did he preach? So flip to John chapter 1. We've already preached through this section, but I want us to remind us of the preaching of John the Baptist.

What were The things that he said about Jesus that the people in our text affirm that were true. Everything he said about Jesus was true. These are the things he said about Jesus. John chapter 1 Verse 15, John bore witness of him, of Jesus, and cried out saying, This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me. Then as the chapter progresses, verse 19, now this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who are you?

And John begins to answer the question about who He is and then they end up asking Him, why do you baptize? And now we're in verse 26. So I'm just quickly working us through the chapter to get to verse 26 and John's preaching about Christ, John's testimony of Christ. John chapter 1 verse 26, I'll read through 34. John answered them saying, I baptize with water, but there stands one among you whom you do not know.

It is he who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." These things were done in Beth-Abarah, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. This is probably exactly the location where Jesus is in John chapter 10 at the end. Verse 29, the next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said after me comes a man who is preferred before me for he was before me I Did not know him, but that he should be revealed to Israel therefore I came baptizing with water and John bore witness saying I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said, upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, This is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." Three things I just want to draw out of John's testimony of Christ or John's preaching of Christ.

The first is John's story was, I'm nothing, he's everything. I'm not even worthy to bend down and untie his sandal. John wanted no attention for himself, he wanted all attention for Jesus. Secondly, he identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He identified Jesus as the one who would come and be a substitute, whose blood would be shed for the cleansing of a people.

And three, John said that the one who had sent him to baptize, who was that? That's God. That God had told him, you'll know when you see him because the Spirit will descend and remain on him. And so John says that's him. I saw the Spirit descend on him.

It was a sign given to me by God. And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God. This is fundamentally John the Baptist's testimony. I'm not sure How before the resurrection anyone could have preached Christ more fully. How could you before the resurrection?

This is a wonderful sermon on Christ. This would pass as a wonderful sermon on Christ today even after the resurrection. John was preaching this before Jesus ever did one thing publicly and he was saying, He's the Son of God and I know He's the Son of God because God who sent me gave me a sign and that sign was fulfilled in Jesus. So here is Jesus in John chapter 10 back to John chapter 10 here is Jesus the fulfillment of all of John the Baptist preaching In John chapter 1 he was saying it before Jesus did anything public publicly now is John chapter 10 and he is the fulfillment of all that John the Baptist was preaching. John the Baptist is dead now.

John the Baptist has been martyred by John chapter 10. And the people are affirming. Everything, Everything John the Baptist said about Jesus is true. Jesus has come back here to call His sheep, and they are hearing His voice and they are following Him. Jesus is the door.

Jesus is the good shepherd. He's calling sheep into his fold here at the end of John chapter 10. And they're hearing and following. Applications. It's an interesting text, but it needs to be more than an interesting text.

We should do something with it. So this is really the part to talk about. How do we apply the text? How can this help me on Tuesday morning? Or whatever time.

There's nothing special on my calendar for Tuesday morning. It's coming and the Word of God needs to move us. Number one, Jesus is either a blasphemer or God's anointed. The Jews are right about that. The Jews get it.

That more people would get it. And at least understand the wild claims of this man named Jesus. They were wild claims. He can either only be a blasphemer, who the law of God would have him stoned for blasphemy, or he is God's anointed, he is God's Messiah, he is God's Christ, He is God. How can you tell?

Believe the works. This is what Jesus keeps saying. Believe the works. Not works done in private in front of friends, supposedly. Works done more publicly that you can't make up scenarios where he does them more publicly.

And he's doing them in front of his enemies. Works that you can't deny. Believe the works. He did them in front of everyone. He did them in front of his enemies who hated that he was doing these works, who hated the implications of what it meant.

And yet they could never deny that the man who had been there for 38 years as a cripple was walking. And they couldn't deny that the man who was born blind could see. They interviewed his parents. Believe the works. That's number one.

Jesus is either a blasphemer or God's anointed. So many people go through all their lives and they just shrug at this. And they don't really care. He's this or that and it doesn't really matter in their lives. How can it not matter?

He's either a blasphemer in which case you're at liberty to go your own way and do your own thing. Jesus says as much in our text, If I didn't do the works of my Father, don't believe. But if he did do the works that no one else could do, that say that he is sent from God and that he is God, that turns your world upside down. You cannot just shrug at this. He is either a blasphemer or He is God's anointed.

And if He is God's anointed, it should turn your world upside down. Number two. And finally, the scripture cannot be broken. Friends, I want to look at, as many people as we look forward now, I want to look you in the eye and say, this is the great truth of our text, the scripture cannot be broken. Not one jot or tittle will fail until all things are fulfilled.

This is what Jesus says in Matthew chapter 5. Not one jot or tittle of the word of God will pass away until everything is fulfilled, until everything that God has promised to do, God has done, unbeliever, this should make you fear. Everything that God says about the end of the unrepentant will be fulfilled. Not one dot of the I or cross of the T will fall to the ground, not one. It will all be just as the Word of God says it will be.

If you do not trust in Jesus Christ, your sin remains upon you. The wrath of God abides upon you, you are not separate from your sin. When God sees you, He sees you in your sins if you are an unbeliever. And not One thing that God says about the eternal destiny of those people will fail to have happen. The fire is never quenched.

The worm never dies. Always dying, never dead. Always in torment. Such torment that you'll gnash your teeth and never stop. Believers As much as the unbeliever should hear these words that the scripture cannot be broken in fear, you should hear these words and rejoice.

We are the recipients of great and precious promises. Not one of them will be unfulfilled. Not one of them will fall to the ground. God will keep every last one of them through all eternity. Promises have been made to me as a repentant sinner that can't be fulfilled without an eternity in God's presence.

That's what's required to fulfill that promise. It's for me to dwell with Him forever in joy, and you if you've repented. And, believers, we should trust this word down to the Word. It has to be our... Jesus' story that the scripture cannot be broken and that we can rest our lives and every argument on one word of scripture has to be our story.

The people who embrace Jesus' doctrine of scripture will never give up one word out of their Bible. Because every word has been given by God. You can trust this book. Don't trust anything else. Trust this book.

Bet your life on it. Build your life on it. God, thank you for the good in our text. So much good in our text. Again, thank you.

I pray that you would help us to apply your word in Jesus' name, amen.