³¹ The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. ³² Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” ³³ The Jews answered him, “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.” ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? ³⁵ If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— ³⁶ 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’? ³⁷ If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; ³⁸ 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.” ³⁹ Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

⁴⁰ He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained. ⁴¹ And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” ⁴² And many believed in him there.

John 10:31-42

They were constantly trying to find a reason to stone Jesus or arrest Him. Jesus, in trying to help them understand, said, ” the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” This speaks of a relational thing. It is an indwelling. I am in you and you are in me. It is very similar, and easy to understand, when we look at our children. We recognize our own traits and character manifesting in them. Jesus was speaking of identity.

Identity is a huge issue. Much of how we identify ourselves is connect to relationship. When we say, “I am a mother, father, son, daughter, brother, sister.” Even when we connect ourselves to other things, “I am a member of this church, or that club, or this group of people.” We are speaking of identifying ourselves as connected to and in relationship with someone or something. Jesus consistently identified Himself by His relationship with the Father and as Christians, so must we.

Do you relate or identify more with Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. If Jesus was so intent on identifying with Father, perhaps we ought too also. Ponder why that relationship with “Father” is strong or weak?

Father, thank you for the way Jesus made it clear that the relationship I need in with the Father. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, except through me. We needed our way to You mended. Thank you for Jesus making a way for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

All is grace,

Starla