The Father and I are one. 31 The Jews again picked up rocks to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’? 35 If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and scripture cannot be set aside, 36 can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; 38 but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize [and understand] that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 [Then] they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power. 40 He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained. 41 Many came to him and said, “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” 42 And many there began to believe in him.
Jesus’ claim, “The Father and I are one (v. 30)” would have been blasphemy because he was claiming unity and equality with God’s divine nature thereby disrespecting God in the eyes of the Jewish leaders (cf. Jn. 8:58-59). The punishment for this grave offense was death by stoning so the Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus (Lv. 24:13-16). Jesus asked the Jews for which of his good works done at his Father’s will were they going to stone him (Jn. 8:46)? The Jews believed that God could only be found in the Temple so how could he be one with Jesus? Jesus did not deny their charge that he was making himself equal to God. The Jews clarified that their intention to stone Jesus was not because of his good works but because of his claim to be one with the Father which they perceived as blasphemy. Jesus, a mere human being in their eyes, was making Himself equal to God.
Jesus then appealed to the primacy of Scripture, “Gods though you be, offspring of the Most High all of you (Ps. 82.6),” where God was addressing the judges of Israel pointing out that they too could be called gods. Therefore, if human judges can be called "gods" based on Scripture, the one whom the Father has sent can be called “the Son of God” because he has been consecrated (sanctified) by the Father and has done his Father’s works which testify to him (Jn. 5:19-30; 10:25). If they do not believe his words believe his divine works which are proof of divine identity. His actions validate his unity with the Father. The Jews rejected Jesus’ argument and tried to seize Jesus, but he slipped away from the Jerusalem Temple and went back across the Jordan where John the Baptist had first baptized because it was safer there. The crowd there recognized that everything John the Baptist had testified about Jesus was true and was more receptive to his preaching. Many people in that region come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.
Almighty God, grant us the wisdom to understand the teachings of Jesus and the courage to believe in his divine identity. Graciously listen to the prayers of all who call upon you and prepare their hearts to receive the fullness of your sanctifying love. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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