“I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE!”

 John 10:22-31                    (ESV)

“I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE”

“[22] At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, [23] and JESUS was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. [24] So the Jews gathered around HIM and said to HIM, “How long will YOU keep us in suspense? If you are the CHRIST, tell us plainly.” [25] JESUS answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my FATHER’S NAME bear witness about ME, [26] but you do not believe because you are not among MY sheep. [27] MY sheep hear MY voice, and I know them, and THEY FOLLOW ME. [28] I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of MY hand. [29] MY FATHER, WHO has given them to ME, IS GREATER THAN ALL, and no one is able to snatch them out of the FATHER’S hand. [30] “I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE”.”  [31] The Jews picked up stones again to stone HIM.”

Acknowledging that “the Jews” what some would consider to be “bad people” is something that I have never been able to completely wrap my mind around!  They were GODS CHOSEN PEOPLE As a matter of fact, Scripture indicates from the beginning that HE “laid down HIS LIFE” for us!  How, why, and couldn’t HE have devised a better plan to CHOOSE HIS Beloved is something that my mind has never been able to comprehend. As far back as Genesis 12 Abram was CHOSEN by GOD to be separated as a BELIEVER in GOD, not because he was better than others, but because he was KNOWN BY GOD ALMIGHTY, “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4)!  

Deuteronomy 7:6 plainly states “For you are a people HOLY to the LORD your GOD. The LORD your GOD HAS CHOSEN YOU to be a people for HIS treasured possession, OUT OF ALL THE PEOPLES who are on the face of the earth.”  The definition of the HOLY begins with “to be set apart”!  “The Jews”, and most of Creation, did not accept JESUS as GOD, not because they were intellectually lacking or inferior.  Their EYES were not OPENED to the TRUTH to SEE GOD walking in their midst, even though they were about to CRUCIFY HIM!  As GOD CHOSE Abraham in Genesis 12 to bless, HE also CHOSE me to be drawn out of the darkness and into HIS marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9)!  

ALMIGHTY GOD CHOSE to allow HIS SON to 

suffer the gruesomeness of Calvary because I could NEVER measure up to HIS perfection!   JESUS CHRIST was submissive because “I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE”!  John 17:23 says “I in them and YOU in ME, that they may BECOME PERFECTLY ONE, so that the world may know that you sent ME and loved them even as you loved ME”.   Even though I am FAR from perfect, JESUS IS IN ME therefore I can be seen by the FATHER AS PERFECT because “I AND THE FATHER ARE ONE”!!!