I Am The Son Of God Sermon by K. Edward Skidmore, John 10:19-42 - SermonCentral.com

2. Today we’re focusing on Jesus’ statement,
"I am the Son of God,”
(John 10:36)
and the reaction of the Jewish leaders who
attempted to:
1. Slander Him
2. Stone Him

3. John 10:19 NIV The Jews who heard these
words were again divided. 20 Many of them
said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad.
Why listen to him?" 21 But others said, "These
are not the sayings of a man possessed by a
demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the
blind?" 22 Then came the Festival of Dedication
at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was in
the temple courts walking in Solomon's
Colonnade.

4. 24 The Jews who were there gathered around
him, saying, "How long will you keep us in
suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us
plainly." 25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but
you do not believe. The works I do in my
Father's name testify about me, 26 but you do
not believe because you are not my sheep. 27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and
they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and
they shall never perish; no one will snatch them
out of my hand.

5. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is
greater than all; no one can snatch them out of
my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."
31 Again his Jewish opponents picked up
stones to stone him, 32 but Jesus said to them,
"I have shown you many good works from the
Father. For which of these do you stone me?" 33
"We are not stoning you for any good work,"
they replied, "but for blasphemy, because you, a
mere man, claim to be God."

6. 34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in
your Law, 'I have said you are "gods"'? 35 If he
called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God
came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— 36
what about the one whom the Father set apart
as his very own and sent into the world? Why
then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I
said, 'I am God's Son'? 37 Do not believe me
unless I do the works of my Father.

7. 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 in
the Father." 39 Again they tried to seize him, but
he escaped their grasp. 40 Then Jesus went back
across the Jordan to the place where John had
been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed,
41 and many people came to him. They said,
"Though John never performed a sign, all that
John said about this man was true." 42 And in that
place many believed in Jesus.

8. Of all the “I am” statements Jesus made, which
one do you suppose was the most controversial
of all? Which one was most responsible for His
arrest? Which one caused the Jewish leaders to
conspire together to end His life? Jesus flat out
stated that He is the son of God and the Christ
(The Messiah). That is the “I am” statement we
will study today.

9. The Jewish leaders questioned Jesus about His
identity. But the truth is they had no reason to
wonder who Jesus was. Jesus fed 5,000 people and
then announced, I AM the Bread of Life. He declared
I AM the Light of the World, and then healed a blind
man. He explained I AM the Good Shepherd --- which
was a reference to a prophecy about the coming
Messiah. Besides that, John recorded many other
statement where Jesus made it clear that He is the
Son of God.

10. To Nicodemus He called Himself the “Son of
Man” and “God’s one and only Son”
John 3:13 NIV No one has ever gone into
heaven except the one who came from heaven—
the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the
snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must
be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may
have eternal life in him." 16 For God so loved
the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish
but have eternal life.

11. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world
to condemn the world, but to save the world
through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not
condemned, but whoever does not believe
stands condemned already because they have
not believed in the name of God's one and only
Son.
We need to understand the title “Son of Man”
the way the Jews understood it. This phrase is
used in Old Testament prophecy to refer to
God’s Anointed One, the promised Messiah.

12. Daniel 7:13 NIV "In my vision at night I looked, and
there before me was one like a son of man, coming
with the clouds of heaven. He approached the
Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14
He was given authority, glory and sovereign power;
all nations and peoples of every language worshiped
him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that
will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will
never be destroyed.
Psalms 80:17 NIV Let your hand rest on the man at
your right hand, the son of man you have raised up
for yourself.

13. To the Woman at the Well He called Himself
Messiah" (called Christ)
(Messiah was the Jewish term,
while Christ was the term used by the Greeks)
John 4:25 NIV The woman said, "I know that
Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he
comes, he will explain everything to us." 26
Then Jesus declared, "I, the one speaking to
you—I am he."

14. To the Jews who opposed Him He called
Himself the “Son of God”
John 5:25 NIV Very truly I tell you, a time is
coming and has now come when the dead will
hear the voice of the Son of God and those who
hear will live.

15. To the crowds on the day He preached the
“bread of life” sermon He called Himself the
“Son of Man”
John 6:27 NIV Do not work for food that spoils,
but for food that endures to eternal life, which
the Son of Man will give you. For on him God
the Father has placed his seal of approval."

16. When Jesus preached the “light of the world”
sermon He called Himself
“Son of Man”
John 8:28 NIV So Jesus said, "When you have
lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that
I am he and that I do nothing on my own but
speak just what the Father has taught me.

17. To the man Jesus healed who was born blind He
called Himself the “Son of Man”
John 9:35 NIV Jesus heard that they had thrown
him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do
you believe in the Son of Man?" 36 "Who is he,
sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may
believe in him." 37 Jesus said, "You have now
seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with
you.” 38 Then the man said, "Lord, I believe,"
and he worshiped him.

18. In spite of all this, the Jewish leaders acted like
Jesus was trying to hide His identity.
They confronted Him with this blunt question &
Jesus answered them just as bluntly:
John 10:24 NIV The Jews who were there
gathered around him, saying, "How long will
you keep us in suspense? If you are the
Messiah, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered, "I
did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I
do in my Father's name testify about me,

19. Just a few verses later, Jesus told them once
again: “I am God's Son.”
John 10:36 NIV what about the one whom the
Father set apart as his very own and sent into
the world? Why then do you accuse me of
blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'?

20. Jesus had nothing to hide.
He was not hard to find.
He made a practice of attending the Temple
Feasts in Jerusalem.
In fact, on this occasion, Jesus had come to
observe the Feast of Dedication.
(now called Hanukah)

21. Just a couple of months earlier Jesus had
healed a man who had been born blind.
The Religious leaders had witnessed that
healing. They even interrogated the man after
Jesus gave him his sight. But far from believing,
they tried even harder to get rid of Jesus.

22. Jesus had every reason to give up on these
men. They were obviously out to get Him.
They were His sworn enemies.
They deserved a scathing rebuke, but instead,
Jesus, once again, offered them God’s Grace.
John 10:37 NIV Do not believe me unless I do
the works of my Father. 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 in the Father."

23. Notice the reaction of the Religious Leaders.
They couldn’t trap Jesus with their clever
arguments.
They couldn’t explain away His miracles.
They couldn’t poke holes in His teachings.
So they tried one more approach.
They tried to ruin His reputation with SLANDER.

24. John 10:19 NIV The Jews who heard these
words were again divided. 20 Many of them
said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad.
Why listen to him?" 21 But others said, "These
are not the sayings of a man possessed by a
demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the
blind?"

25. Look at the three slanderous statements from
the unbelievers.
First they said He is demon-possessed.
Then they said he is raving mad.
Then they simply asked Why listen to him?
Unfortunately, we see the same reactions today
from people who reject Jesus.

26. Most people won’t say it so bluntly, but many
unbelievers try to identify Jesus with the occult,
or with other Religions.
A home in India had pictures of the Hindu god’s
lining the walls. There, mixed in with Krishna
and Vishnu, lined up between Ganesh, an
elephant-headed god, and another god with
multiple arms, was a picture of Jesus.

27. But you don’t have to travel to India to see
people trying to fit Jesus in with false religions.
We have a proliferation of cults and “New-Age”
kinds of religions right here in the USA.
(Actually, New Age is just an updated term for Old
Witchcraft and paganism.)

28. We see a revival of the ancient religion of Earth-
Worship (usually with an Environmental focus)
A cleaned-up kind of Witchcraft (sometimes called
Wicca or “white magic”) is growing in popularity.
Many people have gravitated toward some kind
of vague belief that involves using Crystals and
Magnets and harnessing cosmic energy.
More and more people are consulting
Astrologers or calling the Psychic Hotline

29. Leaders of cults or new age religions, often try
to include Jesus in the mix. They may present
Him as a great Guru or a powerful Spirit Guide.
People with all sorts of false beliefs like to throw
in some misquoted scriptures and attempt to
remake Jesus in their own image. It’s the same
kind of SLANDER Jesus suffered when the
unbelieving Jews said He is demon-possessed.

30. The next statement they made was:
You may not hear those exact words, but if you
watch TV or go to Movies, you’ve seen Jesus
and His followers made to look like a bunch of
kooks. Christians are an easy target for ridicule.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I know Church people
offer plenty to laugh at. But I’m not referring to
good-natured humor. I’m referring to media that
depicts Jesus and His Church in the most
negative way possible.

31. Except for Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Christ in
THE PASSION, most big-budget Jesus movies
present him as confused, conflicted,
inconsistent, and immoral. (like the Last Temptation
of Christ) And if a movie or TV show includes a
token Christian character, you can bet he will
either be the villain or the buffoon. (Disney’s
Hunchback of Notre Dame had a bishop who was evil
incarnate)

32. Maybe that’s because it’s easier to reject the
claims of Christ if you laugh it off.
Paul put it this way:
1 Corinthians 1:18 NIV For the message of the
cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,
but to us who are being saved it is the power of
God.
After calling Jesus demon-possessed and a
mad man the unbelievers asked this arrogant
question.

33. Think about it. The Son of God was standing
right there, willing to talk personally with any
one of them. But they had better things to do.
They had seen Him feed over 5,000 people and
heal the sick and open the eyes of the blind.
He had promised that He would lay down his life
for them.
He had opened His heart to them, the very heart
of God. But all they could say was,
“Why listen to Him?”

34. Sadly, many people today respond the same
way.
You won’t find them sitting in church this
morning.
They flip past Christian radio or TV.
If they own a Bible, it gathers dust on a shelf.
Why should they listen to Jesus?
They have better things to do.

35. As bad as it is to turn away from the Son of
God, the Religious Leaders of Jesus’ day
wanted to do more than ignore Him.
They wanted to destroy Him.
When Jesus said, 30 I and the Father are one. 31
Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones
to stone him

36. Once again, Jesus was facing enemies who
wanted to kill Him right then and there.
The power of His character really shines
through in the way He faced them down.
John 10:32 but Jesus said to them, "I have
shown you many good works from the Father.
For which of these do you stone me?"

37. The answer these men gave is chilling.
John 10:33 NIV "We are not stoning you for any
good work," they replied, "but for blasphemy,
because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

38. That is a very telling statement.
These men did not want to kill Jesus because of
a misunderstanding.
They understood that Jesus was claiming to be
God in the flesh, and they rejected His claim.
In fact, they were determined to kill Him for
claiming to be the Son of God.

39. All across the world there are people who
clearly understand the message of Christianity
but who have chosen to reject Jesus as the
Christ, the Son of the Living God. Just like in
the days when Jesus was on earth, some people
will do anything to silence His message.
In our country, we have to deal with people who
want to slander the name of Jesus.
But in many other parts of the world, people
face death for believing His message.

40. We hear the news about the genocide going on
in Southern Sudan.
What is not usually emphasized is that the
attacks are largely aimed at Christians.
It is estimated that 70% of Sudanese people are
Sunni Muslims. 9.9% belong to tribal religions
and 19% are Christians.

41. The Muslim population is concentrated in the
north, while the Christians and animists live in
the south or in the Nuba mountain range in
central Sudan.
In the past decades, factions within the
government have been attempting to Islamicize
the country by ridding it of all non-Muslims.

42. Here’s a news report from June 4, 2003.
At least 59 people were killed, 15 were injured,
and ten children and six women abducted when
armed Sudanese government forces
simultaneously attacked ten villages in
Southern Sudan on May 22.
The attacks happened in violation of
internationally agreed ceasefire provisions.

43. Government militia attacked the village of
Longchok in eastern Upper Nile using a
combination of rocket-propelled grenades,
heavy machine guns and assault rifles.
The troops were under the command of Second
Lieutenant Mohammed Idris of the Sudanese
regular army.

44. Huts were set ablaze and many villagers were
burned to death in their homes, including
Presbyterian minister Jacob Gadet Manyiel, the
region’s only Christian pastor.
He was burned to death along with his wife and
four children as government troops surrounded
their home, threatening to shoot any family
member attempting to escape the flames.

45. We need to pray for our Christian brothers and
sisters in other parts of the world.
They know what it is to face death because of
their faith.
If you don’t believe it’s happening today, find a
Voice of the Martyrs magazine & you’ll be
shocked & praising God you live in the USA!
Jesus also knew what it was like to face death.

46. We also need to realize what is happening in
Sudan so openly is what is beginning to happen
right here in the US.
Dennis Prager, in an article submitted to Town
Hall.com explained that Christians are doing
battle on two important fronts right here in the
US. Here is his quote:

47. “America is engaged in two wars for the
survival of its civilization. The war over same
sex marriage and the war against Islamic
totalitarianism are actually two fronts in the
same war – a war for the preservation of the
unique American creation known as Judeo
Christian civilization.

48. One enemy is religious extremism. The other is
secular extremism. One enemy is led from
abroad. The other is directed from home.
The first war is against the Islamic attempt to
crush whoever stands in the way of the spread
of violent Islamic theocracies.
The other war is against the secular nihilism
that manifests itself in much of Western Europe,
and parts of America like in San Francisco, and
in many of our universities.

49. America leads the battle against both religious
and secular nihilism and is hated by both
because it rejects both equally. Most of the
activists in the movement to redefine marriage
wish to overthrow the prominence of Judeo-
Christian values in American life. Those who
oppose same-sex marriage understand that
redefining the central human institution of
marriage marks the beginning of the end of
Judeo-Christian civilization.”

50. This time, when the Jews took up rocks to stone
Him, Jesus left Jerusalem.
He would not return again until the Passover
when He would be betrayed and crucified.
Then we see some words of hope.
Not everyone rejected Jesus.
Some people were willing to go out of their way
to SEEK Him.
Look at the last verses of John chapter 10:

51. 40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to
the place where John had been baptizing in the
early days. There he stayed, 41 and many
people came to him. They said, "Though John
never performed a sign, all that John said about
this man was true." 42 And in that place many
believed in Jesus.

52. When the Son of God came to earth, some
people wanted to SLANDER Him. Some people
wanted to STONE Him. But others were willing
to go out of their way to SEEK HIM.
Which group would you have joined if you had
been there?
More important, what is your response to the
Son of God today?

53. When people come to confess belief in Jesus
and be baptized, or when people come forward
to join our congregation, we have a statement of
faith that is required.
I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the
Living God, and my Lord and Savior.
That statement is based on what Jesus said
about himself. Jesus announced that He is the
Christ, the Son of the Living God. And He has
offered to be your Lord and Savior.
What is our response to Him?