The Christ Man

31Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” 33The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.” 34Jesus 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 the Scripture cannot be broken), 36“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’? 37“If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38“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.”
John 10: 31 - 38 NKJV

It must have been quite the scene that day as Jesus stood in front of those Jewish authorities of the law.  In fact, those Jews were dead set on stoning Jesus, whom their own scriptures had proclaimed to them as the promised messiah.  He was the very savior of the Jewish people.  Somehow none of that seemed to matter in the moment.  These keepers of the Jewish law were hotter than fish grease at this man Jesus for having the very audacity to proclaim Himself...the Son of God!  This man, this sinful flesh, was the Son of the Most High?  Blasphemy!  It seem that these Jews had spent their entire lives studying and preaching of the coming Messiah, yet were in a moments notice so ready to deny Him whom God had sent to live among them.  Of course, this was the path to the cross that Jesus had indeed chosen for Himself.  His own prophesy had all too often fallen on deaf ears.  That the Son of Man would be delivered over to sinful men {Matthew 26:45, Luke 24:7, Mark 9:31}.  For the purpose of this writing, these Jewish leaders knew nothing of what we know today as the New Testament.  What they did know was that this man Jesus had committed the unpardonable sin of claiming to be the Son of God, and for that He needed to be stoned.

7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” 8Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” 9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? 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. 11“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
John 14: 7 - 11 NKJV

Where the Jewish authorities were chastising Jesus for His claim of being the Son of God, Jesus' own disciples were asking Him to "show us the Father."  Of course, these followers of Jesus already had a pretty good idea of whom Jesus was.  They had walked with and shared their lives with Him for some time.  In fact, Jesus had proclaimed His identity to them as well {Matthew 16:16}.  For some time now I have seen my own proclamation of living as Christ today {Galations 2:20} as being somewhat controversial in christian circles as well.  In fact, how would such a statement have gone over with those same Jewish authorities?  Somehow I think I might have been next in line behind Jesus to be stoned.  However, this does not change the fact that I indeed live each and every day as Jesus whose Spirit is in me.  Yet, I continue to get more than a few strange looks from those who claim to be christians when I relate this truth to them.  What?  Sinful man living as Jesus?  Blasphemy!  Although I know the truth of Christ Jesus in me, I'm still careful I don't run across any christians carrying rocks.

13When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 14So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 16: 13 - 17 NKJV


~Scott~